For all those who If you’re feeling depressed, Will Smith is offering a helping hand. The actor made a rare live appearance at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday to perform his newly released single “You Can Make It.” The record, which features Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir, sees Smith returning from his unofficial rap retirement to help listeners overcome difficulties and adversity.
“In some of my darkest moments, music has always been there for me – to lift me up and help me grow,” Smith wrote on Instagram ahead of the song’s release on Friday. “It is my humble wish that it can do the same for you and bring you all the joy and light you deserve.”
During his performance at the BET Awards on Sunday, he stood alone in a stone-like fire pit surrounded by real flames while the choir sang on a platform above him. “I don’t know who needs to hear this right now,” Smith said before launching into his new song. “But whatever is happening in your life, I’m here to tell you, you can do it.” Kirk Franklin, with whom Smith collaborated on the song, was a surprise guest during the performance. “Can I get a witness?” Franklin sang, urging that no one be “stuck in a bad chapter” forever.
“The darker the hell you must endure, the brighter the heaven you get to enjoy/The harder the fall, the higher you soar/God opens a window when the devil closes the door/Believe me, they tried to bleed Will Smith dry/In the rearview mirror, I see the misfortune was the gift,” Smith rapped. “To rise to higher gifts takes faith/So dry your eyes and then you’ll find the way/Out of the madness, out of the maze/And out of the saddest into the rays/The darkest night turns to day/And every storm runs out of rain, hold on.”
During the chorus of “You Can Make It,” the Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir sang, “Don’t give up on me, you’ve got to hold on/You know you’re in the middle of the storm/But I know you can make it/It can get dark along the way and you feel all alone/Don’t lose sight of where you’re going.”
Smith ended the song with more positivity. “We are not punished, we are forged,” he said, adding, “Dance in your darkest moments.”
The 2024 BET Awards will be Smith’s first appearance at a major awards ceremony since the 2022 Academy Awards, when he made Oscar history by slapping Chris Rock. The actor and musician faced heavy criticism after the event. “Believe me, they tried to bleed Will Smith dry” may sound a little dramatic until you remember Judd Apatow’s now-deleted tweet about the incident, in which he brazenly claimed, “He could have killed him.”
“Who hasn’t been in a dark place? Who hasn’t walked through fire? What connects us is knowing you are not alone! @willsmith reminds us of that common connection! There are life lessons to be learned in dark places if you will! The journey brings not only healing but growth and wisdom,” the Sunday Service Choir shared on Instagram before the performance. “It was a pleasure to collaborate with @willsmith and @fridayy on this song as we continue to inspire the world with four simple words that will change your life… YOU CAN DO IT‼️”
Smith performed in a packed schedule at the 2024 BET Awards. The evening also featured performances by Ice Spice, GloRilla, Ms. Lauryn Hill and & YG Marley, Latto, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Tyla and Victoria Monét.
