The daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Willow Smith expanded her scope from childhood actor to genre-spanning recording artist within a decade. As a singer/songwriter, she debuted with the viral 2010 hit pop single "Whip My Hair" before maturing her sound to include alt-R&B textures with her full-length debut Ardipithecus, which she also produced. By the time her 2017 sophomore album arrived, her sound had evolved to include pastoral acoustic textures on her organic The 1st. In addition to film and music, she is also a fashion figure, social rights advocate, and television personality, starring alongside her mother and grandmother on the family talk show Red Table Talk.
Like older brothers Jaden and Trey, Willow got her start in the entertainment industry as an actor. She first appeared alongside her father in I Am Legend (2007), which led to roles in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008) and Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa (2008), as well as a couple appearances on the television program True Jackson, VP (as a younger version of star Keke Palmer). In 2010, Jay-Z's Roc Nation label signed Smith as a vocalist. Her first single, the bouncy "Whip My Hair," was released later that year and was in the Top 20 of Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart by the end of October. Smith's debut album, Ardipithecus, followed shortly thereafter. Exploring different sounds and textures, the album was a stark departure from "Whip My Hair," unveiling a more alternative side to the songwriter -- somewhere between Lorde and Janelle Monáe -- who also produced ten of the album's 11 tracks. Her sophomore effort, The 1st, marked another shift in tone for Smith. Issued in 2017, the album focused on an organic singer/songwriter style highlighted on tracks like "Boy" and "A Reason." Just as plaintive but with more production quality, Willow arrived in 2019. With a dreamy energy similar to Cocteau Twins and Mazzy Star, the short set featured brother Jaden on "U Know."
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