Smith talked about the “well of authenticity that I’m trying to tap into” when writing new music on Thursday at an event held by the Grammy Museum.
The journey of Will Smith’s comeback to music is unique.
Before performing his hit songs “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” and “Miami,” multihyphenate Will Smith told the audience at the Grammy Museum for An Evening With Will Smith on Thursday that the process of transforming his pain into music has been the greatest source of inspiration for the new musical turn in his career.
He remarked, “Music is a more honest place where I feel like I can express things, and there’s uncertainty and sadness, and I can say things that I wouldn’t say.” “I would never allow myself to feel angry or depressed in public. I’m just now beginning to be more honest with myself: although I like life a lot, I also get depressed and angry occasionally.
At the Grammy Museum, Will Smith performs “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” pic.twitter.com/7KtT7AsSzN
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 4, 2024
It took him a path of self-acceptance and self-discovery to learn to feel those bad emotions and to find strength in vulnerability.
“I definitely have a warrior’s heart, but when you have a warrior’s heart, the best thing you can do is give in to the challenges and accept reality,” he said. “I want everyone to see that I’m not different in any way, even though the victories and successes are important.”
Among the challenges Smith encountered was the notorious incident from the 2022 Oscars, in which he stormed onto the stage and gave presenter Chris Rock a smack following the comedian’s remarks regarding Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. His big-budget return was announced this summer with the release of Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
The celebrity said, “I’ve found a new well after years of really deep-dive soul-searching, more than almost any point in my life,” during the chat. I am attempting to access the most genuine and honest part of me, a well of genuineness.
Although Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff became the first hip-hop artists to win the Grammy for best rap performance in 1989, Smith’s current situation has inspired him to explore other genres, including gospel, as seen by songs like “You Can Make It” and “Work of Art,” which he also performed during the event.
Will Smith explains how he and Jazzy Jeff were the first to win at the #Grammys in the rap category pic.twitter.com/dXaep8rqD1
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 4, 2024
Smith remarked, “I don’t really fit in those [genre] boxes.” “I was going to try to make a gospel record, so I wasn’t thinking about it.” I wrote a song that spoke to the emotional church experience I experienced as a child. The concepts were starting to veer more toward the spiritual side. It remains a single story.
The father of three is currently collaborating closely with his family on his new album as the celebrity has the opportunity to convey his tale in a new way for the first time since his 2017 release “Get Lit.”
It’s a new era when everyone is in the house doing music together and enjoying each other’s creations. As a father, I’m finding that my kids are drawn to me more because I’m still pushing myself and improving myself,” Smith remarked.
“I’m noticing that the struggles I go through, the challenges I overcome, and the lessons I learn are because I’m not stopping, and my children are not moving away from me,” he went on. In addition to focusing on the music and deepening my understanding of life and myself, I feel like I’m maturing into a valued elder.
“This is now the first opportunity in my career that I can actually take my time and hone my skillset on stage as a performer,” – at the Grammy Museum, Will Smith explains the misconceptions of his rap career pic.twitter.com/rfabhddjDt
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 4, 2024
