In the short span of the latter half of the 2010s, singer/songwriter Willow Smith made a swift artistic evolution from the quirky alt-R&B of her 2015 debut to her game-changing maturation on 2017's
The 1st. Taking the plaintive, confessional energy of that sophomore set and lathering it with rich atmospherics, Smith closed the decade with her taut third effort,
Willow. With a dreamy energy similar to
Cocteau Twins or
Mazzy Star, the eight-song statement flowed seamlessly as one singular listening experience, patiently gliding along soothing acoustic guitar and patient percussion. Written and produced by Smith and
Tyler Cole (who also provided backing vocals), the eponymous effort acted both as an extension of
The 1st and also as another brave step forward in her stylistic growth. Familiar themes concerning empowerment and equality pepper most of these tracks, while Smith expresses frustration with the modern era of smartphones and vapid social media obsession by pining for the better days (of the '90s, no less) on highlight "Time Machine." Her brother Jaden appears on "U Know" (their second collaboration of the year following "Summertime in Paris" from his
ERYS album). While not as thrilling as the surprise shift of
The 1st,
Willow is an enticing prelude of what she's capable of achieving. ~ Neil Z. Yeung