After a two-decade break from music, Will Smith—both A-list actor and hip-hop icon—has dropped Based On A True Story – Season 1: Rave In The Wasteland, an album mixing personal reflection, cinematic storytelling, and raw emotion. For this multi-generational star, his comeback isn’t just about rejoining the music scene—it’s about finding himself again.
Smith sees Based On A True Story as a reflection of his personal evolution; he describes his journey as gradual rather than a sudden burst of inspiration. Following three years of deep self-work, including therapy, solitude and serious soul-searching, he found himself facing parts of his identity he’d buried for years.
“I realised that in growing up and becoming ‘Will Smith’, there were certain parts of my personality that people clapped for,” he reveals during our Zoom chat. “So I decided I was only going to be those things the people celebrated. But all the other parts of me—the ones that felt sadness, anger or fatigue—became prisoners. I wasn’t allowed to express them, even to myself.”
This breakthrough led him to embrace his complete self, flaws and all: “Everything you’re looking for is in the place inside yourself that you most don’t want to go,” he explains, stressing the importance of confronting fears instead of burying them.
What makes Based On A True Story stand out is its unique format. Smith crafted the album like a TV series, with Season 1 setting up future releases. “Every song is based on a real experience,” he shares. “It’s much more like a TV show than a music project.” The opening track, “Interior – Barbershop Day,” nods to Coming To America with Smith voicing multiple characters, adding theatrical flair to his storytelling. The album also features soul-searching tracks like “You Can Make It,” which surprisingly topped the gospel charts.
With his musical comeback, Smith has also found himself back in pop culture conversations in unexpected ways. A recent viral moment featuring Doechii’s track “Anxiety”—which pays homage to a classic Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air scene—reminded him about simple joys. “Sometimes I get deep into analysis and philosophy, but Doechii reminded me of that raw, fun energy,” he admits.
Looking ahead, Smith is just getting started; he’s already recorded Season 2 of Based On A True Story and plans to drop multiple projects this year. But his main message for listeners is about embracing life’s struggles.
In our exclusive chat with Complex UK, Will Smith discusses the creative burst behind his return, his personal challenges, and how his new music works as both emotional therapy and a bold artistic statement.
“There’s wisdom in suffering, a cracking open of our hearts. We often think, ‘I’m struggling because I’m doing something wrong.’ But that’s not it: life is hard, and Rave In The Wasteland is about embracing that dancing through the difficulty, celebrating even in the midst of struggle.”
COMPLEX: I read your memoir, WILL, two years ago and I was absolutely hooked! I’ve been doing therapy for a while now and I’ve used your book as a reference in a lot of instances. Some of the concepts really resonated with me, and I would love to dive into that.
Will Smith: Oh, sure! I love that.
In a recent interview with Big Boy, you mentioned that something sparked in you creatively during the time you wrote your memoir—what was that exact moment, and why?
It wasn’t a single moment—it was more like an unfolding, a recognition. New thoughts just showed up around old concepts. You know, I did a really focused three years of internal work, tons of reading, retreats, and solitude. Silence was a big thing for me. The courage to be quiet, to sit alone without distractions—no phone, no books, no computers, just sitting with your mind. That’s where the real clarity comes. I realised that in growing up and becoming “Will Smith”, there were certain parts of my personality that people clapped for. So I decided I was only going to be those things the people celebrated. But all the other parts of me—the ones that felt sadness, anger or fatigue—became prisoners. I wasn’t allowed to express them, even to myself. So the big shift happened when I started being honest, asking myself: “How do I really feel? What do I really want?” Instead of, “How do I need to be for people to like me?”
I feel like a lot of people adopt survival personalities from childhood. Would you agree?
Exactly. As kids, we learn that if we don’t behave a certain way, we won’t get love, or worse: we might get punished. So we suppress the parts of us that aren’t “acceptable.” But they don’t stay buried forever. One day, they come back sometimes as anxiety, illness or outbursts. For me, the last three years have been about facing all of that head-on. I had to make friends with my fear, sadness, anger and confusion. And from that space, new art emerged. The parts of me I once rejected turned out to have deep gifts—gifts of expression and connection. So when someone tells me, “That’s triggering,” I get it. I know that feeling. And I’d say to anyone: everything you’re looking for is in the place inside yourself that you don’t want to go to the most.
Wow! My therapist might be out of a job after this. This isn’t a therapy session, Will! [Laughs]
[Laughs] We’re not doing therapy today!
Your new album, Based On A True Story – Season 1: Rave In The Wasteland, feels like a conceptual body of work, almost like a TV series. Was that always the vision, or did it evolve organically?
It evolved. With my book, I told my story in a way I never had before, and I realised I wanted to do the same with my music. Every song on the album is based on a real experience, which made me think this isn’t just a music project, it’s a series. So I structured it like a TV show. This first batch of songs is Season 1, called Rave In The Wasteland. I already have Season 2 ready to go—I can’t wait to release it. My goal is to put out three projects this year.
What’s the meaning behind Rave In The Wasteland?
It’s about learning to celebrate even in our hardest times. It’s about recognising adversity as a divine curriculum. There’s wisdom in suffering, a cracking open of our hearts. We often think, “I’m struggling because I’m doing something wrong.” But that’s not it: life is hard, and Rave In The Wasteland is about embracing that dancing through the difficulty, celebrating even in the midst of struggle.
What’s your favourite episode—sorry, track on the album?
“Interior – Barbershop Day”. It’s inspired by Coming To America, the barbershop scene. I play multiple characters, Jazzy Jeff plays one, and B. Simone plays another. They’re all talking about me, and I even play a character that’s mad at me! It’s like rapping meets acting as an homage to one of my favourite movie moments. I had so much fun making that one.
What was the most difficult track to create?
“You Can Make It”. That was the first song I put out, and it became a No. 1 gospel record in America, which I wasn’t expecting. That song hit me deeply because it represented a huge shift for me. The old Will Smith rejected sadness; I didn’t allow it around me. But “You Can Make It” was my first real recognition that everyone is struggling. Every single person you pass on the freeway, in the supermarket, at work—everyone’s carrying something heavy. So that song was a moment of acceptance for me. Instead of rejecting hardship, I learned to sit with it, acknowledge it, and find strength in it.
Here’s a tough one—is Will the person proud of Will the brand?
Well, you can’t really be proud of a brand. You can, but you shouldn’t be. A brand is an idea, like ice cream—it’s something people enjoy. But a man, that’s something real. And the man is unbreakable. The brand? That can fall apart. The man is ten toes down. There’s a song on the album called “Bulletproof” that touches on this, about letting go of the pressure to sustain an image. I don’t want to hold up something that isn’t real. I want to be fully me.
How do you feel about the Doechii “Anxiety” trend, with everyone recreating that Fresh Prince scene?
Man, that was 35 years ago! The second episode of The Fresh Prince! It’s crazy to see it resonate again. For me, it’s a reminder of the simplicity of joy. Sometimes I get deep into analysis and philosophy, but Doechii reminded me of that raw, fun energy. Spending time with her was like seeing my younger self, the kid who made that scene up all those years ago. It reignited something in me—a clarity about the joy that has always been at the core of my artistry.
Finally, any advice for the UK audience?
I want to tell you, Mimi, that whatever is, you can make it. I want you to know you got it! I want you to know that your difficulties will be your testimony. Whatever it is, is going to be why you’re stronger, and more powerful, and more able to serve. So, whatever it is, embrace it.
I think you’re gonna make me cry [laughs]. Thank you so much, Will. That means a lot.
