Smile (with The Weeknd)

"Smile" is a poignant and melancholic exploration of selfless love in the face of personal turmoil and toxic relationship dynamics. The song's central meaning revolves around the artists' willingness to do anything to see their respective partners happy, even if it means sacrificing their own presence in their lives. Juice WRLD's verses are colored by his struggles with inner demons and a haunting premonition of his death. He expresses a deep desire for his partner to 'prosper and come proper,' positioning his potential absence as a necessary act for her well-being. This theme is tragically amplified by his real-life passing, with lyrics like "Devil on my shoulder tellin' me I'll die soon, I don't really want that to impact you," which listeners interpret as prophetic.

The Weeknd's verse complements this theme by delving into a relationship marred by toxicity and infidelity. He suggests that his presence and actions are a source of pain, and that true happiness for his partner can only be achieved through their separation. Thus, the 'smile' in the title is not one of joy within the relationship, but a hypothetical, future happiness that can only exist after it ends. The song, therefore, becomes a somber breakup anthem, where the protagonists, aware of their own flaws and the damage they cause, choose to let their lovers go as the ultimate act of love.

The song unfolds as a narrative of profound, yet painful, love and self-sacrifice. The central voice, belonging to Juice WRLD, expresses a deep-seated desire to ensure his partner's happiness, to see her 'just smile,' even if it requires his own absence from her life. He grapples with his internal struggles and personal demons, acknowledging that they negatively impact their relationship. There's a haunting premonition of his own mortality, as he mentions a 'devil on my shoulder' telling him he will die soon, and he desperately hopes this won't affect her. This isn't a threat, but a sorrowful admission of his reality and a reason for his willingness to let her go. He perceives her sadness and feels a sense of failure in not being able to alleviate it, praying he can 'get it right this time' so they might find peace. The core of his message is a pure, albeit tragic, form of love: he's willing to sacrifice his own happiness and their relationship for her ultimate prosperity and well-being.

The Weeknd's verse introduces a complementary, yet distinct, perspective on a troubled relationship. His narrative is one of a love that has soured, now characterized by mistrust and secrets. He speaks of the pain his actions could cause, suggesting infidelity or a life she shouldn't be a part of, evidenced by the warning not to look through his phone. He acknowledges that they are 'playin' with fire,' and the relationship has reached a toxic point. Like Juice WRLD, he arrives at a similar conclusion of letting go, not out of a premonition of death, but from the recognition that their dynamic is destructive. He frames this separation as a necessary sacrifice for her to find happiness, reinforcing the song's central theme. His part echoes the sentiment of prioritizing a lover's smile above all else, even if the source of that smile is his departure. The combined narrative is a powerful and somber exploration of love, toxicity, mental health, and the ultimate act of letting someone go for their own good.

The creation of "Smile" is a story of a wish fulfilled posthumously. The song's origins trace back to 2018, when an early demo by Juice WRLD, then titled "Sad," was recorded and subsequently leaked online, quickly becoming a fan favorite. On September 10, 2019, just a few months before his death, Juice WRLD publicly expressed his admiration for The Weeknd on Twitter, stating, "Me and The Weeknd would make a diamond record...". This tweet set the stage for the future collaboration.

Following Juice WRLD's death in December 2019, his team began compiling his first posthumous album, Legends Never Die. The collaboration was officially set in motion when The Weeknd recorded a verse for the track. On August 4, 2020, The Weeknd teased the upcoming release by tweeting "XO + 999 Thursday Night," referencing his own record label (XO) and Juice WRLD's signature number (999). The song, officially titled "Smile," was released on August 7, 2020. Upon its release, it was added to an updated version of Legends Never Die. The production was handled by a team from Internet Money, including Nick Mira, Taz Taylor, and Cxdy. The Weeknd expressed his bittersweet feelings about the release, tweeting that he wished Juice WRLD could have been alive to celebrate their collaboration coming to fruition.

The rhyme and rhythm of "Smile" are integral to its melancholic and hypnotic feel. The song is set in a moderate tempo, driven by a trap-influenced beat with crisp hi-hats, timely claps, and a prominent bass drum. This rhythmic foundation provides a modern hip-hop structure over which the artists deliver their melodic flows.

Juice WRLD's verse and the chorus exhibit a fluid rhyme scheme that is more akin to free verse with frequent internal and slant rhymes, a characteristic of his style. He often rhymes couplets but doesn't adhere to a strict, predictable pattern, allowing his delivery to feel more conversational and emotionally driven. His rhythmic delivery is notable for its syncopation; he often starts and stops his phrases in a way that plays with the listener's expectation, creating a slightly off-kilter, 'bouncy' feel that contrasts with the sad lyrical content.

