When the music video for Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair” first hit YouTube, offended parents described the viral video as vulgar, indecent and inappropriate for such a young girl. But what came to my mind when watching the video is a word more commonly used to describe ten-year-olds: fun.

   Smith appears in her video in an array of candy-colored hairstyles and clothes. Bare midriffs, sexual innuendo and inappropriate gestures were very much absent in a video about, well, hair. The message of Smith’s infectious track is of confidence and independence – a message young girls should be hearing. As issues of body image and self-confidence are reaching younger and younger ages, Smith’s candid spunkiness is refreshing.

    As for actual talent, “Whip My Hair” doesn’t show much. The cuts are too quick and the vocals too auto-tuned to display any real dancing or singing abilities. Smith performs her dance moves like a little girl tries on her mother’s clothes – it’s fun, it’s cute, but the shoes are a little too big. This works for Smith, as the adorableness she inherited from her famous dad shines through her fierce attitude.

    In a nod to the late Michael Jackson, Smith performed her single on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” wearing just one glove on her right hand. While Jackson also assumed fame at a young age, the comparison is a little forced. Smith has yet to prove she possesses enough talent to fill the child star shoes of the King of Pop, but the child of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith is sure to rise to her own superstardom.