Will Smith was joined by Christian musicians Kirk Franklin and Chandler Moore and was backed by the Sunday Service Choir for a live performance of his new single, “You Can Make It,” during the BET Awards Sunday Night (June 30).
The single is Smith’s first new music since he made headlines for slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022 after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Both Franklin and Moore are Grammy Award-winning Christian artists associated with worship-style music.
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Moore, known for his work with Maverick City Music, became the center of controversy in 2021 after posting a photo of himself and his wife on their honeymoon in a posture many people considered to be a sexual position.
Moore has also been known for collaborating with Justin Bieber.
Like Smith and Chandler, Franklin has also made controversial headlines. In 2021, Franklin’s oldest son Kerrion Franklin released the recording of an argument between him and his father in which the elder Franklin could be heard using profanity and physically threatening his son.
Over the course of his career, Franklin has collaborated with artists TobyMac, Lecrae, Stevie Wonder, Tori Kelly, For King & Country, Mandisa, Chance the Rapper, Whitney Houston, Pharrell Williams, Bono, and others.
In his new song, Smith encourages others not to give up, no matter how much adversity they face. The lyrics include mentions of his recent controversy.
Smith says that “nobody gets an easy ride. We all have a cross to bear, but there’s wisdom in the fire and every moment is an opportunity. Embrace the journey.”
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