Willow Smith has returned with a new single titled ‘Transparent Soul’ – a pop-punk outing featuring Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.
The actress and singer, known mononymously as Willow, explores a confrontational pop-punk sound on the new track with Barker. The song came accompanied by a performance visual, featuring Smith in a vacant white studio. She’s decked out in distinct alt fashion: black eyeliner and bondage pants in one scene, a grungy white-blue dress with a studded neck collar in the other.
The video is an aesthetic melange with footage shot using a fish-eye lens, similar to R&B videos of the 2000s, along with a gritty combination of film grain and digital glitches. “I knew a boy just like you / He’s a snake just like you / Such a fake just like you / But I can see the truth,” Smith sings on the chorus.
Hear ‘Transparent Soul’ and watch the video below:
On Instagram, Smith indicated that ‘Transparent Soul’ signals a new era in her career. “I am so GRATEFUL and EXCITED to start this new journey !” she wrote. “Let the vibes commence.”
Earlier this month (April 16), Smith gave her fans a peek at her new direction. She shared studio footage on her Instagram of her jamming a cover of Deftones’ ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’ on an electric guitar with musicians Gitai and Sean Tavella.
Last March, Smith released ‘The Anxiety’, a collaborative album with Tyler Cole. The release was preceded by an art performance in Los Angeles, in which both Smith and Cole were locked in a glass box in full view of the public for 24 hours.
Last year, Travis Barker helped Machine Gun Kelly in his own successful pivot to pop-punk, collaborating with the rapper on his album ‘Tickets To My Downfall’. In November, Barker said they were working on new music together. Barker has also said that there will be a new Blink-182 album landing this year.
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