Willow Smith: Whip My Hair
The next from the Will Smith/Jada Pinkett dynasty to tap into Hollywood’s playpen, Willow Smith brings out a feisty club banger with G-rated smarts
Already there’s a super-popular Sesame Street parody on the new concept video. Makes sense indeed after the viral hit from Willow Smith has been spreading like wildfire since its YouTube debut. Roc Nation demanded to sign the 9-year old star. So far it’s been a great investment for Jay-Z. What makes this Rihanna-esque song work is its mass appeal for young and old audiences. It’s usually hard to design a song for a child with the purpose of reaching a number of demographics. This single, the first from Smith, displays that charm.
SESAME STREET // “WHIP MY HAIR” REMIX
Of course, the repetitiveness of the chorus (“I whip my hair back and forth”) may be a bit nerve-wrecking for the casual listener, but the concept video helps enhance the party factor and likability. She’s seen in many scenes, tossing her locks from side to side like a rock star. And even if Willow never intended it to be so, she’s also create one of the year’s easiest and infectious dance moves. The opening scene sets the stage for dramatics. She enters into a room of youthful prisoners, cranks up her boombox and transforms the grayish room into an exciting school building with flying paint from her hair. The song even has the janitor dancing to the party starter. Neat concept for a song that preaches self-esteem and courage in the face of conflict. One thing the video’s concept does right: it teaches education is still cool and that self-assurance should be the law of the land.
J MATTHEW COBB
