How Do We Stop Will Smith’s Post-Slap Charm Campaign?

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( song review [Nobody Wants This From Will Smith]( How do we stop his post-Slap charm campaign from smothering us? [2024 BET Awards - Show]( [2024 BET Awards - Show]( Photo: Christopher Polk/Billboard/Getty Images The [Will Smith]( image-rehabilitation tour ramped up over the weekend with the release of “[You Can Make It](,” a stormy gospel rap tune featuring Philadelphia singer-songwriter Fridayy (DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” Lil Baby’s “Forever”) and Ye’s Sunday Service. Arriving just weeks after Bad Boys: Ride or Die unveiled the dancehall-and-breakbeats Sean Paul collab “LIGHT EM UP,” “You Can Make It” signals Smith’s interest in releasing a new album somewhere on the horizon, his first since 2005’s Lost and Found. A live performance of the single provided the obligatory gospel pop at last night’s [BET Awards](, where Smith rapped atop scorched earth encircled by flames about overcoming nebulous trials and tribulations: “The harder the fall, the higher you soar / God opens a window when the devil closes the door / Believe me, they tried to bleed Will Smith / In the rearview, I see adversity was the gift.” The choir leaned over him offering words of motivation, and rain doused the flames as Kirk Franklin marched up to a stage beating back smoke with an orange glow, like sunlight dissolving cloud cover. [read more]( Devour pop culture with us. [Subscribe now]( to save over 40% on unlimited access to Vulture and everything New York. The Latest TV Recaps • House of the Dragon: [Forgotten History]( • Interview With the Vampire: [Paris Is Burning]( • The Real Housewives of New Jersey: [Failure to Relaunch]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [No, They Weren’t Dead the Whole Time An oral history of Lost’s daring, divisive finale, our last truly communal broadcast-TV experience.]( By Jen Chaney [House of the Dragon Loves Lamp Whoever upped the budget for candles, lanterns, and sconces this season, we thank you.]( By Roxana Hadadi and Kathryn VanArendonk [The Best Podcasts of 2024 (So Far) An ode to animals, new tricks from podcast veterans, and a brand-new season of Serial.]( By Nicholas Quah [The Couple That Has Everything. Is Everything Enough? From 1973: Egon and Diane von und zu Fürstenberg are a contemporary version of the American Dream.]( By Linda Francke photographs by Jill Krementz [Every Kevin Costner Movie, Ranked The actor’s career is full of peaks, valleys, and Waterworlds.]( By Tim Grierson and Will Leitch [The BET Awards Couldn’t Stop Talking About Drake and Kendrick Even though neither of them popped out.]( By Justin Curto [Paul Mescal Is ‘Big and Strong’ in Gladiator II Movie-theater employees keep saying it’s “not November yet,” but we’re simply too seated.]( By Zoe Guy [It’s the Usher Tribute Tho … You a Mom Keke Palmer performs musical tribute to the singer a year after her ex-boyfriend failed to mind his business.]( By Zoe Guy [The Accountant 2 Better Be Good Ben Affleck sources continue to say he isn’t drifting apart from his wife — he’s just working.]( By Justin Curto [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Vulture Games [Today’s Crossword]( 20-Across, Three Letters: Connor, Kendall, and Roman’s last name Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images [Today’s Cinematrix]( Can you name a James Bond movie starring Judi Dench? Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images A newsletter about the perpetual Hollywood awards race, for subscribers only. [Sign up]( to get it every week. [Get the Newsletter]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1701 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2024, All rights reserved