Two years after dropping her debut album, Ardipithecus, Willow Smith unleashes her sophomore album, The 1st.
The 11-song project, which features the recently-released “Romance,” finds Willow ruminating on love, growth, and personal exploration.
“Hey mom, I met a boy,” she sings on the opening song, “Boy.” “He plays guitar. He likes Quentin Tarantino and really sad songs. Anxiety attacks when he wakes up in the morning and I can’t help the thought, he thinks I’m boring ’cause I come from a cluster of super bright stars.”
Backed by genre-bending music, the album carries a folk spirit of singer-songwriter honesty. “Romance,” which closes the project, features more thoughts on the world around the budding star.
“Romance doesn’t exist,” she sings. “It’s a hoax to trick your mind into thinking that perfection exists.”
Taking to Twitter, Willow celebrated her latest release. “Enjoy this emotional regurgitation from the depths of a burgeoning woman,” she wrote.
#The1st IS OUT NOWW !! Enjoy this emotional regurgitation from the depths of a burgeoning woman // Link in description ❤🤘🏿
— Gwee (@OfficialWillow) October 31, 2017
Today also marks Willow’s 17th birthday. Her mother Jada Pinkett Smith paid tribute to her youngest daughter on Twitter.
“My baby girl is 17 today,” she wrote. “Thank you for being the sweetest daughter and the most wonderful friend. Happy bday! I ❤️ U✨.”
Stream The 1st below.