''Willow'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

. It was released on July 19, 2019, through MSFTS Music and

Roc Nation Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, mana ...

. The album includes a feature from her brother

Jaden Jaden is an English unisex given name with roots in Hebrew, meaning "God has heard." It is also found as a surname. Notable people with the name "Jaden" include * Jaden Brown (born 1999), English footballer *Jaden Casella (born 2000), Australian fo ...

, and is the follow up to her last project '' The 1st'' (2017). The album was written and produced entirely by Willow and Tyler Cole.

Background

The album and its promotional tour were announced on Smith's social media on June 24, with tour dates being released four days later. The tracks are interpolated and have themes such as female empowerment, relationship and being born in the wrong generation.

Composition

Willow's previous record '' The 1st'' channeled the sounds of

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alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

musicians, yielding comparisons to

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. Chapman is best known for her hit singles "Fast Car" and "Give Me One Reason". Chapman was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she released ...

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...

and others. With her self-titled album, she would leap into "spacey" and

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...

terrain. The songs have been seen as both

psych-folk Psychedelic folk (sometimes acid folk or freak folk) is a loosely defined form of psychedelia that originated in the 1960s. It retains the largely acoustic instrumentation of folk, but adds musical elements common to psychedelic music. Charact ...

and psych soul, as well as

dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such as ...

and "dreamy" R&B.

Track listing

Notes * signifies a co-producer

Personnel

– vocals, production * Jabs – vocals, production * Mel "Chaos" Lewis – production * James Chul Rim – production, recording, mixing * Calvin Bailiff – engineering * Phil Scott – engineering * Zach Brown – production, recording, mixing * Oren Pine – drums

Charts

References

2019 albums Willow Smith albums Roc Nation albums Dream pop albums by American artists Psychedelic folk albums Psychedelic soul albums {{2010s-R&B-album-stub