Bad Gyal burst onto the scene with “PAI,” a Catalan-sung cover of Rihanna’s “Work.” But now, between her debut album, La Joia, and warily delving into AI experimentation, the artist is only getting started. We explore in this FRONTPAGE story.
When something is suddenly everywhere, it’s the modern condition to assume it’s always been that way. Bad Gyal burst onto the scene in 2016 with “PAI,” a Catalan-sung cover of Rihanna’s “Work,” with a flash both so bright yet so familiar, it was almost impossible to believe it hadn’t been around forever. But her ascent was actually part of a long and winding history of dancehall, reggaeton, and dembow — music that informed Spaniard Alba Farelo since childhood. It took a long time for mainstream culture to catch up to the chart-topping, perreo-leaning genres, which have soundtracked parties across the Caribbean, Latin America, and Hispanic countries for decades. Before some of the biggest names in the biz wisened up to cross-over collaborations (Drake and Bad Bunny, Beyoncé and J Balvin, Madonna and Maluma, to name a few), the beat-heavy music already held strongly on the culture.
It’s been eight years since that first video of a baby-faced, short-haired Farelo was released, and, 4.5 million views later, comments praising her brazen songs — about sex, sexuality, lust, and fun — have only continued to roll in, setting the tone for the continuous stream of work she’s released since. Alongside it, she’s built an army of loyal fans who buck against the idea that the type of music Farelo and her contemporaries make (especially other female artists) is anything but empowering.
One listen to any of her hits, from “Fiebre” to “Flow 2000,” reaffirms something that frightens anyone who doesn’t “get” it: The music is fucking fun. Sexy, dangerous fun.
Take the breakup revenge track “Perdió Este Culo,” which celebrates post-breakup glow-ups and emotional clarity; or its remixed “Chulo pt.2,” which tacks on collaborations by two other forces of the genre, Tokischa and Young Miko, to create an instant hit and a music video with over 250 million views and over 300 million Spotify streams. In a field where men have dominated, Farelo and her collaborators (Anitta and Ivy Queen, to name a couple) are here to prove that the game has changed, and sexiness and sexuality on a woman’s terms are something not only worth respecting, but worth listening to. Beyond numbers that back up the success of female talent, something more culturally defining is happening: Gone are the days when only male voices blasted through the speakers at clubs or parties. As Bad Gyal herself sings, “Cada vez que entro al club, ponen algo mío y suena tan duro” (“Every time I enter the club, they play something of mine and it goes so hard”).
With the immediate success of her work and the monumental popularity of the urban genre right as she hit the scene, there was no shortage of interest by major labels to sign Farelo, but the singer-composer weighed her options. “I have a desire and ambition to grow, to develop beyond my country, and to find new audiences,” she says. In the end, she chose Interscope/Universal. “They have a legendary roster of artists and are an iconic label in music and in business.”
Though she’s helped to steer the music industry and strengthen the behemoth that reggaeton and dancehall have become, Bad Gyal is only now celebrating the release of her first album, La Joia — a celebration that looks a little like a victory lap.
La Joia (a play on “the jewel” and “the joy”) is a continuation of, and elaboration on, all that Farelo has created so far, with tracks that dig into the types of themes and sounds she’s been creating for years. She takes creative shots, too, aided by dream collaborations with Anitta, Ñengo Flow, and Quevedo.
Not least are Farelo’s incredible styling and visuals, which are at the forefront of her creative identity. In a sliding-doors moment, Farelo was studying fashion when “PAI” blew up and she decided to focus on music. But that doesn’t mean she left fashion behind. Her penchant for looks that she describes as “fearless and sexy” have made her the newest darling of fashion front rows and red carpets, and her live shows are as much about the clothes as they are about her raw lyrics, her intentional dance moves, and the reaffirmation that she is an entertainer with a capital “E.”
To celebrate the landmark moment of her album release, as well as other achievements that prove her already bright star is only just rising, we chatted with the Bad Gyal herself to discuss music, fashion, identity, and how she keeps her head in place while navigating the crazy world she lives in.
