Will Smith could have allowed the fallout from his infamous Oscars incident to overshadow his career, with his reputation in decline and his personal life under scrutiny.
However, rather than withdrawing from the spotlight, he turned inwards, embarking on a journey of self-reflection, AP reports.
Through this process, Smith rediscovered a creative outlet he had long set aside—music. After years of prioritising his dominance in Hollywood, he turned to songwriting as a means of expressing his thoughts.
“I’ve spent the last couple of years diving deep into myself, questioning aspects of my identity with real honesty,” said Smith, an Oscar and Grammy winner. On Friday, he releases his fifth studio album, Based on a True Story, marking his first music project in two decades since Lost and Found.
“This album is the outcome of my introspection,” he explained. “Every track represents a part of myself I wanted to explore or share. It is my most complete musical project to date.”
Smith’s latest work features collaborations with Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, DJ Jazzy Jeff, his son Jaden Smith, Jac Ross, and Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir. While gospel influences are woven throughout, he stops short of calling it a gospel album, despite the success of You Can Make It, which recently topped the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart.
Faith played a significant role in shaping the album’s creative direction. Smith plans to release three albums this year, describing them as distinct seasons. The first, Rave in the Wasteland, unfolds across Based on a True Story’s 14 tracks, reflecting his willingness to learn from life’s challenges.
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“I have reached some profound realisations,” he said. “About God, about reality.”
Embracing hardship as creative fuel
Although Smith, 56, remains a global star, regaining public trust has been an uphill battle. The backlash following his 2022 Oscars altercation with Chris Rock and his subsequent 10-year Academy ban added to the challenges.
Criticism came from many in the entertainment industry, including Zoë Kravitz, Wanda Sykes, and Rob Reiner. Jim Carrey was especially outspoken, stating that Smith had been “living beyond his bandwidth.” Smith acknowledged this but said it was necessary to take a step back to better understand himself.
“My small self has limits,” he said. “But when I take a step back, there’s an infinite space where I can grow. I’ve learnt not to restrict myself to a narrow existence but to embrace a broader truth.”
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Rock’s comedy special and Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir, Worthy, further reignited public scrutiny. Yet, rather than shy away, Smith used adversity as inspiration.
“There’s a resilience you develop by facing difficulties rather than avoiding them,” he said. He credited his late grandmother, Nelson Mandela, and Tibetan Buddhist Pema Chödrön’s philosophy of “leaning into sharp points” for guiding him.
A new creative era
Surprisingly, Smith is preparing for his first headline tour this summer. The concerts will reflect different phases of his career: one dedicated to his early days with DJ Jazzy Jeff, another to his film and television career, and a third exploring his new creative vision.
The tour begins on 25 June at the Mawazine Festival in Morocco and concludes in early September in Paris, with stops in the UK, France, and Germany.
Additionally, Smith has multiple films in pre-production, including Fast and Loose, Hancock 2, I Am Legend 2, and a remake of Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
“This is the most exciting creative phase of my career,” he said. “What I’m about to do in music and cinema is keeping me up at night with anticipation.”