The Weeknd's section follows a more conventional R&B rhythmic pattern, with smoother, more sustained vocal lines that flow across the beat. His rhyme scheme is also relatively straightforward, helping to ground his verse. The interplay between Juice WRLD's choppy, melodic rap and The Weeknd's fluid R&B singing creates a compelling dynamic texture, while the consistent, underlying rhythm of the beat unifies the two distinct styles.

"Smile" showcases a blend of musical and literary techniques that define the emo rap and contemporary R&B genres.

• Vocal Delivery: Juice WRLD employs his signature melodic, emo-inflected rap style. He varies his pitch and cadence, often chopping up his words to align with the beat's rhythm, creating a distinctive, bouncy yet melancholic flow. The Weeknd contrasts this with his classic, smooth R&B vocals, characterized by a passionate and emotional delivery with echoing effects that create a feeling of lonely introspection.
• Lyrical Narrative: The song uses a dual-narrative structure, presenting two distinct but thematically linked verses. This allows for a more complex exploration of the central theme of selfless sacrifice from different perspectives—one battling internal demons and the other extricating from a toxic situation.
• Production: The instrumental, crafted by Internet Money producers Nick Mira, Taz Taylor, and Cxdy, is intentionally atmospheric and supportive. It features melancholic synths, clean percussion, and a heavy bass drum that emphasizes the vocals rather than overshadowing them, creating a sonic landscape that is both divine and somber.
• Foreshadowing: The most powerful literary device is Juice WRLD's use of foreshadowing. His lines about dying soon are stark and direct, creating a haunting and prophetic poignancy that deeply affects the listener's interpretation of the song.

"Smile" made a significant cultural impact upon its release, largely due to its posthumous nature and the long-awaited collaboration between two massive artists. The song fulfilled a wish Juice WRLD had publicly stated, making its release a poignant event for fans. Commercially, it performed well, debuting at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Juice WRLD's fifth top-ten hit on that chart. It also charted successfully in numerous other countries, including the UK, Canada, and Australia.

The track was added to Juice WRLD's highly successful posthumous album, Legends Never Die, which itself was a record-breaking release, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with massive first-week sales. The song and its animated music video, which depicts the artists in the afterlife, served as another tribute to Juice WRLD's legacy, further cementing his status as a voice for his generation who was gone too soon. Critical and fan reception was generally positive, with many praising the emotional weight of the track and the seamless blend of the two artists' styles, though some longtime fans of the original "Sad" leak had mixed opinions on the new version. Ultimately, "Smile" stands as a powerful and commercially successful testament to Juice WRLD's enduring influence and the bittersweet fulfillment of a musical dream.

"Smile" employs powerful symbolism and metaphors to convey its themes of sacrifice, inner conflict, and mortality.

• The Smile: The central symbol of the song is the 'smile' itself. It represents a selfless, idealized form of happiness for the partner, one that the narrators believe they cannot provide. It is a happiness achieved through their absence, making it a symbol of both love and tragic separation.
• Devil on My Shoulder: This is a direct and poignant metaphor for Juice WRLD's inner demons, struggles with mental health, and substance abuse. It also takes on a tragically literal quality, as he follows this line by predicting his own early death, symbolizing a dark force guiding him toward his demise.
• Playing with Fire: The Weeknd uses this common metaphor to describe the toxic and dangerous nature of his relationship. It signifies the inherent risks, secrets (like what's on his phone), and the potential for emotional harm that continuing the relationship entails.
• The Afterlife in Music Video: The official animated music video visually represents the themes of death and remembrance. It depicts both artists in an ethereal, afterlife setting, with an artist painting their portraits. This symbolizes the immortalization of Juice WRLD through his art and the somber reality of the collaboration being a posthumous one.

The most significant recurring phrase in "Smile" is the central hook, which acts as the song's thesis: "I'd do anything in my power to see you just smile / I want you to prosper and come proper." This line is repeated multiple times by Juice WRLD and serves as the core motif. Its repetition drills home the central theme of selfless, sacrificial love. Each time it's repeated, its meaning is deepened by the verses that surround it, which detail the personal flaws and toxic dynamics that make the singer's absence a prerequisite for that smile.

Another key recurring idea is the internal admission of fault and sorrow. Juice WRLD repeats the lines, "Ho, you tell me that you're sad inside / I'm sad that I can't satisfy." This motif highlights his feeling of inadequacy and his empathy for his partner's pain, reinforcing the idea that his decision to let her go stems from a place of love and regret, not indifference.

The combination of these recurring elements creates a powerful emotional loop, cementing the song's identity as a tragic ode to loving someone enough to leave them.