'Based on a True Story' - New Album drops March 28

[Jazzy Julie]

I’ve found a website for the official streaming chart in the UK but it’s not in the top 100. I’ve got a feeling it gets updated weekly because they announce it on radio 1. So maybe we’ll see on Friday.

[Ale]

[Ale]

An interview with Will:

https://www.complex.com/music/a/minou-itseli/will-smith-mimi-the-music-blogger-based-on-a-true-story-interview

[Ale]

[JumpinJack AJ]

I think he needs to release a proper video for this song.  Not just because it's proabably my favorite song off of the album, but because all of the other singles/videos have been serious. This song best represents the Fresh Prince well all know and love. 

[Ale]

How awesome is this?!

 

[fan 4ever]

Love this mashup. That Work It beat is awesome! 

[VIsqo]

Worked perfectly

[Ale]

[JumpinJack AJ]

Well, this is unfortunate. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/04/10/will-smiths-comeback-album-fails-to-make-any-commercial-impact/

Will Smith’s Comeback Album Fails To Make Any Commercial Impact

ByHugh McIntyre,

 Senior Contributor. 

 Hugh McIntyre covers music, with a focus on the global charts.

 

Apr 10, 2025, 09:45am EDT

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Will Smith’s first album in 20 years, Based on a True Story, fails to chart on Billboard despite ... More

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Will Smith has been on a long and quiet journey back into the public eye since his infamous altercation with Chris Rock at the Academy Awards several years ago. After keeping a relatively low profile in the aftermath of that moment, he’s been slowly re-engaging with audiences, and he recently stepped back into his first love, music. For Smith, hip-hop isn’t just the genre that made him famous, it also may be the key to a redemption arc – or at least that’s what he was hoping. Unfortunately, that plan isn’t panning out quite the way he might have anticipated.

 

 

Smith’s new album Based on a True Story is his first in two decades, but it makes virtually no commercial impact. Despite months of buzz and big name collaborations, the album just didn’t hit with the American public in any meaningful way.

 

Will Smith’s Based on a True Story Fails to Chart

Based on a True Story ix Smith’s first album since 2005’s Lost and Found. The project was promoted with a steady stream of singles and features from major names in the music industry, including Big Sean, Joyner Lucas, and his own son Jaden. The Grammy winner tried to push the project properly, but even anticipation and what seemed like a fair amount of media coverage – at least in the music-focused press – couldn’t move the needle.

The full-length doesn’t make it onto a single Billboard ranking this week. Not the Billboard 200, not the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, not any genre-specific or consumption-specific tallies. For an artist of Smith’s stature, that’s a harsh result. He’s still a household name, and with so much attention focused on the release, it felt like it could become at least a minor win. It didn’t.

Will Smith’s First Billboard 200 Miss

Throughout his music career, Smith has only released four prior solo albums. All of them made it onto the Billboard 200, and three even cracked the top 10. His 2002 effort Born to Reign stalled just outside that space, peaking at No. 13. A few years earlier, Willennium soared to No. 5 – his all-time peak – driven by hit singles and the momentum of his acting career.

Now, for the first time, he’s released an album that doesn’t make it to the all-genre tally. Based on a True Story also fails to send a single cut to the Hot 100. That’s especially disappointing given the roster of collaborators featured on the set. Smith was never the biggest star on the Hot 100, but he has earned multiple top 10s and even a few No. 1s throughout his career. This time around, not one of the several official singles gained enough traction to appear on the tally.

Will Smith’s Surprise Gospel Hits

Even though the album itself doesn’t chart, a few of the tracks from Based on a True Story do manage to land somewhere. Three cuts from the set make a home on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart, a tally that Smith was previously largely unfamiliar with.

Two brand new tunes — “The Reverend (Rave Sermon)” and “Rave in the Wasteland ” —debut at Nos. 8 and 22, respectively. At the same time, “You Can Make It,” a collaboration with Fridayy and Sunday Service, reappears at No. 18. Smith claims a trio of the most-consumed gospel tracks in the country this week, which is a curious outcome for an effort largely pitched as a hip-hop project.

Edited Sunday at 04:21 AM by JumpinJack AJ

[JumpinJack AJ]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14601703/Will-Smith-comeback-album-flop-poor-sales-Chris-Rock-Oscars-slap.html

Will Smith's comeback album 'flops' as his first record in 20 years sells very few copies in the wake of the Chris Rock Oscars slap scandal

By NIOMI HARRIS FOR MAILONLINE

Published: 04:42 EDT, 12 April 2025 | Updated: 04:43 EDT, 12 April 2025

Will Smith's comeback album - his first in 20 years - has reportedly flopped.

Last month, the actor and rapper, 56, released his latest record Based On A True Story, but despite his superstar status, the album only sold 268 copies in its first week in the UK.

 

And things didn't fare better across the pond as the LP failed to make it onto the Billboard 200 in the US reports Forbes - the first time one of his solo albums has not charted. 

Based On A True Story is Will's first album since 2005's Lost And Found, and despite big name collaborators including Big Sean, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor and his own son Jaden, it has failed to make any commercial impact. 

Reports suggest that the album was hoped to be a start of a music resurgence for Will in the wake of his controversial Chris Rock Oscars slap in 2022 - the move that seriously tarnished his career. 

