The Anxiety

The Anxiety is a collaborative studio album by American musicians Willow Smith and Tyler Cole, under the band name The Anxiety. The project was released by the duo on March 13, 2020, by MSFTSMusic and Roc Nation. While the album didn't chart at the time of its release it entered the charts in late 2021 after album track "Meet Me at Our Spot" became a sleeper hit on TikTok. It became Cole's first ever charting album and Willow's first charting album in Canada.

For other uses, see Anxiety (disambiguation).
The Anxiety
Studio album by
Willow and Tyler Cole as The Anxiety
ReleasedMarch 13, 2020 (2020-03-13)
Genre
Length28:08
Label
Willow Smith chronology
Willow
(2019)		 The Anxiety
(2020)		 Lately I Feel Everything
(2021)
Tyler Cole chronology
We're in Love & the World is Ending
(2017)		 The Anxiety
(2020)		 Just Different
(2020)
Singles from The Anxiety
  1. "Hey You!"
    Released: February 28, 2020
  2. "Meet Me at Our Spot"
    Released: October 5, 2021

Background

Willow Smith and Tyler Cole have been romantic partners and artistic collaborators for several years.[1][2] Prior to The Anxiety, Cole co-produced her 2019 self-titled album. The band released their debut single "Hey You!" on February 28, 2020.[3]

Art exhibit

In promotion of the project, Smith and Cole staged a performance art piece at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles on March 11, 2020, wherein the duo were locked in a glass box for 24 hours and were not allowed to speak to each other. One wall was clear for the audience to view, with the other three covered in canvas for the duo to write affirmations on. The performance is meant to convey the eight stages of anxiety (paranoia, rage, sadness, numbness, euphoria, strong interest, compassion and acceptance) with each stage lasting three hours.[2] The performance was seen as topical due to it occurring just days before COVID-19 lockdowns in the United States.[4]

Composition

The Anxiety is a punk,[5] indie rock,[5] alternative rock,[2] dream pop,[5] and progressive rock[4] album. The album's first half largely consists of "uptempo rhythms and punchy riffs", dabbles in lo-fi around the middle, and the second half contains "pensive R&B and drone-like ballads".[6][4] Lyrically, the album tackles themes of anxiety, rage, panic attacks, and government corruption.[4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by and produced by Tyler Cole and Willow Smith

No.TitleLength
1."Hey You!"2:25
2."Fight Club"2:24
3."Believe That"2:53
4."Poolside"3:44
5."Interlude"1:03
6."Entertain"2:56
7."Are You Afraid"2:01
8."Meet Me at Our Spot"2:42
9."The System"4:27
10."After You Cry"3:33
Total length:28:08

Notes

  • ^a signifies a co-producer

Charts

Weekly charts
Weekly chart performance for The Anxiety
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[7] 77
US Billboard 200[8] 103
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[9] 11
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[10] 7
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[11] 13
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[12] 17

Year-end charts
Year-end chart performance for The Anxiety
Chart (2021) Peak
position
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[13] 37
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[14] 70

References
  1. Noble, Audrey (March 13, 2020). "Willow Smith's Boyfriend Shaves Her Head for "The Anxiety" Exhibit". Allure. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  2. Kaufman, Amy (10 March 2020). "Willow Smith will be trapped in a box for 24 hours at MOCA - Los Angeles Times". The L.A. Times. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  3. ""Hey You!" – Single by The Anxiety, Willow, Tyler Cole". Spotify. 28 February 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  4. Gore, Lesley (17 March 2020). "LISTENING TO WILLOW SMITH'S 'THE ANXIETY' WHILE QUARANTINED IS PEAK SOCIAL DISTANCING". High Snobiety. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  5. Monger, James Christopher. "The Anxiety Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  6. Wilkinson, James. "The Anxiety Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  7. "Willow Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  8. "Willow Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  9. "Willow Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  10. "Willow Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  11. "Willow Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  12. "Willow Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  13. "Alternative Albums". Billboard.
  14. "Top Rock Albums". Billboard.
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