Willow Smith is known for being many things: a host, an actor, a musician, and as she lists in her Instagram bio, "Punk Picasso."
And boy is she living up to that last title with her latest single, "Transparent Soul." She teamed up with Blink-182's Travis Barker to give us all a pop-punk song that could easily fit onto our early '00s emo playlists, and girl, I am LIVING.
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She said in a press release, "It was the song that proved to me that I needed to let go of the insecurities I had about making a project of this genre" and that she was influenced by artists she listened to growing up, such as Avril Lavigne, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, and Fall Out Boy.
But most importantly, she looked to her mom's former nu-metal band, Wicked Wisdom, for inspiration as well. Yes, in case you didn't already know, Jada Pinkett Smith was in a successful metal band in the early '00s.
She went on to say in the statement that she "was always so inspired by the power of [Jada's] voice" and that she "never felt like [she] could sing that kind of music because [she] was always trained to sing R&B and pop." Willow also said, "I realized that it’s not my voice that can’t sing this kind of music. I was afraid to sing this kind of music because I wasn’t sure what people would think."
Now, this isn't the first time Willow has served us some alt music with a side of angst. Just last year, she released an album with collaborator Tyler Cole titled The Anxiety, in which she and Cole covered multiple genres and themes.
Needless to say, Willow's rock era has been met with open arms from old and new fans alike.
willow smith doing rock is something i didn’t know i needed.
willow smith is literally the black alt artist we’ve been asking for and she still slept on
Willow Smith’s new single makes me wanna break shit and tongue tango a stranger.
The category is beauty and Willow Smith remains undefeated
willow smith is a young, queer, black woman who is entering the rock industry after dominating the alternative r&b scene. she has so much power right now <3
Willow Smith is coming for blood
WILLOW IS THE ROCK STAR WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR
Melanated pop punk... I love it and I am here for it @OfficialWillow https://t.co/f9vfH555PW
Some fans also wondered where all these people were last year:
where was all these willow stans last year for the anxiety drop
now why people acting like this the first time willow smith had an electric guitar in one of her songs. do yall really pay attention to her or did you leave your consciousness in the 6th dimension too
Including Tyler Cole himself:
lotta ppl saying “willow doing rock now?” tell those niggas about the anxiety
Along with a very important message:
let black kids be rockstars
In conclusion, stream "Transparent Soul," grab her new album when it eventually drops, and acknowledge that whether it's "Whip My Hair," an album detailing anxiety, or a pop-punk banger such as this, Willow never misses.
