'THE THREAD' of WILLOW'S wicked wisdom

Weeping Willow

By TIM DAVID HARVEY 

As per, there is plenty of music out this New Music Friday from her peers. The headliner Charli XCX's 'Music, Fashion, Film'. The legend Shania Twain's 'Little Miss Twain'. And The Strokes recording the new 'Reality Awaits' of autotune with super producer Rick Rubin out in Costa Rica. Yet, nothing, Sinead playing Prince, compares to the wicked wisdom of Willow Smith, right now. Word to her mother Jada's heavy metal act.

Pops may have got jiggy wit it, as the most famous member of the family. As successful as they come, from Bel-Air and rap's first Grammy, to multimillion-dollar movies that survived the slap, and the "only reason your a## went to Miami." Whilst her older brother, Jaden, may have got their first on his own 'Pursuit of Happyness'. But the tear, or should we say 'The Thread', of what Willow has been on is like nothing, or nobody else, right now. Even outside of her growing artistic family tree. 

The same singer, who shaved her head at the age of ten so she didn't have to keep performing her monster hit 'Whip My Hair' for Jay-Z, on tour with Justin Bieber, so she could be a kid again, has almost released ten albums. And she's only just a quarter of a century young. Imagine what she'll have at 50. Or even just 30. Her latest ('The Thread') is more than an eight wonder. It's her second this year, after February's formidable 'Petal Rock Black' in black and white, with arms and hands held together. Not to mention, her fifth since 2021's 'Lately I Feel Everything'. Most don't have this much in ten years. Let alone half a decade.

Coming out of corona with her 'Coping Mechanism' the following year and 2024's epic 'Empathogen' the extra trick up Smith's sleeve, is that none of them sound the same. It's been like this for 'Willow' ever since the amazing artwork of the 'Ardipthecus' debut on Roc Nation and 'The 1st' second album. And now, this 'Thread' returns to her roots and the veil of some vivid visualizers, following the NPR NMF favourite 'Talk On The Hill' and it's iconic music video.

Blending progressive R&B, jazz and a meditative feeling, 'She's My Religion' is the high note however and where the iconography gets really legendary. Especially in the lyrics, "She's adorned in constellations/Kissing her skin, oh, woah/Each star, a quiet warning/Nature always wins/Her grace is a river raging straight towards the sea, oh/I am not worried 'bout a raft/Her voicе is inside of me and I know." No wonder pops is proud as punch on Instagram.

Creating its own musical language, the purple haze and reign of the album artwork intrigues. As does the title track and the 'Hell To Pay' if you miss out on this heaven sent talent, just because you wrote off the family name of hair whipping fame. This 'Tall Baby' stands higher than all that in 'The Present Moment' of an original sound that pushes the envelope of every genre in an artificial time in need of more, real intelligence and elements in the art form that needs to offically drop the "ficial" responsibility. 'Bone Collecting' like Denzel, the 'Unconditional' love sings, "I wanna be a part of your family/I wanna laugh and drink whiskey with your mother/I want to live in the in-between/Where this love is not about you or me/You or me, oh" in simple, signature odes to match the outstanding grooves.

Refusing to 'Shrink To Fantasy' ("I told you the truth from the start/Not a joke, not a game/Just the shape of this heart"), the most talented member of a terrifically so family is a star in her own right. NPR's New Music Friday album consideration tells us RIYL (recommended if you like) Frank Ocean. But to be frank, as outrageously talented as he is, his output has nothing on us. We recommend him, if you like HER. A 'Crush On Eternity' and the forever push of music that comes with Mei Semones harmonizing "I've kissed desire and called it grace (Mm)/You wrotе your name across my face (Yours always). This is what mainstream music really yearns to be. This thread will go on forever more.