Highsnobiety: Congratulations on La Joia. It’s crazy that this is your debut album. What do you think will change for you?
Bad Gyal: My objectives are always to keep growing, have bigger opportunities, develop as an artist, and be able to collaborate with artists I admire, which at some point in my career looked so far away. Now, anything is possible.
You’ve expressed admiration for larger-than-life icons like Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga. Is their success something you strive to emulate?
They have careers that from the outside seem to have very little limitations, always with room for expansion. They’ve been able to develop other ambitions outside of music, like in fashion, beauty, or dance. So, yeah, all of that inspires me. Music is a profession that can open many doors to other disciplines.
Beyoncé has famously spoken about how she taps into an alter ego in order to be comfortable as a performer of that magnitude. Do you feel like you have to leave parts of Alba behind in order for aspects of Bad Gyal to grow?
Bad Gyal is a very important part of Alba. What Bad Gyal represents to the audience is a woman who is confident, strong, and sexy. That side that dances and sings and has no taboos, who says what she wants. Of course, she is a big part of me and a real part of my personality and who I am as a woman, but I am obviously not always that super confident or that woman who has no doubts and feels like she can eat the world. I’m human, right? But it is a big part of my personality, and a part that allows me to present myself outwardly and to express myself creatively. Those are the parts of myself I want to highlight the most, develop the most, and share with the world the most.
What are some dreams?
I’d love to play Madison Square Garden. But I’ve also accomplished many of my dreams. Above all, to be happy and to live the life that I get to live in the happiest way possible. Not to get too stressed, to treat people well.
What is one recent look of yours that stands out as a favorite?
I loved a look I wore for a concert in Mexico, by Balestra. It’s gold, very naked, very sexy. All the things I like. I felt very beautiful that day. I was also wearing a cowboy hat that I had worn for my video for “La Prendo.”
What inspires you to create music?
I’m influenced by my experiences, or my friends’ experiences, the things I see, my travels, the music I’ve heard. When I go to the studio, I just let myself release, and of course what my music speaks about are things I love, things that can be found in dancehall or reggaeton, and what I identify with, which is club culture, dancing, nighttime. I love to go out and enjoy music. It’s a mix of all these things.
You were one of the pioneers of your genre and helped open doors for a lot of other new musicians with similar proposals. How does it feel to lead the way?
I think it’s positive. I started eight years ago, and there will always be new people. That’s how life is — there are cycles and there are always new people that encourage us older ones to keep growing. And I think it’s a good sign that the music has developed and that there’s more interest, that young people like what we do.
How do you ground yourself?
I always talk about balance. For me, it’s super important to be able to travel, handle my fast-paced life, and then to also be able to return to my place, my house, my routine, to see my family and my friends, exercise, eat well, rest and recover. We always have to be balancing and seeking balance because this life can be very crazy and full of change.
Speaking of crazy, you were recently at the center of an AI experimentation, where someone created a fake AI collaboration between you and Bad Bunny. As someone who uses a lot of tech tools to create your music, what do you think about the state of AI and its place in music?
I’m navigating it at the same pace as the rest of the world because it’s very new, but I do think it needs to be regulated. It can be a positive tool for composers who aren’t interpreters, and a lot of people are starting to work in that way. I’ve been in sessions where composers have presented an idea using my vocals laid out by AI. For me, personally, it’s not a way of working that I feel comfortable with, but I get that it can be useful. When you are sharing AI work with people’s real voices, it needs to be legally regulated.
Does hearing everything laid, like how your vocal intonation should be, make you feel like you can’t be creative?
It definitely makes me want to reject it because it’s not the way I like to work. The part I enjoy the most is creating, so having the work already so laid-out takes away my joy and drive a bit, you know? It’s all a bit about personal work taste.
If you could give baby Bad Gyal some advice, what would you say to her?
To love herself a lot, to trust that she is valid, and to keep pushing ahead.
