Cliff Notes – Will Smith’s music redemption after the Oscars slap heard around the world

Will Smith’s new album, Based on a True Story, is his first musical project since 2005 and will be released in three parts throughout 2025, starting with Rave in A Wasteland.
The album reflects on his personal experiences, with the first part written directly after the infamous Oscars incident, signalling a shift towards introspection in his music.
Alongside the album, Smith has announced a summer tour in the UK and Europe, marking his first headline tour, where he plans to perform both new material and classic hits.

Will Smith’s music redemption after the Oscars slap heard around the world

Will Smith has been a beloved household name since his memorable debut on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air which launched the star to have a successful acting and music career.

A shocking moment at the 2022 Oscars sparked a major setback in his reputation but he’s putting all that behind him with a new album.

Based on a True Story – which comes out today – is the latest musical project from the 56-year-old Hollywood heavyweight which will be his first since 2005.

The I Am Legend’s biggest hits include Gettin’ Jiggy wit It, Miami, Wild Wild West and the Men In Black title song, which he performed at Coachella last year with J Balvin.

And while those tracks are still very much featured heavily in people’s party playlist two decades on, Will leaned more into acting and has since starred in the biggest blockbusters including, Hitch, Hancock, The Pursuit of Happyness, and King Richard – which earned him his first Oscar win.

For the majority of his stellar career, Will was dubbed as Hollywood’s ‘nice guy’ with many notable names in the industry having nothing but positive words to say about the entertainer, however, that all changed on March 27, 2022.

Nobody could have predicted that the 94th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, was going to end up in a physical altercation between two acting legends, taking the world by storm.

Will infamously slapped Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head.

While on stage, Chris joked that Jada looked like ‘G.I. Jane’ due to her bald head, resulting in Will storming on stage and shouting: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth,’ before hitting the comedian.

After resigning from the Academy the following week while many were calling for the actor’s Oscar win for King Richard to be revoked, Will was banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years.

He publicly apologised to Madagascar actor Chris, 60, in a nearly six-minute video, and to this day has only commented on the situation in his 2023 Netflix comedy special Selective Outrage.

On whether Chris would accept the opportunity to return to Hollywood’s most prestigious award ceremony in the future, he recently told Variety: ‘You never know. This is what I would say, the most miserable people on earth are people that can’t forgive. And not just people, you have to forgive yourself sometimes, too. So, hey, you never know… I live in forgiveness. True love starts at forgiveness.’

Action thriller Emancipation, was Will’s Smith’s first post-Slap, which was released in December 2022.

During the film’s press run, the Hitch actor apologised for his actions and the film received a lukewarm reception.

Jada, who revealed in 2023 that she and Will had been separated but still married since 2016, appeared on The One Show and said the slap was the moment she realised she was going to stay with her husband.

‘I knew it was going to be an intense reaction,’ she said on the show. ‘And that was the moment that I decided that I was going to stay by his side.’

Reflecting on how the situation impacted her relationship with Will, she said: ‘You know, it’s funny how intense situations can amplify love, and it was a pretty difficult time, but it definitely drew us closer. So yeah, it’s crazy how things work.’

However, Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, which premiered last summer, was a huge victory for the actor as it passed $400million worldwide at the box office.

Jada Pinkett Smith revealed that she and Will were separated but still married (Picture: FilmMagic)

And although we don’t know when he’ll next appear on the big screen (rumours have claimed the I Am Legend sequel is reportedly in the works with Michael B Jordan) The Pursuit of Happyness is ready to share his new music with the world.

He told Billboard in January that he envisions Based on a True Story as three albums that will be released throughout 2025, looks like we’re going to be hearing a lot from Will this year.

According to the four-time Grammy winner, part one which is titled Rave in A Wasteland, is ‘about the idea of learning to dance in your darkest moment’ which he wrote directly ‘after the Oscars.’

Part two is titled The Gift of Madness and is expected to come out this June, and the third releasing at the end of the year.

It doesn’t stop there as Will recently confirmed his upcoming tour on Instagram.

‘I’M GOING ON TOUR THIS SUMMER!! We’re hitting up UK & Europe to bring U all the hits, some new joints, and a few surprises ;-),’ Will wrote.

‘All these years, I’ve NEVER done a headline tour and I can’t wait to see you guys!!’

Based On A True Story track list

‘Based On A True Story’ tracklist:

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

He has already dropped lead single Beautiful Scars which features Big Sean, plus longtime collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor, and his son Jaden.

It’s possible the promised surprises are guest spots from some of these big names or others nestled in his back catalogue.

Regardless of how you feel about the megastar post-slap, Will is undeniably one of the most multifaceted A-listers in the game and it’s clear that he wants the chance for fans to get to know the real him following the noise that’s surrounded him in the last three years.

If the tracks are as catchy and anything like Miami and Summertime, then 2025 is set to be a great year for music.