2024 seems to be a comeback year for Will Smith as he had a successful return to the big screen with Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The actor also reportedly released his first single since 2017 and debuted it at the BET Awards earlier today. The song, You Can Make It also featured artist Fridayy and the Sunday Service Choir.
While many were appreciative of Smith’s comeback, fans were quick to notice the lyrical flow of the song was awfully similar to a twenty-four-year-old classic from Eminem. Many expressed that Smith’strack shared similarities with the Houdini singer’s The Way I Am.
Will Smith Debuts New Single At The BET Awards
Despite doubts from the industry about his career after the infamous slap, Will Smith seemed to have gotten back on his feet in style with the success of his action film Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The film became one of the highest-grossing films of the year and earned $332 million at the box office.
Earlier today, the actor also reportedly debuted his new single You Can Make It at the BET Awards and released the song at midnight. Smith reportedly performed the song with Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir and Chandler Moore at the show. The song’s lyrics were focused on the trials and tribulations he faced in the past few years and getting back up.
Smith posted on Instagram about the single and mentioned how music had always helped him heal through his darkest moments. According to Variety, the actor has been teasing new music since May, and the album is speculated to be titled Dance In Your Darkest Moments, which was also teased at the end of his BET performance.’
The last single that the Emancipation star released was 2017’s Get Lit. While the actor has featured in a few songs since then, he has not had a lead single. Smith also performed at the Grammy Awards during their ‘A Salute to 50 Years Of Hip Hop’ segment.
Will Smith’s New Single Reminds Fans Of Eminem’s The Way I Am
While Will Smith’s new single received some appreciation from fans, many noticed that it sounded familiar. Fans compared the lyrical flow of You Can Make It’ to legendary rap artist Eminem’s classic The Way I Am from his Grammy Award-winning album The Marshall Mathers LP.
Eminem’s song was reportedly based on his experiences with fame and the negative side of it. The track explored dark themes of fame affecting his domestic life and the music industry’s pressure on him to create hit songs. The song was appreciated for Eminem’s lyrical genius and the exploration of deeply personal and political themes (Sputnik Music).
Fans were critical of Will Smith for imitating the Houdini rapper’s classic lyrical flow and straying away from his originality.
Eminem is also set to debut his twelfth album this year titled The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).
