After nearly twenty years, Will Smith’s comeback to music with “Based on a True Story” should have been nothing less than a thoughtful, grown-up endeavor from a man who has been to hell and back through fame, family, and fallout. Instead, the album is being savaged by critics and listeners, landing as a remarkable low point in Smith’s artistic odyssey.
Smith’s first full-length album, “Based on a True Story,” was released last month, and anticipation was high. But instead of being a redemptive return, the project has been branded by some of the industry’s fiercest critics as tone-deaf, heavy-handed, and musically shallow. The central issue, critics say, reads more like a flailing PR offensive than an artistic statement with anything to offer. Pitchfork’s Stephen Kearse served up a fierce critique, calling the album a “pointless apology tour” and giving it a dismal 2.4 out of 10 rating. Kearse doesn’t pull any punches, calling the album “devoid of perspective or style” and charging that Smith uses the mic not to tell his story but to seek public absolution. “Please take me back,” Kearse writes, which he views as the central message of the entire album.
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Rolling Stone expressed comparable thoughts in its review. Mankaprr Conteh called the project “clunky,” burdened with its “cringey, gospel-tinged, platitudinous rap.” The word “cringey” has taken on a life of its own in the internet discourse about the album, with several social media users grumbling that there’s something unseemly about Smith giving the green light to such a raw project when it doesn’t offer more in the way of songcraft or poetry. Among the most debated aspects of the album is Smith’s decision to directly confront the now-renegade 2022 Oscars episode in which he slapped the comedian Chris Rock onstage. Critics say those moments on the album are awkward and self-serving, far from providing closure. Instead of insight or growth, listeners are served surface-level confessions wrapped in flat rhymes and uninspired production.
If anything, matters have been made worse by Smith’s attempts to redeem himself through music, which not only haven’t landed with critics but have also drawn from those with personal connections to the Oscars incident. The project received a less-than-rave review from Tony Rock, Chris Rock’s brother. TMZ reported that he called the album trash, only adding to a major media firestorm of coverage about the album’s release. Smith’s previous triumphs in music and film have always derived from his relatability and charm, which are strikingly missing from this latest endeavor. If exposure to art is necessarily good, “Based On a True Story,” has been chastised for being more self-pitying than soul-searching. It’s a project that seems more focused on repairing images than storytelling.
Some fans say it’s to Smith’s credit for even trying. After all, it’s rare that a celebrity of his stature dramatically and creatively addresses his controversies. “Based on a True Story” is a misfire in concept and execution. In an industry in perpetual flux and in a public space where accountability and truth-telling are at a premium, Will Smith’s bid for musical redemption was a painful reminder that not every story is ready to be told, not like this, anyway. If “Based on a True Story” was intended as a heartfelt confession, critics largely agree that it could have used a bigger beat, stronger bars, and a little more truth.
