Empathogen album review
By James Burkhalter
Picture of someone listening to music taken by Jace Burkhalter
Willow Smith, performing as WILLOW, began her music career with the song “Whip My Hair,” a kid-friendly classic riddled with themes of self-love. WILLOW aspired to be a pop star growing up and accomplished that with her debut song peaking at number 11 on the “Billboard Hot 100.” However, as she got older, her aspirations changed. WILLOW has changed record labels four times, switched genres three times, and shaved her head. While no longer having the long hair to show it, WILLOW sticks to her roots and makes her fan’s music taste versatile with her new jazz album, “Empathogen” about self-love and growth.
“home”
“home” starts as an energetic introduction to the album and WILLOW’s musical journey. While there are no direct comparisons outside of the spirit of the song, “home” is reminiscent of “Whip My Hair” in the sense that they both rely on themes of self-expression and freedom, with “home” implying that WILLOW goes the way that life takes her. WILLOW showcases her newfound proficiency in the intricacies of jazz musicianship, playing with rhythm and letting the piano tell a story. The drums and chords dance to create a beautiful backdrop for WILLOW’s voice to shine. WILLOW’s backing vocals aid in the energy and upbeat nature of the song, possibly being courtesy of a studio session with Jacob Collier, a musician known for his unique harmonization of vocals, in his newest album “Djesse Vol. 4.”
“ancient girl”
WILLOW leans further into her backing vocals in “ancient girl,” being one of only two instruments in the song. The backing and lead vocals derive a lot of inspiration from the cadences of the folktale genre. This allows WILLOW’s tone to be more soulful and compelling, lending itself to the theme of growth in the album. The other instrument of “ancient girl” is an acoustic guitar, which WILLOW claimed to be one of the most difficult parts of the creation of “Empathogen.” She recalls many hours of practicing the guitar in her room, striving for perfection. The guitar serves as a soft and modest duet with the backing vocals. This simple song gives the album a place to build off of and build in more complex instrumentation.
“symptom of life”
This song was what inspired the entirety of “Empathogen.” While watching the sunset with her friend and listening to Chet Baker, WILLOW knew she wanted her next album to have the kind of depth and weight that Baker’s voice did. She valued the soul in every note that Baker sang, making the gravity of each lyric heavier because the listener could feel it. After listening to Baker, she wondered how she could translate that feeling into her own music. “symptom of life” encompasses the anxious feeling of self-discovery and finding the virtues of every day. WILLOW sings that while we focus on little things, “beauty is a symptom of life.”
“the fear is not real”
In “the fear is not real,” WILLOW battles her self-doubt. At the beginning of the song, she expels all of her anxious thoughts and fears and wallows in them. The backing vocals convey the overlapping doubtful thoughts in WILLOW’s head while the lead fights through, refusing to crumble. As the beat changes, WILLOW gains clarity and combats her negative thoughts, and in the end, WILLOW acknowledges that her insecurities and doubts are baseless and she can overcome them.
“false self”
“false self” paints WILLOW as an enigma. The score feels detached and aligned at the same time, coinciding with one another but seeming to be playing entirely separate motifs. The descants can’t even decide whether to come in on the beat or the offbeat. The theme is written not only in the lyrics but in the music itself. In “false self,” WILLOW accepts that to change and grow, she must stop pretending to be someone else for herself and others. Similar to “the fear is not real,” “false self” is a war in WILLOW’s mind for self-improvement.
“pain for fun”
“pain for fun” brings back WILLOW’s simple acoustic guitar. This time, however, “pain for fun” utilizes more instruments, bringing more complexity to the song. “pain for fun” exhibits a cynical view of feeling inadequate, following the theme of being one’s own enemy. WILLOW finds solace that she’s not the only one who feels that way. This song indulges the voices heard in “the fear is not real,” where the idea of self-doubt danced in the background has now been brought to the forefront. This exemplifies that growth never stops, and overcoming something once does not solve the problem forever.
