Willow Smith Talks Confidence, Haters, and New Sound

Willow Smith has been scrutinized, whether it’s for her hair color, pierced tongue, or fashion choices. But the “Whip My Hair” singer doesn’t care what anyone says. Armed with a newfound confidence, Will and Jada’s 11-year-old daughter opened up about her style, dealing with haters, and her new musical direction.

“When I first got into the entertainment industry, I would always watch Rihanna and all those people, so I was like, ‘Ooh, I have to be this,'” she told Michael Yo for Yahoo!’s “The Yo Show.” “So my mom was like, ‘Just be yourself.’ Just two months ago, I kinda gained confidence. I can make my entertainment thing go wherever I want it to go.”

While her dog Abby inspires her hair color choices, her wardrobe is influenced by what’s on her iPod. “It’s kinda on the edgy side, but my style kinda comes from the music I listen to,” explained Willow.

She has had to deal with her share of haters on the Internet. “I send love and positive energy to all those people in their lives,” said Willow. “I hope that they find where they’re meant to be and all that stuff, but it’s kinda like, don’t come here with that.”

Earlier this month, she explored a new direction with the video for her ballad “I Am Me,” written by Sia. “I was kinda more into the ballady stuff ’cause when you sing ballads, people can see more of your voice and I like that,” said Willow, whose Roc Nation debut is still awaiting a release date.