"I Wanna Be Bad" is a song by American singer
Willa Ford
Amanda Lee Williford (born January 22, 1981), known by her stage name Willa Ford, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, model, television personality and film actress. She released her debut album, ''Willa Was Here'', in 2001. Ford also ha ...
from her first studio album, ''
Willa Was Here
''Willa Was Here'' is the debut and to-date only studio album by American pop singer Willa Ford, released on July 17, 2001 in the United States on the former Atlantic imprint Lava Records. The album debuted and peaked at number fifty-six on ...
'' (2001). The song features a guest appearance from rapper
Royce da 5'9". Ford wrote it alongside
Brian Kierulf
Brian Kierulf is a songwriter and producer from the United States. He usually writes songs with Joshua M. Schwartz. They are a part of KNS Productions.
Selected discography
Aaron Carter - album '' Oh Aaron''
*"Oh Aaron" (Written by Andy Goldmar ...
and Josh Schwartz, who both handled the production, when her record label,
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...
, told her to tone down her music. Ford refused, deciding to create a track with a rebellious message. After
Jason Flom
Jason Flom (born c. 1961) is an American music industry executive, podcaster and philanthropist. He is the founder of Lava Records, and was previously the chairman of Atlantic Records and Virgin Records/Capitol Music Group. He is also an advocate ...
of
Lava Records
Lava Records (Lava Music, LLC) is an American record label owned by Jason Flom in partnership with Universal Music Group.
Company history
In 1995, Flom launched Lava Records in partnership with Atlantic Records. For the next decade, he continu ...
heard the song, he signed Ford to the label and included it on ''Willa Was Here''. Lava and
Atlantic Records released the song as Ford's debut single and the
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
one from the album on April 24, 2001. A
pop and
dance-pop track, it has Ford explaining that she wants to be a "bad girl" because her partner makes bad behavior look so good. The lyrics contain messages of rebellion and being oneself against the influences of other people.
Several
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
compared "I Wanna Be Bad" to songs by fellow American singer
Britney Spears, whom Ford was trying not to imitate with her music. Immediately picked up by American radio stations, it reached number 22 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and entered the top 20 on three other ''
Billboard'' rankings. The song also charted in Australia, where it peaked at number 52. Ford has not had another hit single, making her a
one-hit wonder. Ford promoted the song in several ways, including making a
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
directed by
Chris Applebaum, where she causes havoc at a club and on the streets. Because of the song's themes of nonconformity and comfort with oneself, the
LGBTQ+ community has embraced it and turned Ford into an icon.
Background and composition
Before recording "I Wanna Be Bad",
Willa Ford
Amanda Lee Williford (born January 22, 1981), known by her stage name Willa Ford, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, model, television personality and film actress. She released her debut album, ''Willa Was Here'', in 2001. Ford also ha ...
, who was signed to
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...
at the time, had already recorded nearly a full album's worth of songs.
At that point, MCA Records requested her to make more "wholesome" compositions. Ford, 21 years old at the time, did not appreciate being told what to do with her music, so she decided to write a song depicting herself as a bad person, going against the label's wishes.
Her associates,
Brian Kierulf
Brian Kierulf is a songwriter and producer from the United States. He usually writes songs with Joshua M. Schwartz. They are a part of KNS Productions.
Selected discography
Aaron Carter - album '' Oh Aaron''
*"Oh Aaron" (Written by Andy Goldmar ...
and Josh Schwartz, assisted with the songwriting. When Ford presented the new track to her label, the staff liked what she had done, but they wanted a less explicit
pre-chorus
Song structure is the arrangement of a song, and is a part of the songwriting process. It is typically sectional, which uses repeating forms in songs. Common forms include bar form, 32-bar form, verse–chorus form, ternary form, strophic form, and ...
. However, when
Lava Records
Lava Records (Lava Music, LLC) is an American record label owned by Jason Flom in partnership with Universal Music Group.
Company history
In 1995, Flom launched Lava Records in partnership with Atlantic Records. For the next decade, he continu ...
president
Jason Flom
Jason Flom (born c. 1961) is an American music industry executive, podcaster and philanthropist. He is the founder of Lava Records, and was previously the chairman of Atlantic Records and Virgin Records/Capitol Music Group. He is also an advocate ...
and
Atlantic Records director Andy Shane heard the song, they decided to sign Ford to the labels and release the song, appreciating that she wrote her own material.
