If you stopped paying attention to Willow Smith, daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, after the annoying single ‘Whip My Hair,’ released in 2010 when she was 10 years old, you might be surprised that she has turned into a fascinating young artist.
At 15, she released the arty pop song ‘Wait a Minute!,’ a real blast that picked up steam a few years later when it became a popular TikTok soundtrack. Four full-length albums followed.
This year, Willow is back with her best song yet. ‘Transparent Soul’ is a punk pop banger with echoes of Paramore. Co-written with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and producer Tyler Cole, and featuring Barker on drums, the song finds Willow blasting phony friends through her best rock-n-roll snarl.
One, two, three, four
[Verse 1]
I don’t fucking know if’s a lie or it’s a fact
All your little fake friends will sell your secrets for some cash (Hey, hey)
Smile in my face, then put your cig out on my back
If you ever see me, just get to runnin’ like the Flash
[Pre-Chorus 1]
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
[Chorus]
Transparent soul
I can see right through, just so you know
Transparent soul
I can see right through, just so you know
[Verse 2]
I don’t fucking know if it’s paradise or it’s a trap
Yeah, they’re treating me like royalty, but is it kissin’ ass? (Hey, hey)
No one’s brave enough to take the fall right
But it’s all your fault, why you actin’ like it’s alright?
[Pre-Chorus 2]
I knew a girl just like you
She was vain just like you
Such a pain just like you
And everybody knows the truth
[Chorus]
Transparent soul
I can see right through, just so you know
Transparent soul
I can see right through, just so you know
[Bridge]
It’s clear to me now
You’re scared of me, wow
It’s clear to me now (Transparent soul)
It’s clear to me now
You’re scared of me, wow
It’s clear to me now (Transparent soul)
[Chorus]
Transparent soul
I can see right through, just so you know
Transparent soul
I can see right through, just so you know
Meet Me In Montauk 
Thank you for turning me on to a couple of songs I knew nothing about… Growing up as Hollywood royalty must present all sorts of complicated privileges and challenges…
This is certainly a million miles away from “Whip My Hair.” I can’t help but wonder though whether Willow would have anything close to this level of success if, as willedere puts it, she were not descendent from Hollywood royalty.
This songs been very stuck in my head, and I’m really impressed with Willow and how much she keeps growing as an artist. Excited for more!