Will Smith Plans Musical Comeback Three Years After Oscars Slap Incident
Will Smith is preparing to return to music with his first album since the 2022 Oscars controversy that derailed his career. The upcoming project, tentatively titled Resurrection, marks the actor-rapper’s first major creative endeavor since he infamously slapped Chris Rock during the Academy Awards broadcast.
Sources close to the production describe the album as a deeply personal reflection on Smith’s journey over the past three years. The Grammy-winning artist has reportedly been working in relative seclusion with a small team of collaborators, including longtime music partner DJ Jazzy Jeff. The project is said to blend Smith’s signature hip-hop style with more mature, introspective themes addressing personal growth and accountability.
The announcement comes at a delicate moment in Smith’s career rehabilitation. While the actor has gradually returned to public life—including a well-received performance in last year’s Emancipation—the Oscars incident continues to shadow his professional endeavors. Industry observers note the music route provides a strategic path forward, allowing Smith to address the controversy on his own terms through artistic expression rather than direct confrontation.
Chris Rock has not publicly commented on Smith’s musical plans, though the comedian has frequently addressed the slap in his recent stand-up material. Their parallel career movements—Rock’s comedy tours and Smith’s gradual return to creative projects—have become an ongoing subtext in entertainment industry discourse.
Representatives for Smith emphasize that Resurrection should not be interpreted as an apology album, but rather as the next chapter in his decades-long musical journey. The project follows his 2005 hip-hop album Lost and Found and comes nearly thirty years after the Men in Black star last dominated music charts.
No release date has been confirmed, but recording is reportedly in its final stages. The rollout strategy remains carefully calibrated, with plans for select media engagements rather than a full-scale promotional blitz. This measured approach reflects lessons learned from Smith’s previous attempts to address the controversy, including his 2022 YouTube apology video that drew mixed reactions.
As Hollywood continues to grapple with the lasting impact of that viral Oscars moment, Smith’s musical comeback represents one of the most intriguing second-act narratives in recent entertainment history. The industry will be watching closely to see whether audiences are ready to separate the artist from the controversy that temporarily derailed one of entertainment’s most bankable stars.