Willow Smith’s new deluxe album: A deeper dive into ‘Empathogen’

A fresh take on ‘Empathogen’

Willow Smith is set to release a deluxe version of her latest album, Empathogen, this Friday. The new edition will feature three additional songs and accompanying visuals. Despite the excitement surrounding the release, Smith remains remarkably casual about it. “I’m just excited for the homies to watch me be crazy, because I love doing that,” she shares. “I love being crazy for other people’s enjoyment.”

The journey behind the music

Smith’s dedication to her craft is evident. She reveals that while working on the original album, she “pretty much locked [herself] in [her] house for six months and only practiced music for hours and hours a day.” This intense focus on refining her technical skills paid off. Released on May 3, Empathogen features collaborations with Jon Batiste and St. Vincent and quickly climbed to the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. The album’s success was further bolstered by an NPR Tiny Desk concert, where Smith performed the lead singles, “Symptom of Life” and “Big Feelings.”

Breaking genre boundaries

Empathogen marks Smith’s first release through Three Six Zero and Gamma after leaving Roc Nation. Interestingly, it is also her first album to chart in the jazz category. Throughout her career, Smith has been primarily seen as an alternative R&B and rock artist. However, she expresses a desire to move away from genre-specific descriptions of her music. “I want to shy away from genre-specific descriptions of my music in the future because good music is just good music,” she says. “All I want to do for the rest of my life is get better at my technical ability and my honesty and my spiritual connection, just deepen that.”

The new tracks: A closer look

The deluxe version of Empathogen includes three new tracks: “Layers,” “To You,” and “Wanted.” “Layers” was recorded with Eddie Benjamin at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, while “To You” was created in Malibu with Antonio Atsuya. “Wanted” features the legendary Kamasi Washington on saxophone and was recorded at Conway Studios in Los Angeles. Smith describes Washington’s contribution as elevating the entire arrangement, calling him “a beast on the sax.”

Collaborations and growth

Smith has grown more comfortable collaborating with other artists. She attributes this newfound ease to her intense six-month period of self-improvement. “I felt like I needed to work on my technical abilities a little bit more to be able to relax in the studio with any kind of artist and just feel at ease,” she explains. This rigorous preparation has allowed her to feel confident in sessions with any musician.

The emotional landscape of ‘Empathogen’

Smith’s emotional state during the creation of Empathogen was one of healing and self-discovery. Coming off a dark period marked by her previous album, Coping Mechanism, she sought to find ways to heal rather than just express her pain. “Empathogen was really a journey for me figuring out how do you do the work? How do you heal?” she reflects. The album explores themes of grace, compassion, and acceptance, aiming to understand the complexities of life.

The allure of jazz

Smith’s connection to jazz was sparked by a moment of inspiration while listening to Chet Baker in Napa Valley. Although Empathogen doesn’t sound like Baker’s music, the spirit and emotion he brought to his performances deeply influenced her. She also notes the surprising similarities between metal and jazz, particularly in their intricate melodies and syncopated rhythms.

The future of musicianship

Smith believes that musicianship will become the new standard of excellence in the industry. “Musicianship is going to become the new clout,” she predicts. “The more talented you are, the more that you work on your technical ability, but also your honesty — it’s the technical ability mixed with the vulnerability that really makes the shit go up.”

Overcoming past fears

The success of Empathogen has helped Smith overcome her long-standing fear that she would never surpass the success of her 2011 hit, “Whip My Hair.” “I’ve debunked that fear multiple times, but this just really makes me go, ‘Damn, like, you’re an adult.’ Stop being worried about the past and just keep killing it and keep being honest more and more.”

Looking ahead

Smith’s postponed tour with Childish Gambino, due to Donald Glover’s health concerns, is still on her mind. “I’m just like, ‘Captain oh captain, get healthy because whenever you’re healthy we’re about to hit it,'” she says, expressing her eagerness to perform for her fans.

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