Willow Smith knows she has some superstar-sized shoes to fill.
The 20-year-old singer opened up about being the daughter of actors Will and Jada Pinkett Smith in an interview with Apple Music 1's Zane Lowe, per People. She told Lowe that she felt a lot of pressure to live up to her parents' success in her own career.
"I always just wanted to do right by my parents, and do right by the beauty that they have put in the world, and continue to uplift that beauty and to uphold that beauty. And I felt a lot of pressure. And, because I'm not a minor anymore," she said.
"I'm finding the freedom to, I can put that beauty in the world. I can uphold that energy. And so I'm just figuring that out in all of these different ways, and it's going to be a journey, and there's more to come."
The interview was part of the rollout for Smith's highly-anticipated pop punk album lately i feel EVERYTHING, which features her hit single "Transparent Soul" (stylized as "t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l"). She spoke with Lowe about the pressures of her music career so far and making the punk music that she's wanted to make since she was "literally 12."
"Honestly, I'm still processing it on the human being level. There were a lot of doubts that I had, not even just about this specific album, but just about my career in general, my musical career in general. I followed my joy and I followed my heart, and I feel like it took us to a really beautiful spot I'm in a place of disbelief right now," she said.
As Smith follows in the footsteps of her parents, she has their cheers to support her along the way. Will Smith congratulated Willow on her album release on Instagram, posting the album's cover. "My Bean! Congratulations on this BEAUTIFUL evolution of your artistry!! Y'all go stream "lately i feel EVERYTHING" now!!" he said in the caption.
Quinci LeGardye is an LA-based freelance writer who covers culture, politics, and mental health through a Black feminist lens. When she isn’t writing or checking Twitter, she’s probably watching the latest K-drama or giving a concert performance in her car.
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