Will Smith Surprises Fans With New Album and Tour in Over 20 Years
Will Smith has unveiled a new album and tour, with the album set to be released later this month. Known for his film career in blockbusters like Bad Boys and Men in Black, Smith is making his official return to the music scene after more than 20 years.
Mainly recognized as an actor, Smith has also achieved success as a musician, with hits like “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” and “Miami” both reaching the Billboard Top 100. His most recent album, Lost and Found, was released in March 2005 and saw moderate success in both charts and sales.
Since then, he has collaborated with various artists on a few tracks, such as “Beautiful Scars” with Big Sean in January and “Work of Art” with Russ and Jaden in July 2024. Over the past 20 years, he has focused mainly on acting, leaving music on the sidelines.
On March 14, in an unexpected announcement, he revealed on Instagram that he had been working diligently on a new album for some time. Expressing his excitement in the caption, “Been working on this project for a minute, and I’m itchin’ to get it out to y’all.”
The official album, Based on a True Story, is set to drop on March 28. The tracklist, featuring some incredible artists, can be found below.
- “EPISODE 1 INT. BARBERSHOP – DAY (FEAT. DJ JAZZY JEFF AND B.SIMONE)”
- “EPISODE 2 YOU LOOKIN’ FOR ME?”
- “EPISODE 3 THE REVEREND (RAVE SERMON)”
- “EPISODE 4 RAVE IN THE WASTELAND”
- “EPISODE 5 BULLETPROOF (FEAT. JAC ROSS)”
- “EPISODE 6 HARD TIMES (SMILE) (FEAT. TEYANA TAYLOR)”
- “EPISODE 7 BEAUTIFUL SCARS (FEAT. OBANGA)”
- “EPISODE 8 TANTRUM”
- “EPISODE 9 FIRST LOVE”
- “EPISODE 10 MAKE IT LOOK EASY”
- “EPISODE 11 THE REVEREND (YCMI SERMON)”
- “EPISODE 12 YOU CAN MAKE IT”
- “EPISODE 13 WORK OF ART (FEAT. JADEN)
- “EPISODE 14 THE REVEREND (WOA SERMON)”
The album announcement has received mixed reactions from the public. While some are excited to see the Oscar-winning star return to music with new material, others question why he felt the need to make a comeback. Regardless of the opinions, there is clear curiosity about what the new album will sound like.
WILL SMITH IS RELEASING AN ALBUM AND IT HAS TEYANA TAYLOR ON IT?!?pic.twitter.com/3iUkJYrCHE
— เ (@mjslovaaaa) March 14, 2025
The surprises didn’t end with the announcement of new music. On March 17, the actor revealed a summer tour to celebrate his return. The European tour will begin on June 25 in Rabat, Morocco, and wrap up on September 2 in Paris, France. Pre-sales begin on March 19, with tickets available to the public on March 21. This will mark his first-ever headlining tour since the beginning of his music career.
Before launching his album and tour, the Fresh Prince is set to perform at the Concacaf Nations League final. The performance will take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 23. His setlist is expected to feature his iconic hits, along with his recent success, “You Can Make It,“ and who knows—he might even surprise fans with a new track from Based on a True Story.
Be sure to pre-save the album and grab your tickets for the tour on March 21.
