11 hours ago
Musician Offers Simple Fix for Will Smith's New Single on X: 'Way Better'
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A musician has gone viral for his simple suggestion that left social media fascinated by Will Smith's new single.
Smith became popular for his work as both an actor and a rapper, but in the past few years, his career has been mainly focused on acting.
However, the 56-year-old artist released a full-length album in March 2025 and he dropped a new single called "Pretty Girls" on Friday.
The song prompted popular X, formerly Twitter, account HaterReport_ to post "I have no idea what possessed Will Smith to try to make new music."
File image: Actor Will Smith in Hollywood, California on February 24, 2015.
File image: Actor Will Smith in Hollywood, California on February 24, 2015.
Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty Images
Hip-hop artist Michael Christmas, however, wasn't so sure the song was a lost cause.
"This is just a tempo issue," Christmas wrote on the platform.
"Speed it up to 1.25 or slow it down to .75 and watch, much more fire song."
Christmas' post went viral, drawing more than 11k reposts and 186k likes.
This is just a tempo issue. Speed it up to 1.25 or slow it down to .75 and watch, much more fire song — Michael Christmas (@MickeyChristmas) June 15, 2025
"If anybody wants to pay me to listen to your music and give you what feels like very minute advice to maybe help, I am available," Christmas noted in a follow-up post.
Christmas, who is based in Boston, has experienced success of his own—his song "Grab Her Hand," which features late hip-hop legend Mac Miller, has earned more than 6 million listens on Spotify, while his song "Not The Only One" has more than 5 million.
Christmas averages more than 43,000 monthly listeners.
"I have random posts go viral all the time, I never expect it, it's always dumb," Christmas told Newsweek.
"At least this time it showed I am good at music."
Users React
Christmas' observation drew a big reaction from users shocked that such a simple correction could make such a difference.
"You killed this for real," Oscar-winning filmmaker Matthew Cherry replied to Christmas.
"0.75 is way better woah," user gothamhiphop added.
"1.25x is FIRE," user ishverduzco wrote, adding, "Wow, great call."
'Stuck between genres'
Christmas told Newsweek he expected the track to be bad because of the reaction online.
However, "I make music so I don't believe in hating for the sake of, especially on a legend. I listened and immediately thought (and said out loud), 'You speed this up it's probably fire'," Christmas said.
"I sped it up to 1.25 and said 'see!'"
Christmas said he thought the song sounded like it was "stuck between genres," as if Smith was too attached to rapping instead of just making a party song.
"The slower one to me reminded me of almost like some trippy goth-strobe-lighty party for models in a cave," he said.
"But the fast one feels like a Jersey club type of night. In Boston we have these parties called 'Deep Cutt' and 'Red Eye.' I think they would mix that in so fire."
He added that people should listen to his music and follow him on social media.
"And call your mom," Christmas said, "I gotta call mine too."
