Willow
Willow Review: Fantasy Television That’s Here For a Good Time
The Pitch: It’s been quite a time for super-serious sci-fi and fantasy epics, as anyone who’s attempted to keep up with House of the Dragon, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Sandman, and many, many other shows will tell you. But here comes Disney+’s Willow, with a modern rock song in its heart, a young hot ensemble ready to jump into action, and its own take on swords and sorcery to share. Willow? You Mean Three-Time MTV Video Music Award Nominee Willow, Don’t You? Okay, as a longtime fan of the 1988 film Willow, a person who has spent a lifetime yelling “What do you mean, you haven’t seen Willow?” at people… I know that there’s a good chance that most people are not familiar with the original Ron Howard-directed fantasy adventure. So here’s the deal: In the original movie (w...
Megan Thee Stallion, Kendrick Lamar and WILLOW Announced as First Musical Guests of SNL Season 48
Saturday Night Live kicks off its 48th season on Oct. 1. Today, the sketch comedy show announced its first three hosts and musical guests. Kendrick Lamar will open up as the season’s first musical guest, with WILLOW and Megan Thee Stallion to follow on Oct. 8 and 15h, respectively. Megan Thee Stallion will enter an elite club as she’s been tapped to not only perform, but she’ll be pulling double duty as the host. This will be her second appearance on the show, with her debut coming in October 2020. Lamar was a musical guest in 2013, 2014 (once on his own and again with Imagine Dragons) and 2018 (with Anderson .Paak). WILLOW made her debut appearance on SNL last April with Camila Cabello. Miles Teller and Brendan Gleeson will host the first two episodes. Japanese Breakfast was the musi...
WILLOW Releases Blazing Video for ‘hover like a GODDESS,’ Announces New Album
Last year, WILLOW went pop-punk with the release of lately I feel EVERYTHING, which featured Travis Barker, Avril Lavigne and more. Today, the young star announced that her next studio album, <COPINGMECHANISM>, will be released on Sept. 23. It was produced by WILLOW and Chris Greatti (YUNGBLUD, Pussy Riot). From that album, WILLOW has shared a video for “hover like a GODDESS.” In the clip, she roils beneath pink, blue and white strobe lights, as close-up camera angles shift between her face, black platform lace-up boots and a gleaming statement necklace. [embedded content][embedded content] “You know I don’t like to take my time” she cries out with Hayley Williams-esque vigor. “I’ll never be fine if you won’t be fine.” The song is a nod to self-worth. “Every woman deser...
Disney+ Announces Willow Release Date, Shares Teaser Trailer: Watch
During Star Wars Celebration 2022, Disney+ announced the sequel series to the 1988 classic epic Willow will be premiering on November 30th, 2022, and shared the teaser trailer. Watch it below. Willow is set 20 years after the original movie and takes place in a magical world where “brownies, sorcerers, trolls, and other mystical creatures” flourish. Its story centers around “an unlikely group of heroes set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save their world.” Released in 1988, the original film Willow featured Warwick Davis as the titular aspiring sorcerer who gets called upon to save a child who might be able to stop the reign of an evil queen. He did so with some assistance from a plucky ba...
Machine Gun Kelly’s ‘Emo Girl’ Is A Valentine for Sharpie-Colored Hearts
It’s a new year and the newly-engaged Machine Gun Kelly seems to have a fresh outlook on life: Hello, world? You don’t fucking suck! MGK’s new song “emo girl” is the low-caps song for all of his high-caps feelings for his girl who still looks cute when she looks “half-dead.” WILLOW brings the pop-punk street cred and the one excellent line: “Holy fuck, I’m bleeding on your Blink tee.” “emo girl” appears on MGK’s sixth album, mainstream sellout, which arrives March 25 (pre-order it here.) The album was executive produced by Blink-182 drummer and MGK collaborator, Travis Barker, who also played on WILLOW’s previously-released song “Transparent Soul,” from her fourth album, lately I feel EVERYTHING. MGK is performing at this year’s NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas, and also has a show with...
