willow smith proves her full-grown musicianship with new album on her 17th birthday

Something special is going on in the Smith home. Between acting, rapping, singing and philosophizing, there is more talent underneath this one roof than most other homes on the planet, and the youngest, Willow Smith, is no exception.

The star of many hats, who turns seventeen today, puts most of them to use in her new album, The 1st. The mature sound the album boasts falls in line with the fact that the singer has always been wiser than most, but even still it is surprising. However, in a new interview with Refinery29, Smith discusses the album and its influences and explains why she refuses the term “wise beyond her years” in a way that demonstrates the hard to describe maturity palpable throughout the music:

“Throughout my entire life, everyone’s been telling me ‘You’re so ahead of your time, your parents should be so happy,’ […] But when people are telling you this all the time, you start to believe it, and then you start condemning yourself for making mistakes, because you already see yourself as someone who should already know everything. But I don’t know everything. I’m still growing up.”

Led by the single “Romance”, which delves into the unrealistic expectations for women around relationships, the 11-track offering is reminiscent of acts like Lorde, but it’s undeniable that Willow is carving out a lane of her own. Take a listen below!