“no words 1 & 2”
As the title suggests, “no words 1 & 2” has no lyrics. There is a clear distinction between the two stories told in “no words 1 & 2”. 1 has a slightly aggressive tone, and many clashing instruments seem to fight for space in the sheet music. This battle tells a tale similar to the past three songs: WILLOW fighting herself for clarity, and two gifts her with it. Two can be seen as a celebration of coherence. Everything in two melds together perfectly but is far shorter than one, representing the fact that in some cases, coherence doesn’t last long and, once again, that overcoming something once does not solve the problem forever in the self-improvement journey.
“down”
“down” shows WILLOW succumbing to her doubts and insecurities again. Following the short clarity in “no words 1 & 2”, “down” illustrates how easily someone can fall back into their insecurities. Similar to many tracks in “Empathogen,” the instrumentation seems to be comforting Willow in her descent. “down” follows several other songs in the album with its bluntness and focus on WILLOW’s powerful vocals. The background voices featured in “the fear is not real” and “pain for fun” don’t clash with the lead like they do in the other songs. They harmonize in a form of agreement in the context of WILLOW’s fear of inadequacy.
“run!”
This song depicts WILLOW running from her problems with herself and others. The breathiness in her voice emphasizes the evasion of her problems and the panic that follows that. It shows WILLOW’s conflicting thoughts on her decision, but her panic makes it seem as if there is no other solution. Once again, WILLOW battles herself in the form of her backing vocals. As one voice sings they will keep running, another sings they don’t want to leave while another says they don’t want to stay. These three voices call back to the fact that “false self” illustrates that WILLOW is an enigma.
“between i and she”
“between i and she” expands on the fact in “run!” and “false self” that so many aspects of WILLOW contradict each other. WILLOW came up with the solution of not asking questions and instead letting out a sigh, signifying that she should just let herself be who she is. The three backing vocals return, singing different motifs but now complimenting each other’s gaps and imperfections. Their separate scats show WILLOW’s complexities, which are actively coexisting. The three voices, or rather the three fragments of herself, force Willow to accept that while not being concise, she is whole.
“i know that face.”
This song serves as a manual to the things that WILLOW has learned and the final step to her growth as an artist and as a person. She explains that she understands what it feels like to want to grow. She mentions the issues she faced, like the shadows in her mind, which were personified in the backing vocals featured in many songs. WILLOW describes light as self-improvement and growth that she strives for while contrasting dark (the backing vocals for the entire album) as “just a place called home,” guiding her to wherever her life takes her.
“b i g f e e l i n g s”
Where “i know that face.” is the final step of WILLOW’s growth, “b i g f e e l i n g s” is the quintessential end of her album and journey. In “b i g f e e l i n g s,” WILLOW recognizes her flaws and finds that “acceptance is the key.” “b i g f e e l i n g s” is the all-encompassing conclusion to “Empathogen.” The song begins with a vintage piano sound, referencing the classic style of “ancient girl.” Throughout the song are the recurring dark thoughts in the back of her mind harmonizing and clashing, signifying WILLOW’s incoherent completeness. As another call-back, “b i g f e e l i n g s,” In reference to “symptom of life,” the origin of “Empathogen” is also in 7/8 time. Finally, near the end of the song are riffs reminiscent of riffs throughout the album that have been spelling out the complexities of the album, the genre and WILLOW herself.
“Empathogen” is one of the most cohesive, intentional and beautiful jazz albums released this year. With every genre shift, WILLOW redefines what it means to be a WILLOW fan and keeps her audience on their toes. Listeners had the pleasure of learning from WILLOW’s self-discovery and possibly understanding her as an artist and as an individual. Jazz was the perfect genre to show the intricacy of growth and was a beautiful avenue for such a profound understanding of inner struggles. Whether someone is a WILLOW fan or a jazz fan, they need to listen to “Empathogen.”