Will Smith Debuts New Song, “Bulletproof,” In Uplifting 2024 BET Awards Performance

Will Smith kicked off his musical comeback by debuting a new song during a performance at the 2024 BET Awards.

After appearing on stage, Smith began his set with a message to those in attendance and viewing at home, declaring, “I don’t know who needs to hear this right now, but whatever you’re going through in life, you can make it,” as his backing vocalists deliver the song’s triumphant hook.

In the song’s opening verse, the Philadelphia native details his redemption following his fall from grace amid his infamous slapping incident involving Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in 2002. “Walking through the valley of the shadow of death/ When you think you got nothing left, keep going,” Smith rhymes towards the end of the stanza,” putting forth a message of faith and perseverance.

The renowned entertainer was then joined by the Sunday Service choir and gospel legend Kirk Franklin, who began professing alongside Smith, who ended his performance with a few words of his own.

“Nobody gets an easy ride/ We all have a cross to bear, but there is wisdom in that fire,” he expressed as the performance wound down. “We are not being punished, we are being forged,” he added. “Dance in your darkest moments.”

Smith has been enjoying a resurgence amid his return to the spotlight, as Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, the fourth installment in his buddy-cop series with Martin Lawrence, has been one of the most successful film releases of the year.

Topping the box office upon its release earlier this month, Bad Boys: Ride Or Die has grossed $142 million domestically so far, with a cumulative worldwide gross of $289 million.

The Grammy Award winner’s performance comes as he prepares for the release of Dance in Your Darkness Moments, his first studio album in nearly two decades. In 2005, the 55-year-old dropped his fourth solo studio album Lost and Found.

See Will Smith’s 2024 BET Awards performance above.