Culture & Entertainment
Singer Willow Smith may come from one of Hollywood’s royal families, but when it comes to her artistry and success, it's been anything but a breeze.
In her cover story interview with Allure, the “t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l” artist opened up about her views on being a “nepo baby,” noting that while she recognizes her privilege, her work ethic doesn’t conform to the characterization associated with nepotism.
“I truly believe that my spirit is a strong spirit and that, even if my parents weren't who they were, I would still be a weirdo and a crazy thinker,” she tells the publication.
“I definitely think that a little bit of insecurity has driven me harder because people do think that the only reason I'm successful is because of my parents. That has driven me to work really hard to try to prove them wrong. But nowadays, I don't need to prove shit to anybody.’"
Despite her famous last name, the 23-year-old singer shares how the music industry often tries to keep Black women in their place, adding an extra layer to the effort she must put in to succeed.
“There have been some experiences where I went into a place that I have worked in the past and my picture could even be up on the wall, and they treat me like, ‘This is a little bit out of your price range’ or ‘You don't really belong here,’” she says.
She continues, “Being Black in America, even with privilege, which I'm never going to deny that I have, you're still Black. And I love being Black. People would look at me and [say], ‘Okay, well, her parents are this and this and that, but she still is like me. She still has brown skin.’ And we all know that that doesn't exempt you from anything, and that's a place of connection.”
Smith has consistently embraced transparency regarding her lifestyle choices beyond her music career. In May, she told Pop Sugar where the source of her reflective approach comes from. "I think I'm in a place right now in my life where I'm realizing that there's no destination, there's only choices every day that we make that bring us through our lives. I want to make the decision every day to be more compassionate, to be more honest, to practice my instrument with deep presence and treat it as a spiritual experience."
"I'm just interested to see what people get from this art I've been creating, and I hope that it's a cathartic experience," she says. "I just want to keep helping people be inspired and feeling like they're less alone.”
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Featured image by Darren Gerrish/WireImage for Victoria Beckham
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