Willow Smith wants to empower her fans

NEW YORK (AP) - Willow Smith is all about kid empowerment.

The young singer says she's hoping to inspire listeners with her upcoming album "Knees and Elbows."

"It's gonna make them feel like they have control over their lives and can do what they want to do and be the person they want to be," she said Wednesday night.

Willow is already proving that at just 11. The daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith has become a buzzed-about star thanks to her hit song "Whip My Hair." She's also become a fashion trendsetter with her funky clothes; on Wednesday, her hair was closely cropped with big bangs in the front, and she wore a cropped jacket with decals, including the name of her album, and sequined jeans.

"I get a lot of my style from my friends," she said, also citing her aunt.

Willow recently teamed up with another fashionista, singer-rapper Nicki Minaj, for Willow's new song "Fireball." Willow premiered it for groups of children and their parents at the Sony Store, as well as BET's "106 & Park."

Even though Minaj and Willow are cited for their style, Willow says they didn't share any fashion tips.

"We just kind of vibed off each other and had fun," she said.

"Knees and Elbows" is scheduled to be released in April. Willow said it will be "more R&B." The title ties in to her theme of inspiration: "Everybody falls down and scrapes their knees and elbows but they eventually get back up," she said.

Willow said she and her famous family will be vacationing for the holidays. But she's not anxious about a Christmas gift.

"I have everything I need. I have my mom, my dad, my brothers, my family; I have bunch of people that I work with that are awesome, that's pretty much what I want to keep," she said.

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Online:

http://www.willowsmith.com

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