Rapper Jaden Smith wants the world to know he’s sad … really sad.
His new project, “2024: A Case Study of the Long Term Effects of Young Love,” dives into why, at this point in his life, he’s consumed with grief and sorrow.
It’s been four years since Jaden last dropped a major project, but now he’s ready to step back into the spotlight with his fourth studio EP. The new collection of songs was released on Friday, Oct. 18, and promises to be an emotional journey through love and loss, a true deep dive into the complexities of young love and heartache from the famous nepo baby’s perspective.
In a recent sit-down with Complex Music, Jaden bared his soul about the EP, which appears to show how his breakup with singer Sab Zada has left him in a dark place.
The couple’s split played out in the public eye, especially after photos surfaced of Jaden in Ibiza, Spain, with model Khleopatre, sparking rumors of infidelity.
As the title suggests, he hopes that clinical professionals are going to use the work in the future to inform the world about his mental state.
In a clip posted on the outlet’s X platform, Jaden opened up about his mental state and what inspired the project.
Jaden Smith is sad.
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) October 18, 2024
So he dropped a new project called ‘2024: A Case Study of the Long Term Effects of Young Love’
He hopes psychologists will study it one day pic.twitter.com/x8LZB1Zc9o
“’2024: Case Study of the Long Term Effects of Yellow’ is really a snapshot of my mental state currently when it comes to trying to be a human and relate with people in the digital age that we live in,” he explained.
“The mental landscapes of people are changing,” he continued, “and the psychology … honestly, I just wanted to make it because I’m sad, and it’s my sadness that connects me with my community and my fans.”
He added, “I’m hoping that I can leave enough information behind for psychologists of the future to look back and be like, ‘Man, what was really wrong with this guy?’ Like, there’s some serious stuff that’s wrong with him.”
Clueless fans were shocked to learn that his young love life was in shambles.
“That pink-haired baddie left him?” one person asked, seemingly unaware of the latest drama between Zaba and Khleopatre, where the model allegedly jumped Jaden’s ex and scratched her across the chest in the altercation.
Fans were quick to chime in, reminding him that he made this bed, and now he has to lay in it … with tissue and all.
An X user tweeted, “Gaslighting 101: He’s a serial cheater.”
“He’s playing a character and he’s overdoing it,” another added.
“I can’t even hate I’d be on this same weird s—t if I fumbled sab zada too,” someone else said.
One fan wrote, “I believe he is depressed. I hope he heals soon.”
Some people blamed his mother, writing, “Jada Pinkett has done irreparable damage to the Smiths.
Others blamed his famous Academy Award-winning father, Will Smith.
“I blame his dad,” one person tweeted.
Not everyone was so cynical. Some saw this as an attempt to get in touch deeply with his emotions.
“Is it weird that I think of Jaden Smith as Kanye-esque ..misunderstood but coherent. I think he will be studied in the future. I will follow,” a tweet read.
“Thank You and Bless You Jaden,” one person wrote. “P.S. There is nothing wrong with you but something very wrong with Humanity. Your evolving and not many know what that even means. Luckily you do.”
Another explained, “Deep emotions reflected in art.”
On Oct. 10, two months after photos of Jaden and Khleopatre vacationing together surfaced, Sab Zada took to X to confess that she had been involved in an altercation with Smith’s new fling and her friends.
“Oh my god not this girl coming to attack me and f—cking scratch my neck and then being mad bc I blocked my ex and called her a homewrecker to my friends and then jumping on me. Lol,” Zada tweeted alongside a photograph of her injuries.
“20 witnesses that saw you jump on me when I walked in. Sorry, you’re threatened by my presence and all over an f—king guy. Like wow,” she added.
Zada, who began dating Jaden Smith in 2020, continued, “Like these girls are physically attacking me for a man who is sending me apology flowers and letters to my house every month since the situation began. Hello??? We all need to focus on ourselves.”
As Jaden steps back into the spotlight with his new work, expectations are high, though tempered by the project’s somber tone.
His previous releases, such as “SYRE” and “CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3,” brought him critical acclaim and solidified his place in the music industry with innovative sounds and introspective lyrics. Tracks like “Icon” and “Fallen” achieved commercial success and proved Jaden could break free from the shadow of his famous family to chart his own path in music.
This time, however, his latest work appears to embrace a darker, more vulnerable side of his artistry, making it unclear if the project will resonate the same way with fans.
Though his past albums climbed the charts, this EP’s raw exploration of heartbreak and mental health may offer a different kind of success.
Rather than chasing mainstream hits, Jaden, who has forged a very different type of rap career than his dad, seems focused on a deep emotional connection with his audience.
