Will Smith may no longer be known as the Fresh Prince, but he has returned to the music scene. On Sunday, June 30, at the BET Awards in Los Angeles, the 55-year-old Smith performed his new song, “You Can Make It.” This performance followed the official release of the track on Friday, June 28.
Smith’s performance was set against a dramatic backdrop of a burning fire pit. He began by addressing the audience, saying, “I don’t know who needs to hear this right now but whatever’s going on in your life, I’m here to tell you, you can make it,” before transitioning into his new song.
This new track marks Smith’s first musical release since 2017’s “Get Lit,” which came over a decade after his last studio album, *Lost and Found*, released in 2005.
The lyrics of “You Can Make It” include, “Don’t give up on me, I need you to hold on / Know you’re deep up in the storm / But I know you can face it,” and, “The darker the hell you gotta endure / The brighter the heaven you get to enjoy / The harder the fall, the higher you soar / God opens a window when the devil closes the door / Believe me, they tried to bleed Will Smith / In the rear view I see adversity was the gift.”
Three days before his BET performance, Smith shared a video on Instagram of himself playing the song on the piano.
He captioned the video, “Through some of my darkest moments, music has always been there for me – to lift me and help me grow. It’s my humble wish that it can do the same for you and bring you all the joy and light you deserve.”
During the BET Awards, Smith was joined on stage by Kirk Franklin, Chandler Moore, and the Sunday Service choir, and the performance featured an onstage rainstorm.
Smith has previously received global acclaim for his musical career, including four Grammy Awards. In 1988, he and DJ Jazzy Jeff won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance with their hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” which was featured in films like The Parent Trap and Jersey Girl.
Smith’s return to music comes as his film career continues to thrive. Bad Boys: Ride or Die premiered successfully with $56.5 million at the domestic box office on June 5.
The film includes a scene where Smith’s character is slapped repeatedly by Martin Lawrence’s character during a panic attack, which some have seen as a reference to Smith’s altercation with Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
Despite the controversy surrounding that incident, Bad Boys producer Jerry Bruckheimer expressed his support for Smith.
In an interview, Bruckheimer said, “Will made a mistake, unfortunately. That’s not who he is. He’s a phenomenal actor and there’s always forgiveness in the world.”
