The Fresh Princess of the Smith’s celebrates her 14th birthday today! The free-spirited teenager has slowly yet confidently, shifted the direction of her music after whipping her hair on the scene four years ago. From up-beat tracks with Nicki Minaj to 21st Century Girl that reminded us of a young Rihanna, Willow makes a transition to a new sound with other rising stars, SZA, BANKS, Kelela and FKA Twigs.
Not what you were expecting right? Here are 5 tracks you should be bumping by Will and Jada’s talented little twin. Willow’s new EP “3” will be released on iTunes, November 10, 2014.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
9 (feat. Sza)
It’s hard to tell who’s who in this track but that’s why we love the track even more. Willow proves that at 14, she can keep up with the more well-known names in R&B, floating on the single. The two performed the single recently with SZA giving the teen praise, reminding the audience “they’re looking at the future.”
//www.youtube.com/embed/Hg2yFj96ZMQ
“5” (feat. Jaden Smith)
It’s all about brotherly love! Willow joins her big brother again for their fourth track together, released back in January. The two mixed it up on stage last week at the FADER-Converse event in New York City.
Willow surprises us with her words, crooning, “Can you see the words rolling off my tongue / You’ve got the touch baby cause you’re the one / I can taste the smoke rollin off your lips / I inhale, see the stars and then I smell your kiss / Show me, show me your galaxy”
“Cares” (feat. Sza)
Willow and Sza team up again for a new track that gives us a dope drum melody and hippy vibe. Willow gives us teenage-Erykah Badu vibes and touches on her troubles with her hair.
“8”
Who would’ve thought this was Willow? Lending her vocals to New York native, Kitty Cash’s mixtape Love the Free II, Willow taps into numerology with the title (which represents materialism and finances) and keeps it mellow with her poetic lyrics, dreamily singing,
“Burning bridges, burning bridges / Posers all fall down / Our consciousness is all there is / And nothingness is well / What are we, what to see / My third eye is opening”
“Female Energy”
Released earlier this week, Willow Smith debuted a new track to add to her introspective, neo-soul journey. Grabbing a lyric from Jhene Aiko’s “The Pressure” and sounding reminiscent of, what seems to be her musical mentor, SZA, Willow lightly flows on the beat, produced by AzZi. Harmonizing what adults can relate to, the teen sings,
“It’s really out of my control/ How you feel it’s not my problem / I do not want you to go / But I don’t know how to stop you”