Will Smith Dealt Major Blow As Comeback Album ‘Flops’ With Low Sales Years After Oscars Slap Drama

Will Smith’s comeback album – his first in 20 years – has reportedly flopped.

Despite star-studded collaborations and personal lyrics addressing the 2022 Oscars slap directly in tracks like “Int. Barbershop — Day and You Lookin’ for Me?,” the album failed to gain traction.

Undeterred, Will Smith plans to release two more albums and embark on his first headline tour across Europe.

Smith’s long-awaited return to music after nearly 20 years has fallen flat. His new album, “Based On A True Story,” which is his first since 2005’s “Lost and Found,” has failed to gain commercial traction.

The 14-track album includes collaborations with some big names, such as “Beautiful Scars” featuring Big Sean, “Work of Art” with his son Jaden Smith, and “Hard Times” with Teyana Taylor; the latter of which he was actively promoting on Instagram as recently as Friday.

However, despite the big-name collaborations, the album sold just 268 physical copies in its first week in the UK, with only 36 digital downloads reported, according to The Sun.

In the States, the reception wasn’t any better, as Forbes reported that the album didn’t make it onto the Billboard 200, marking the first time a solo Will Smith project has missed the chart entirely.

The album was seen by many as Smith’s attempt to reignite his music career and reconnect with fans following the fallout from the controversial 2022 Oscars incident involving comedian Chris Rock.

Despite the lukewarm reception to his latest album, Smith isn’t slowing down. Reports suggest the 56-year-old entertainer plans to drop two more albums before the year is out.

He’s also gearing up for his “first-ever” headline tour, which will take him across various venues throughout the UK and Europe.

The tour will feature a mix of new material from “Based On A True Story” and classic fan favorites like “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” “Miami,” and “Summertime.”

Cities on the list include places like Scarborough and Wolverhampton, while major stops like Birmingham, Glasgow, and Dublin are noticeably absent.

Before kicking off his solo tour, Will is set to perform at several international festivals, including Mawazine in Morocco, POSITIV Festival in France, Dreambeach in Spain, and the BIG ART Festival in Italy.

Announcing the tour on Instagram last month, he wrote: “I’M GOING ON TOUR THIS SUMMER!! We’re hitting up the UK & Europe to bring U all the hits, some new joints, and a few surprises ;-) All these years, I’ve NEVER done a headline tour and I can’t wait to see you guys!!”

On his new album, Smith didn’t shy away from controversy as he tackles the infamous Oscars slap incident with raw honesty. His opening track, “Int. Barbershop — Day,” kicks off with the line: “Will Smith is canceled.”

Featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff and B. Simone, the track unfolds like a chaotic conversation, with different voices trading opinions and speculations about the “Suicide Squad” actor.

One voice questions, “Who the f-ck Will Smith think he is?” while another responds, “I ain’t never going to forgive him for that sh-t he did.”

The moment they’re referring to occurred during the 2022 Academy Awards, when Smith stunned audiences by walking onstage and slapping Rock, who had made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.

via: The Blast

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