Willow Smith for Dazed Magazine - Autumn 2024

September 22, 2024

Empathogen is in many ways Smith’s first ‘grown-up’ album. The seed was planted in a Napa Valley hotel room in 2023. She remembers “vibing, drinking some wine”, when her friend turned on the song “My Ideal” by Chet Baker. Smith recounts the story by singing the track’s dulcet opening lines, drifting away with the memory. “I just went down a full rabbit hole. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is it. This is it. This pain in his voice, the simplicity. Yes.” She booked a studio session for the next day.

The additional inspiration came from plant medicine ceremonies, the benefits of which have long been celebrated by the Smith family. In the early 2010s, Jada turned to ayahuasca after a depressive episode, and credits it with breaking her out of a “cycle of self-hatred”. Will then tried it, taking it 14 times over a two-year period. Jaden has also previously spoken about the “profound” effects of the psychedelic, revealing that it has helped him form closer relationships with both his sister and his half-brother Trey. Smith is equally enthusiastic. “I spent some time with elders from the Amazon forest,” she says of the ceremonies. “They were really just educating me and my family.” When I ask about some of her most memorable experiences, she swerves the question. “Oh, man,” she says. “That’s hours and hours of conversation.”

Interview: https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/64509/1/willow-smith-autumn-2024-issue-acne-studios-empathogen