Will Smith Takes His Redemption Tour to the BET Awards Stage

Will Smith put on a fiery show at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday night, performing his new single featuring Sunday Service Choir and Fridayy, “You Can Make It.”

“I don’t know who needs to hear this right now,” the 55-year-old said before launching into the new tune, which dropped on Friday. “But whatever’s going on in your life, I’m here to tell you: You can make it.”

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The Oscar-winning actor’s return to his musical roots comes more than two years after his shocking onstage slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. Smith lashed out after apparently getting upset about a joke Rock made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith later apologized for the incident and now appears to be having something of a career renaissance.

His show at the BET Awards follows a surprise appearance during J Balvin’s Coachella set in April, during which he performed his song “Men in Black” from his 1997 movie of the same name. The fourth installment of his Bad Boys film franchise—Bad Boys: Ride or Die—has also proved to be a box office hit since its release last month.

“Through some of my darkest moments, music has always been there for me—to lift me and help me grow,” Smith wrote in an Instagram post before the release of his new song last week. “It’s my humble wish that it can do the same for you and bring you all the joy and light you deserve.”

He struck a similarly hopeful tone Sunday at the end of his performance.

“Nobody gets an easy ride,” he said. “We all have a cross to bear, but there is wisdom in that fire, and every single moment of your life is a brand new opportunity. We are not being punished, we are being forged. Dance in your darkest moments.”