How Radio Disney Shaped Modern Pop-Rock
Of the many guest spots on Willow Smith’s punk album, Lately I Feel Everything, one stands out: Avril Lavigne on “Grow,” which evokes the bold 2000s pop-punk the latter became known for. “I wanted ‘Grow’ to sound like it was on Radio Disney in 2007,” Smith told W Magazine. “So I hit up Avril Lavigne; I wanted that 2007 Avril angst. When I heard what she did with what I sent her, I felt like I was transported back to my tween days, in the car, just screaming, ‘I don’t have to try to make you realize!’” Smith is far from the only artist to embrace rock music on a recent release, or to reference Radio Disney’s brand of pop-rock, which blends clean hooks with heavier elements like distortion. And this crossover between Disney and rock continues to flourish. [embedded content] When this t...
SPIN Daybreaker: Peach Fuzz
Another whirlwind of a week is coming to a close and there’s lots to reflect on and hopefully learn from. Just like life, any themes explored through music can all be classified as moments to find something new and exciting about ourselves. This week, the roundup is the epitome of discovering music to discover yourself. It is an amalgamation of all the best emotions we encounter in this lifetime: angst, self-absorption, selflessness, curiosity, love, confusion, confidence, you get it. These artists are setting the new standards of music – that is, blurring the lines, doing what they want, and focusing their attention to expressing themselves wholeheartedly instead of trying to create more boundaries for creativity to adhere to. They’re truly making the industry embrace what it is to b...
WILLOW Is Finally Ready for Her Rock Era
There’s not much that Willow Smith hasn’t done. Actor? Check. Talk show host? Check. Artist? Check. But at 20, the artist who goes simply by WILLOW, is ready to try something new: being a rock star. But her foray into the genre is nothing less than authentic. Even since the release of her debut single “Whip My Hair” in 2010 — a catchy ode to individualism — her message has been the same: “Be yourself, do it, unapologetically and inspire other people to do it, too,” WILLOW tells SPIN over the phone from an undisclosed location in Malibu. And that has remained as her entire foundation for making music. If you’re surprised by WILLOW’s pivot to punk-rock, you haven’t been paying attention. Truthfully, rock has run in her family. In the early 2000s, WILLOW’s mother, actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, ...
SPIN Daybreaker: Violet Lounge
Here we meet again at our not-so-secret weekly rendezvous, and boy are we back with loads of new music for you to discover and rummage through. This week’s playlist is bringing some rhythmic lounge vibes that’ll pair with your mood perfectly when you’re working, studying, cooking dinner with bae, or kicking back with some friends in an intimate setting. It is a concentrated collection of the best rising R&B, soul-tronic, neo-soul, and alt-pop artists that have saucy musicality, emotive lyricism, and sonic storytelling on lock. Highlights this week include South Londoner Sasha Keable, that is no newcomer to creating some of the most relatable and soulful acoustic love songs – which her latest single “Exception,” is a true testament of her pure songwriting capabilities. The next artist i...
SPIN Daybreaker: 23 Songs You Shouldn’t Wait Any Longer to Discover
In the words of the infamous Rebecca Black, “It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday.” Indeed Rebecca, everyone is looking forward to the weekend. We’ve survived yet another week and SPIN is here to deliver one hell of a mix to wash away the sins from what went down. We’ve updated our playlist with an array of genres that span across indie-pop, electronic/soul-tronic, neo-soul, R&B, and a sprinkle of acoustic, Latin and psych-rock. One thing’s for sure: you won’t get bored listening to this eclectic curation. In fact, this is guaranteed to keep up with your insatiably explorative musical taste. No cap. This week brings some of the brightest artists that you’ll want to keep on your radar. Highlights include songwriter/producer Derek Simpson in the fluttery and soul-charged, “XING,...
Willow Sequel Series Officially Coming to Disney+
Move over Mando, there’s a new Lucasfilm property coming to Disney+. The streaming platform has ordered a sequel series to the 1988 classic epic Willow. The original film’s director, Ron Howard, has been teasing at a Willow follow-up for over a year. After confirming the project was “very active” over the summer, he’s officially set to return as executive producer. Star Warwick Davis is also back, reprising his beloved title role. Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) will helm the pilot, which was written by Jonathan Kasdan (Solo: A Star Wars Story). The latter will also serve as showrunner alongside Wendy Mericle (Arrow). Howard called the show “a creative lean-forward” as opposed to “a nostalgic throwback,” something Davis said he’s thrilled to be a part of. “Many have told me they grew up wit...