Will Smith's comeback album - his first in 20 years - has reportedly flopped

 

Reports suggest that the album was hoped to be a start of a music resurgence for Will in the wake of his controversial Chris Rock Oscars slap in 2022 - the move that tarnished his career

The incident occurred following a joke Chris made about Will's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head, amid her battle with alopecia,

It prompted Will to make his way to the stage, slap Chris and shout 'keep my wife's name out of your f****** mouth.'

In the wake of the slap, the film star - who won his very first Oscar on the night - was banned from the Academy Awards for ten years. 

The development of his film Fast and Loose was also put on hold by Netflix.

While his reported £28 million role in slavery epic Emancipation failed to make an impact at the box office in 2022, leaving his movie career somewhat in the wilderness. 

Will's new 14-track album features tracks including Beautiful Scars (with Big Sean), Work of Art (with Jaden Smith) and Hard Times (with Teyana Taylor) - the latter of which he was plugging on Instagram only on Friday.

MailOnline have contacted representatives of Will for comment. 

The former Fresh Prince of Bel Air star has in the past enjoyed commercial success with his musical offerings, with his first four solo albums - Big Willie Style (1997), Willennium (1999), Born to Reign (2002), Lost and Found (2005) - all making it on to the Billboard 200. 

Last month, the actor and rapper, 56, released his latest record Based On A True Story, but despite his superstar status, the album only sold 268 copies in its first week in the UK

Things didn't fare better across the pond as the LP failed to make it onto the Billboard 200 in the US reports Forbes - the first time one of his solo albums has not charted

Despite his disappointing album sales, Will is reportedly set to release a further two albums this year.

While the Men In Black hitmaker is ploughing ahead with his 'first ever' headline tour and will see the actor visit a host of venues up and down the UK and Europe.

These live shows will see him performing songs from the new album along with his classic hits including Jiggy Wit It, Miami, Summertime and more. 

But, some fans are shocked to discover that most of the UK venues have a capacity of less than 5,000, which seems small compared to the actor's huge level of fame.

The locations include the likes of Scarborough and Wolverhampton, but skip out bigger cities like Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin.

Ahead of his solo tour, he is set to perform at multiple international festivals, including Mawazine in Morocco, POSITIV Festival in France, Dreambeach in Spain and BIG ART Festival in Italy. 

Announcing the news of his tour last month, Will wrote on Instagram: I'M GOING ON TOUR THIS SUMMER!! 

'We're hitting up UK & Europe to bring U all the hits, some new joints, and a few surprises ;-) All these years, I've NEVER done a headline tour and I can't wait to see you guys!!'

Fans rushed to the comments to quip: 'Life is complete!!!! Been a fan since the fresh prince days !!!!!!! Omg' and 'I'm excited, I can't wait'. 

In the wake of the slap, the film star - who won his very first Oscar on the night - was banned from the Academy Awards for ten years

Despite poor album sales, the Men In Black hitmaker is ploughing ahead with his 'first ever' headline tour and will see the actor visit a host of venues up and down the UK and Europe

Smith gained recognition in American hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince who released Grammy-winning single Parents Just Don't Understand.

In the Nineties, he starred in the hit sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air about a fictionalised version of himself, born and raised in West Philadelphia, who is sent to live with his wealthy uncle in Los Angeles.

His debut solo album, Big Willie Smith, was released in 1997 and included the hit song Men In Black, which accompanied the film of the same name and peaked at number one in the UK singles chart.

Across his career, Smith has starred in dozens of films including The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006), I Am Legend (2007), and Suicide Squad (2016).

In January, he released track Beautiful Scars, featuring rapper Big Sean, as well as a music video where they re-enacted a scene from 1999 science fiction film The Matrix.

[fan 4ever]

A lot of the singles have millions of streams on Spotify, but I guess that isn’t enough to be considered successful. 

[JumpinJack AJ]

Yeah, I'm confused on what means success when we're only talking digitial. The way they chart things is strange, too. I think he messed up by not having physical copies available up front. Buying the album in any form would have drastically helped on certain charts.  I've found varying stats, but one said 1,250 premium audio streams equals one CD sale.  3,750 ad-supported audito streams or video streams equal one CD sale. I'm not sure if the digital album SALE (not stream) is considered the same.   Additionally, CD sales and vinyl sales are documented separately. Unless you have outrageous support, steaming means virtually no money for the artists involved in the album and it makes it hard to chart. 

[fan 4ever]

According to this website he will need a lot more streams to go gold or platinum. 

https://producergrind.com/blogs/blog/how-many-streams-to-go-platinum-on-albums-singles?srsltid=AfmBOop3PLSssiHjZZTgw2p8Nw07VYRwURImhZgGVo735ZoHq8BhGwtN

How Many Streams Equal 1 Album Sale?

1 "album" sale is equal to 150 streams.

How Many Streams to Go Gold?

• For a single to be certified Gold it needs 75 million streams
• For an album to be certified Gold it needs 750 million Streams

How Many Streams to Go Platinum?

• For a single to be certified Platinum it needs 150 million streams
• For an album to be certified Platinum it needs 1.5 billion streams

[JumpinJack AJ]

I know that it's more complicated than this (which is why there is so much conflicting information). For example, listening to music on a free account versus a paid account counts differently. In the past year, I've seen Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber all selling CDs and CD singles on their website...sometimes with autographs. Granted, they have more money and big labels behind their careers, but those kind of things offer their supporters more opportunities to have their music boosted. 

I hope the lack of support for the full album changes and that Will doesn't impact Will's plans to release the other albums he already has in the pipeline.