new music: willow smith shares intimate cover of “the book of right on” by joanna newsom

The youngest people in the music industry often catch unnecessary flack about their naivete, ignorance, or the direction their careers go, when much of their artistic direction is guided by the adults in their midst. For Willow Smith, most people still distinctly remember her for “Whip My Hair,” a shrill pop anthem with little depth and even less musicality, but since that time Willow has been evolving into quite a vocalist and songwriter. Because she releases music sporadically and without much prior warning, it comes as no surprise that every morsel of material becomes even more special and this newest cover of Joanna Newsom’s “The Book of Right On.” The original rendition is a harp-based folk song with indie pop elements, while Willow’s cover is a more subdued, restrained arrangement, placing emphasis on the lyrics rather than the instrumentation. Her voice ebbs and flows in the video and we’re excited to hear new material from the young icon. Stream the video below and follow Willow on social media to get new music first.

By T. McLendon, AFROPUNK Contributor

Courtesy of W Magazine
Photography by Willy Vanderperre
Styled by Paul Cavaco
Makeup by Fulvia Farolfi