Willow Smith is emerging as everyone’s favorite pop-punk artist now, but previously the singer wasn’t always understood when it came to her admiration of bands like Paramore and My Chemical Romance.
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During a recent interview with V Magazine, Smith discussed her experiences as a Black woman in the punk and metal scene, while also addressing bullying she faced as a kid. She shared that she was often made fun of for being into rock music in general.
Willow said, “Being a Black woman in the metal crowd is very, very different on top of the pressures that the music industry puts on you. Now, it’s like an added pressure of the metal culture, the metal world, and just rock in general. I used to get bullied in school for listening to Paramore and My Chemical Romance.”
However, none of the difficulties stopped Smith from working on her forthcoming rock record. The new project even features Travis Barker, and Willow has her sights set on a collab with her personal hero, Avril Lavigne.
“I’m so excited that I’m going to be having a song on the album with Avril Lavigne. She is so iconic,” Willow shared. “From 13 to 16, she was my idol. It’s really nice to be able to have a quintessential pop-punk record with the pop-punk queen.”
One of Smith’s personal goals with the new project is to ensure that the work feels impactful to Black girls who don’t stick with the status quo.
The artist shared, “Just through the music that I’m putting out right now and the representation that I can bring to the mix, I just hope that the Black girls who are listening to my music and listening to this album see that there’s more of us out there.”
She added, “It’s a real thing, you’re not alone. You’re not the only Black girl who wishes she could flip her hair to the side, and wear black eyeliner, you know what I mean?”
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