Will Smith Announces Release Date for ‘Based on a True Story,’ His First Album in 20 Years

Will Smith is back! The superstar revealed on Friday (March 14) that Based on a True Story, his first album in more than 20 years, will be arriving on March 28.

“Been working on this project for a minute and I’m itchin’ to get it out to y’all,” Smith wrote on Instagram, alongside a number of promotional photos for the album, as well as the full tracklist. The 14-track album features previously released singles “First Love,” “Beautiful Scars,” “TANTRUM,” “Work of Art,” and “You Can Make It,” as well as collaborations with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor and Jac Ross.

See Smith’s post here.

Back in January, Smith opened up to Billboard about his decision to release an album two decades after his last record, 2005’s Lost and Found. “A well opened up inside of me, a well of understanding of art and pain … all kinds of things that I didn’t even know were in there,” he said. “Then after the Oscars, that spiritual investigation continued and a whole world woke up inside that I didn’t even know was there. Dreams, visions; parts of my inner landscape that I had no awareness of prior to three years ago. And that opened up this bubbling to share what I’m seeing and experiencing, to explore. A big part of my music now is about that: the ecstatic kind of joy I remember from church when I was growing up; the ability to try to make this place more bearable. You know, I’ve always had a wild imagination; that’s part of who I am. But there’s something new happening with me that’s demanding I explore musically.”

Smith has also hinted at plans for three albums under the Based on a True Story banner (which he described to Billboard as “three seasons of a TV musical show”).