For anyone feeling down in the dumps, Will Smith is offering a hand to pull you out. The actor made a rare live appearance at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday to perform his newly-released single “You Can Make It.” The record, which features Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir, finds Smith coming out of his unofficial rap retirement to coach listeners through overcoming hardships and adversity.
“Through some of my darkest moments, music has always been there for me — to lift me and help me grow,” Smith wrote on Instagram ahead of the song’s release on Friday. “It’s my humble wish that it can do the same for you and bring you all the joy and light you deserve.”
His performance at the BET Awards on Sunday found him standing alone in a stone-like structure fire pit, which was surrounded by real flames, as the choir sang on a platform above him. “I don’t know who needs to hear this right now,” Smith said before launching into his new song. “But whatever’s going on in your life, I’m here to tell you, you can make it.” Kirk Franklin, who Smith collaborated with on the song, was a surprise guest during the performance. “Can I get a witness?,” Franklin sang, urging that no one is “stuck on a bad chapter” forever.
“The darker the hell you gotta endure, the brighter the heaven you get to enjoy/The harder the fall, the higher you soar/God opens a window when the devil closes the door/Believe me, they tried to bleed Will Smith/In the rearview, I see adversity was the gift,” Smith rapped. “To lift me higher gifts requires faith/So dry your eyes and then you’ll find the way/Out of the madness, out of the maze/And out of the saddest into the rays/The darkest of nights turns into day/And every storm runs out of rain, hold on.”
During the “You Can Make It” chorus, Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir sang: “Don’t give up on me, I need you to hold on/Know you’re deep up in the storm/But I know you can face it/It can get dark on the road and you’re feeling all alone/Don’t lose sight of where you’re going.”
Smith closed the song with more positivity. “We are not being punished, we are forged.” He said, adding: “Dance in your darkest moments.”
The 2024 BET Awards marks the first major awards ceremony appearance from Smith since the 2022 Academy Awards, when he made Oscars history by slapping Chris Rock. The actor and musician received intense criticism following the event. “Believe me, they tried to bleed Will Smith” may sound a little dramatic until you remember Judd Apatow’s since-deleted tweet about the incident that egregiously claimed: “He could have killed him.”
“Who hasn’t been in a dark place? Who hasn’t gone through the fire? What connects us is knowing that you are not alone! @willsmith reminds us of that common connection! That if you’re willing, there are life lessons in dark places! The journey not only produces healing, but also provides growth and wisdom,” Sunday Service Choir shared on Instagram ahead of the performance. “It was our pleasure to collaborate on this song with @willsmith and @fridayy as we continue to inspire the world with four simple words that will change your life…YOU CAN MAKE IT‼️”
Smith appeared on a stacked performance lineup for the 2024 BET Awards. The night also booked performances from Ice Spice, GloRilla, Ms. Lauryn Hill and & YG Marley, Latto, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Tyla, and Victoria Monét.