Will Smith officially drops 'Based On a True Story'

Will Smith officially steps back into the global music scene. Today, on March 28, 2025, he has released Based on a True Story. It is his first full-length album in two decades.

Billboard reports that Will Smith has come up with introspection, old-school hip-hop, collaborations, and more in this latest project. His last released album was Lost and Found, which came in 2005. He has since worked in films, such as The Pursuit of Happyness, Aladdin, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and his Oscar-winning role in King Richard.

However, the actor found himself in controversy after the 2022 Oscars incident, where he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage. AP reports that in a statement where Will talked about the new album, he mentioned:

"There's a small self that — the small concept of myself - can get to the end of his bandwidth. And then, if I back up, there is like an infinite space, where my bandwidth is the bandwidth of life itself. It is like trying to not get stuck in having to be only a narrow band of things, to give myself permission to be wider in the truth of who and what I actually am."

He also added,

"There is a certain psychological and emotional fortitude that you cultivate from, leaning into the difficulty, not trying to run away. It is essentially learning how to accept and celebrate my challenges, recognizing that my challenges and my obstacles and my difficulties are actually divine curriculum."

The artist also shared a teaser video for the album previously on his official Instagram handle. Per Billboard, he stated in that video:

"The past couple of years, I have been doing a very deep exploration of who and what I truly am. The process of this album is really allowing myself to be more honest with myself than I ever have about who and what I actually am. This is about to be the greatest artistic creative period of my entire life."

He also added,

"You gotta say what’s true for you… Be true to your story. Tell your story. And that’s where I got the ‘Based on a True Story’ [title] from."

Full tracklist of Will Smith's Based On a True Story

Will Smith has been reportedly teasing the album since 2023. He has gradually dropped singles like:

"Beautiful Scars" featuring Big Sean
"Tantrum" with Joyner Lucas
"You Can Make It" with Teyana Taylor
"Work of Art" featuring Russ and Jaden Smith

These tracks are all part of the new 14-song album, Based On A True Story. The album has been released under Slang Records. As reported by Metro UK, the full tracklist is as follows:

Int. Barbershop – Day’ (featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff and B. Simone)
You Lookin’ for Me?
The Reverend (Rave Sermon)
Rave in the Wasteland
Bulletproof (featuring Jac Ross)
Hard Times (Smile) (featuring Teyana Taylor)
Beautiful Scars (with Big Sean, featuring OBanga)
Tantrum (featuring Joyner Lucas)
First Love
Make It Look Easy
‘The Reverend (YCMI Sermon)
You Can Make It
Work of Art (featuring Jaden)
The Reverend (WOA Sermon)

Reports claim that Will Smith has also announced his first-ever headlining world tour. It is set to kick off in June 2025 at the Mawazine Festival in Morocco before heading to Europe.

Edited by Anshika Jain

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Will Smith officially drops 'Based On a True Story' — His first album since 2005

Full tracklist of Will Smith's Based On a True Story

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