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Will Smith Premieres New Song at BET Awards With Live Show


The next Will Smith awards show news is about a song, not a slap.

Well, the song may slap … we don’t know yet.

Will Smith won’t be attending the Oscars any time soon, but other venues are much more respective.

Most people these days just know Will Smith for making movies and attractive, talented children. But he is also a musician of historic importance — his rap was the first to win a Grammy.

And, at the 2024 BET Awards, he’s going to perform a new, original song.

Will Smith in late March of 2022.
Will Smith accepts the Actor in a Leading Role award for ‘King Richard’ onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022. (Photo Credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

The 2024 BET Awards will be Will Smith’s first major solo performance since, you know

On Sunday, June 30, Will Smith will unveil and perform his new, original song at the BET Awards.

That would be exciting news on its own. After all, his music is legendary and helped to catapult him into his spectacular acting career.

We don’t actually know what Smith will be performing. His most recent performance was a cameo with J Balvin at Coachella back in April. And that was a Men In Black reference.

Will Smith in November of 2015.Will Smith in November of 2015.
Will Smith attends the Centerpiece Gala Premiere of Columbia Pictures’ “Concussion” during AFI FEST 2015 presented by Audi at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 10, 2015. (Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI)

Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programing, & Music Strategy at BET spoke to Variety about inviting Will Smith to perform.

“From his start as a rapper to ‘The Fresh Prince’ to being a box office king as one of the Bad Boys, Will Smith is truly a global icon, and we are honored to welcome him back to grace the BET Awards stage,” Orlando affirmed.

Orlando then expressed: “We look forward to Will adding to yet another defining night for the culture that is not to be missed.”

Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022.Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022.
Will Smith slaps US actor Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022. (Photo Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

Obviously, Will Smith appearing at an award show is a touchy topic

At the 2022 Oscars, the A-list actor marched up onto the stage and smacked Chris Rock.

This was not a scripted action. And it was also not spontaneous or out-of-the-blue. Chris Rock had, and not for the first time, seemed to show an apparent unhealthy obsession with Jada Pinkett Smith. This time, poking fun at her hair loss.

The reactions were divided. And despite the polarization, many people’s responses seemed (perhaps due to the nature of social media) so extreme that they were unreasonable.

Will Smith in October of 2019.Will Smith in October of 2019.
Will Smith attends Paramount Pictures’ premiere of “Gemini Man” on October 06, 2019. (Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

One camp was likening the infamous slap to evils like domestic violence, or suggesting that this was akin to random violence against comedians.

The other suggested that Smith had done nothing wrong, that the incident was so mild that it was not worth commentary.

Obviously, Smith and Rock are not family or in a relationship. They are also not strangers. These were two extremely famous millionaire adults who have known each other for decades. But, let’s be clear: hitting someone in the face is assault. Even with possible verbal provocation.

Will Smith in February of 2015.Will Smith in February of 2015.
Will Smith attends the Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Focus” premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on February 24, 2015. (Photo Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Is this a career comeback?

Well … no. This is not a comeback because his career is doing just fine.

The same month as the BET Awards, Bad Boys: Ride or Die released in theaters and raked in 9 figures at the box office. Yes, that’s the film where Will Smith gets slapped on screen.

He’s not allowed at the Oscars for years to come. But that won’t stop Smith from making extremely successful films — or music. Or from attending other awards shows. Shows where, one might hope, people will keep his wife’s name out of their mouths.

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