A half-shaved hairdo might’ve been a daring choice for a 10-year-old Willow Smith when she made her musical debut in 2010, but years later the rising star has taken it a step further chopping off all her hair completely.
The “Whip My Hair” singer posted pictures of herself online on February 2, with little more than fuzz in place of her usual colorful braids or spiky pixie! Although the hairstyle is quite mature for someone her age, she’s pulling it off with grace in the pictures, and once again we applaud her for having the gusto to try styles that many wouldn’t dare.
Of course there are already critics slamming her parents Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith for letting her make such a dramatic cut, but cue India Aire’s “I Am Not My Hair” for a moment. What better way to teach their daughter to be comfortable in her own skin than by showing her that her beauty is not tied to her hair?
When Solange made a similar chop in 2009 she tweeted: “I just wanted to be free of the bondage that Black women sometimes put themselves through with hair.” Jada has said that when Willow initially asked to cut her hair it was because she didn't want to be held back by it either: "Mom, I’m really tired of the hair. I just really feel I’d like it to get in the pool. I want to just swim. I just don’t want to be bothered with the hair," Jada remembered Willow telling her. 
Maybe she’s growing it out in preparation for her upcoming debut album, Knees & Elbows, or maybe the new ‘do is specifically for the occasion (she has said that the new project is going to make fans "feel like they have control over their lives and can do what they want to do and be the person they want to be.") Hate or love the new look, we can at least give it up for this “Fireball”'s super-sized dose of confidence.
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(Photo: Courtesy willowsmith.com)