Apart from her acting she launched a music career in the fall of 2010 with the release of her single Whip My Hair and signing to Jay-Z's record label Roc Nation. The single peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In June 2010, Willow's mother Jada Pinkett Smith announced in an interview on Lopez Tonight that Willow would be releasing an album. Her first single, Whip My Hair leaked on September 7, 2010. She is now signed with Jay-Z's label, Roc Nation. Willow performed the song Whip My Hair on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest on December 31, 2010. On January 25, 2011, she released a 15-second preview of 21st Century Girl, her new single. It was later released in early March.
Sugar And Spice
Willow Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I'm melancholy and can't do anything right
The monsters under my bed keep making noise at night
I just want silence silence bye kids try this
I sat in front of the TV screen
Always screaming at me
They wanna puncture me and then wonder why I bleed
Step on my ladder and bathe in glory
Inject my soul with darkness and take my heart and go mark it in
They passed us like a tear stain
I'm in the dark
Paint on the wall but I don’t see a thing
I write circles in the sky
While I’m drowning
While I’m drowning
I tried to be sugar and spice
But I'm melancholy and can't do anything right
The monsters under my bed keep making noise at night
I just want silence, silence bye kids try this
I’ll bet you’ll think you know bet you’re so close
A million miles away
I can hear your thoughts
Predicting motions or your next move
I’m right in front of you
I’m right in front of you
Your mouth is moving but you don’t move
I’m right in front of you
I’m right in front of you
Take a swing at me I’ll fight
Till the death my light is bright
I tried to be sugar and spice
But I'm melancholy and can't do anything right
The monsters under my bed keep making noise at night
I just want silence, silence bye kids try this
I sat in front of the TV screen
Always screaming at me
They wanna puncture me and then wonder why I bleed
The big city everyone is looking for it
Step on my ladder and bathe in glory
Inject my soul with darkness and take my heart and go mark it in
They passed us like a tear stain
I'm in the dark
Paint on the wall but I don’t see a thing
I write circles in the sky
While I’m drowning
In Willow Smith's song Sugar And Spice, the artist expresses her frustration with conforming to society's expectations and her own struggles with mental health. The opening lines "I tried to be sugar and spice, but I'm melancholy and can't do anything right" suggest that she has attempted to be what society deems as perfect, but ultimately falls short. She continues to explain that the monsters under her bed keep making noise at night, referencing her inner demons and struggles with mental health that distract her from achieving her goals. Willow then retreats to her desire for silence and peace, something that seems out of reach for her at the moment.
In the second verse, Willow talks about her exposure to the world through the TV screen that always screams at her. She mentions that people want to puncture her and then wonder why she bleeds, possibly referring to her need to put on a brave face while the world tears her down. The line "step on my ladder and bathe in glory" could suggest that other people are using her for their own gain, and "inject my soul with darkness" connotes a sense of overwhelming negativity. Willow feels like she is in the dark and can't see anything, which could be a metaphor for feeling lost and unsure of what she wants in life. The final lines "while I'm drowning" show that she is struggling to keep her head above water, both literally and metaphorically.
Overall, Willow's expression of struggle with conformity and mental health adds depth to her music and shows that even those who seem to have it all together face difficulties in their personal lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried to be sugar and spice
I attempted to be positive and pleasant
But I'm melancholy and can't do anything right
But I am filled with sadness and unable to succeed
The monsters under my bed keep making noise at night
My fears are keeping me up at night
I just want silence silence bye kids try this
I crave peace and quiet and wish to escape from it all
I sat in front of the TV screen
I passively consumed entertainment
Always screaming at me
It was constantly demanding my attention
They wanna puncture me and then wonder why I bleed
Others hurt me and then wonder why I am in pain
The big city everyone is looking for it
People are searching for success in the city
Step on my ladder and bathe in glory
They climb over me to achieve their own success
Inject my soul with darkness and take my heart and go mark it in
This world has filled me with negativity and stolen my heart
They passed us like a tear stain
They left us behind, like a mark of sadness
I'm in the dark
I am lost and don't know what to do
Paint on the wall but I don’t see a thing
The world around me is dull and uninteresting
I write circles in the sky
I am lost and struggling, going around in circles
While I’m drowning
While I am struggling and overwhelmed
I’ll bet you’ll think you know bet you’re so close
You might think you understand, but you're not quite there
A million miles away
It feels like we're worlds apart
I can hear your thoughts
I can sense what you're thinking
Predicting motions or your next move
I can anticipate your actions
I’m right in front of you
I am present and visible
Your mouth is moving but you don’t move
You talk and talk, but you take no action
Take a swing at me I’ll fight
If you attack me, I will defend myself
Till the death my light is bright
Even in the face of adversity, I will not give up
Contributed by Evan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Giulliana Granadino
I try to be sugar and spice
But I'm melancholic and can't do anything right
The monsters under my bed keep making noise and I
I just want silence, silence
Why can't try this
I sat in front of the Tv screen
Sad he's always screaming at me
They wanna puncture me and then wonder why I bleed
The big city everyone is looking for
Step on my ladder and bathe in glory
Inject my soul with darkness
And take my heart and go mark it
The past is like a tear stain
I'm in the dark, pain on the wall
But I don't see a thing
I write circles in the sky while I'm drowning
While I'm drowning
I try to be sugar and spice,
But I'm melancholic and can't do anything right
The monsters under my bed keep making noise and I
I just want silence, silence
Why can't try this
I'll bet you think you know but you're so close
Now you're miles away, I can hear you fall
Predicting motions all you make is move
I'm right in front of you, I'm right in front of you
Your mouth is moving but you don't move,
I'm right in front of you, I'm right in front of you
Take a swing at me I'll fight
Till the death my light is bright
I try to be sugar and spice,
I try to be sugar and spice,
But I'm melancholic and can't do anything right
The monsters under my bed keep making noise and I
I just want silence, silence
Why can't try this
I sat in front of the Tv screen
Sad he's always screaming at me
They wanna puncture me and then wonder why I bleed
The big city everyone is looking for
Step on my ladder and bathe in glory
Inject my soul with darkness
And take my heart and go mark it
The past is like a tear stain
I'm in the dark, paint on the wall
But I don't see a thing
I write circles in the sky while I'm drowning
Angelica Mac Chambers
On every level, I feel connected to her voice, her heart and soul because this is relatable. Anyone going through something feels this way at times, fortunately we have people like Willow who can put a melody to our thoughts.
hmsxsurprise
Why is this song not better known? It's one of my fav songs ever
Andres Alfonso
Well basicaly it's a radiohead song
Crisu20
@Andres Alfonso omg I did not know 😳
Smoke Sum'um
I LOVE THAT SHE'S SLEPT-ON BECAUSE I GET TO HAVE HER & HER MUSIC ALL TO MYSELF...
Alex Cook
Smoke Sum'um same
Aphysis Olson
MOOD only my closet friends and I (who all happen to be spiritual,, wild) listen to her
Jai Storm
none of my friends listen to her brilliance, and some of her songs like this one are so hard to find or stumble upon! She’s a alien prophet ❤️❤️
SamsonJhon
I'm so happy that she's alive and making music rn. My favorite album by her is the 1st 😍🥰
Naga God
💙💙💙💙👁️🧚🏾♀️