Willow Smith’s fourth studio album, “lately I feel EVERYTHING,” released July 16. With the album’s pop-punk sounds, the 20-year-old comes a long way from her 2010 breakout hit “Whip My Hair.”
The album features artists like rapper Tierra Whack and Blink-182’s Travis Barker, staying true to pop-punk and metal sounds while bringing in rap.
Smith’s entrance into pop-punk surprised many because her previous releases leaned more toward alternative R&B. Although this is Smith’s first rock album, she is not a stranger to the genre.
Smith’s mom Jada Pinkett Smith formed the nu-metal band, Wicked Wisdom as the lead vocalist in 2002. In an interview with Alternative Press, Smith mentioned that growing up, she listened to artists like Paramore and My Chemical Romance.
Through the 11-track album, it’s easy to pick up on the Paramore-esque influences. The upbeat and heavy metal-style sound of opening track “t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l,” featuring Travis Barker, sounds exactly like what you’d think a Paramore hit with the addition of Barker’s signature drumming would sound like.
The following track, “F***K You,” is a 37-second interlude with Smith yelling out her frustrations to the beat of the drums. The album then takes a self-assertive turn with the third track, “Gaslight,” also featuring Barker. “Gaslight” is about self-love, where Smith sings about loving herself instead of waiting for someone else.
“don’t SAVE ME” slows things down with Smith singing about pushing away those she loves while admitting she needs help. “Naïve” has a similar pacing as Smith reflects on, unsurprisingly, naivety.
With “Lipstick” Smith takes a fierce stance, accepting her pain and realizing she will get better. “Come Home” featuring Ayla Tesler-Mabe, slows things down, fitting the song’s themes of missing and longing.
The more ethereal “4ever” starts with an electronic sound with instrumentals that come in at a slower pace. “XTRA,” featuring Tierra Whack, is similar to “4ever’s” sound. However, rather than singing about being aware that a relationship couldn’t last forever, “XTRA” finds Smith on her own after being with someone who doesn’t reciprocate the same effort. Whack’s rapping provides a seriousness to the tone that emphasizes Smith’s words.
Another track featuring Barker, “G R O W,” presents the most positive sound on the album. For this track, Smith enlists Avril Lavigne to sing about personal growth: “I’ve been putting work in, healing myself.” “¡BREAKOUT!,” featuring rock band Cherry Glazer, brings the album together wonderfully. In true rockstar fashion, Smith sings about self-acceptance and being on her own to high-tempo instruments. Cherry Glazer’s performance slows the track down before Smith picks it back up for a high-speed finale.
Overall, the album takes the listener on a ride through angsty emotions with a grungy, garage band sound, managing to capture the true pop-punk feel of it all. In a way, “lately I feel EVERYTHING” pays homage to the pop-punk sounds of icons like The Runaways and, more recently, Fall Out Boy, but Smith finds a way to make it her own by fusing elements of alternative rock, pop, and bringing on exceptional collaborators.
