Willow Smith has come a long way since the days of “Whip My Hair.” In fact, she’s evolved into quite the talented musician over the years, genre hopping through neo-soul, rock, pop, punk and even a bit of nu metal. Now the talented singer-songwriter, who is going simply by WILLOW these days, is embarking in yet another musical direction with her newest single “symptom of life.”
The song finds WILLOW treading into alternative waters as she ponders life’s many meanings over crashes of piano, bass and drums alongside her tightly arranged and layered vocals. Her musings often flip poetic as she wonders aloud about the many things on her mind.
“Pushing and peeling myself out of my disguise / Looking at you now I am wondering who am I / If I could try to take you back I couldn’t define,” she sings cryptically. “Feeling absence of time / Knowing all is decided / There’s nothing here left to find.”
The song’s video continues the vibes as it follows WILLOW and two friends as they walk through nature. The chance discovery of a snail’s shell prompts her to lie in on the ground as she sings. The video, directed by the singer herself, then takes us into several tight closeups that eventually pull back to show a complete change in scenery from autumn leaves to stone and, eventually, a lush green field with brightly colored flowers.
“The song has a very beautiful whimsical nature but holds a lot of mystery,” the singer said in a press release. “There’s this beautiful light coming in through the piano, but also this syncopated rhythm of the bass bringing in that mysterious element. A juxtaposition of light and dark.”
We’re very much enjoying WILLOW’s musical evolution and “symptom of life” is yet another gem from the ever-growing musician’s multifaceted talents. Take a listen to the song’s stream and watch its music video when you head below.
