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ANNOUNCES ALBUM BASED ON A TRUE STORY
COMING MARCH 2025
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Today, GRAMMY- Award winning artist, actor and multifaceted entertainer, Will Smith, releases his new single “Beautiful Scars” with hip hop powerhouse Big Sean, Ft. Obanga- via SLANG Recordings. Listen HERE. Along with the release, Will Smith announces his forthcoming album, Based On A True Story, releasing March 2025. This will be his first album in over 20 years and will feature all previously released singles including “You Can Make it,” “Work of Art,” and “TANTRUM.” “TANTRUM” is Will Smith’s most recent collaboration with Joyner Lucas, released in December. Listen to “TANTRUM” HERE.
“Beautiful Scars,” produced by OmArr and LeXoskeleton, talks about the pains of fame and learning from one’s mistakes. Will Smith and Big Sean trade dexterous raps echoing off one another, revealing through mistakes in life they’ve become stronger and learned to embrace their ‘beautiful scars’ on a journey to becoming closer to God through it all.
The accompanying music video plays upon the iconic 90’s Sci-Fi film, The Matrix. Big Sean presents Will Smith with the option of a Blue Pill or a Red Pill. The Blue Pill continues his life as is while the Red Pill allows him to go back and star as Neo in The Matrix; Will comedically takes both. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, and with products integrated from partners, Stellantis (Grand Wagoneer) & Chilli Beans Sunglasses, the rest of the video follows Will Smith and Big Sean on an adventure of karate battles, gun fights and behind the scenes footage of movie magic. Using a pair of directors is reminiscent of the Wachowiskis co-directing the original Matrix film and the duo had a fun reunion with Will Smith after their collaboration on the blockbuster Bad Boys 4. The “Beautiful Scars” music video made its broadcast premiere on MTV Live, MTVU, Yo! MTV and on the Paramount Times Square billboards.
Recently, Will Smith hit No.1 on the Billboard Gospel Airplay Chart with “You Can Make It” featuring Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir– listen HERE. This marks Will’s first #1 single since Get Jiggy With It, topping both the rap and gospel charts. Smith debuted “You Can Make It” at the 2024 BET Awards. The powerful performance found him standing in a large fire pit surrounded by real flames – Watch HERE
Following that momentum, Will released “WORK OF ART,” a collaboration with Russ, featuring his son Jaden – watch HERE. The music video for “WORK OF ART” directed by Willy Rodríguez features a dynamic troupe of dancers set at a grand European style museum. The video incorporates interviews from participants, juxtaposing an elaborate production with real-life, authentic stories.
To celebrate these releases and his return to music, in December, Smith recently played two sold out shows in San Diego at The Observatory North Park. Fans were eager to see him perform in the US for the first time in many years. Earlier last year Smith delivered high-energy and electrifying performances at international festivals including Rock n Rio in Brazil, Mad Cool in Madrid, and MDLBEAST Soundstorm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For Big Sean, the single comes shortly after the release of his first book, GO HIGHER: Five Practices for Purpose, Success, and Inner Peace (Simon Element), in which he shares his five key practices for inner work and self-acceptance through an interactive guidebook on maintaining daily mental wellness. Filled with step-by-step instructions for the tools Sean has been using on a daily basis for the last decade, Go Higher is a spiritual guidebook for our times, proving that investing in yourself isn’t something that drains your energy, but is something that gives you the energy to reach your fullest potential. In the wake of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, Sean took to Instagram and announced he is donating all proceeds of his book sales from now until the end of February to affected victims. See his heartfelt video message here.
About Will Smith
Will Smith is a multifaceted entertainer with a remarkable career spanning acting, music, and entrepreneurship. A winner of prestigious awards, including an Academy Award, four Grammy Awards, a SAG Award, a BAFTA Award, and an NAACP, he has made an indelible mark across multiple fields. Smith first gained fame with DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, earning Grammy Awards for iconic tracks like “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Summertime.” Transitioning to a solo career, he delivered chart-topping hits like “Men in Black” and “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” further solidifying his place in the music industry with platinum albums such as Big Willie Style and Willennium. Beyond his musical achievements, Smith has excelled as a media entrepreneur and bestselling author. Recently, Smith has made a comeback in music with his single “You Can Make It,” which debuted at number three on Billboard’s Top Gospel Songs chart and featured a powerful live performance at the BET Awards alongside Kirk Franklin, Chandler Moore, and the Sunday Service Choir. He also showcased his new single “Work of Art” at the “La Velada del Año IV” boxing event in Madrid, joined by collaborators Russ and Jaden Smith. With these latest releases, Will Smith continues expanding his already impressive entertainment legacy.
About Big Sean
Multiplatinum superstar Big Sean is an uncompromising force in hip hop and culture at the top of his game. Following the August release of his critically acclaimed sixth studio album Better Me Than You (Def Jam Recordings), the multi-hyphenate released his first book “Go Higher” (Simon and Schuster) on January 21 that serves as a spiritual guidebook for our times and outlines his five key practices for inner work and self-acceptance.Since unleashing his 2011 PLATINUM-certified debut album Finally Famous on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam imprint, Sean’s musical catalog also comprises PLATINUM-certified albums Detroit 2 (2020), I Decided.(2017) and Dark Sky Paradise (2015) which all debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, as well as GOLD-certified album Hall Of Fame (2013). Sean’s impressive track records boasts an impressive 22 billion streams and 21 MULTI PLATINUM, PLATINUM AND GOLD-certified hit singles including the 9x-PLATINUM No. 1 hit “IDFWU” feat. E-40, the 6x-PLATINUM “Bounce Back,” 5x-PLATINUM “Dance (A$$)” feat. Nicki Minaj, 4x-PLATINUM “Beware” feat. Lil Wayne and Jhené Aiko, as well as the No. 1 “Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay” feat. Kanye West and Roscoe Dash, and the GRAMMY-nominated, 7x-PLATINUM “Mercy” with Kanye, Pusha T and 2 Chainz. Sean leverages his platform to give back through his Sean Anderson Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit which assists in the education, health, safety and well-being of school aged youth in underserved communities across the country. For more information, visit www.uknowbigsean.com.