Ford recorded the track at The Dojo in
Jackson, New Jersey
Jackson Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the township population was 58,544. A portion of the township is located within the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
Roughly equidistant be ...
, and Battery Studios in New York City, and she arranged all the vocals. Kierulf plays all the instruments while Schwartz provides additional guitar, and both men produced the track.
Musically, "I Wanna Be Bad" is a
pop and
dance-pop song.
The track's lyrics are, according to Ford, "about a girl coming into her own and becoming a woman", and she considers it her song of freedom.
The opening lyrics are
autotuned, with Ford saying that she wants to be bad. Her love interest prefers to behave badly, so she decides to act rebellious along with him since he does it well.
The single version of the song features
Royce da 5'9", while the album version has Ford singing alone, with the rap replaced by more
vocoder
A vocoder (, a portmanteau of ''voice'' and ''encoder'') is a category of speech coding that analyzes and synthesizes the human voice signal for audio data compression, multiplexing, voice encryption or voice transformation.
The vocoder was ...
lines; both versions of the track are three minutes and four seconds long.
In a 2017 interview with ''
Billboard'', Ford stated that although she did not dislike manufactured popstars such as
Britney Spears and
Jessica Simpson, she was not this type of person and wanted to let people know this fact with "I Wanna Be Bad".
Release and promotion
On April 24, 2001, Atlantic and Lava Records serviced "I Wanna Be Bad" to American
contemporary hit radio (CHR) and
rhythmic contemporary radio
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...
stations, as Ford wanted her debut single to "push the envelope".
Radio stations enthusiastically picked up the song, appreciating the divergence from the generic mainstream pop music sound of the time, and it was the third-most-added track at CHR radio for the week of April 27.
The song was then released as a
CD single
A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
in the United States on May 22, 2001, and a
maxi-CD
A maxi single or maxi-single (sometimes abbreviated to MCD or CDM) is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an A-side song and a B-side song.
The first maxi singles
Mungo Jerry's first single, "In the Summertime" was the ...
was released the same year.
In Australia, the track was distributed as a CD single on August 20, 2001.
The song was later included as the opening track on Ford's debut studio album, ''
Willa Was Here
''Willa Was Here'' is the debut and to-date only studio album by American pop singer Willa Ford, released on July 17, 2001 in the United States on the former Atlantic imprint Lava Records. The album debuted and peaked at number fifty-six on ...
'', which was issued in the US on July 17, 2001.
Most attention to the song came from backlash after Ford ended her relationship with
Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida.
The ...
member
Nick Carter, resulting in the creation of many websites criticizing her and the breakup. Although Ford has said that these websites initially upset her, she used the situation to her advantage to help draw attention to the song and her career.
A
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
directed by
Chris Applebaum was made to promote the song. In the video, Ford portrays an ill-mannered woman who flirts with a
DJ at a club, seduces police officers while eating
doughnuts, and steals their
cruiser while they sit in the backseat.
Interspersed throughout the video are clips of Ford performing with her backup dancers and Royce da 5'9"; near the end of the video, she performs alongside two
pole dancers as bubbles float around her. The video received significant
airplay
Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
on American television program ''
Total Request Live
''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
'' (''TRL'').
In the booklet for ''Willa Was Here'', there is a hyperlink that leads to the video.
In February 2001, Ford called the video "off the hook",
but retrospectively, she said that the video was one of her reasons for distancing herself from interviews, explaining that people misinterpreted the theme and believed she was "'the hot chick,' 'the badass' or 'the bitch'" rather than a rebellious woman.
Ford also promoted the song by performing it live at the
Pantene
Pantene () is a brand of hair care products owned by Procter & Gamble. The product line was first introduced in Europe in 1945 by Hoffmann-La Roche, which branded the name based on panthenol as a shampoo ingredient. It was purchased by Procter & ...
Pro-Voice 2001 concert, and it was used in an advertising campaign for
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is an American amusement park corporation, headquartered in Arlington, Texas. It has properties in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Six Flags owns the most theme parks and waterparks combined of any a ...
amusement park.
Reception and legacy
Chuck Taylor of ''Billboard'' compared "I Wanna Be Bad" to works by fellow pop singer Britney Spears, citing the "cutesy sing-along chorus" and the ribald lyrical content.
Christopher Rosa, writing for ''
Glamour'', called the song a "stomping pop anthem" that made other suggestive songs such as Spears' "
I'm a Slave 4 U" and
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
's "
Dirrty
"Dirrty" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera featuring American rapper Redman, released as the lead single from her fourth studio album ''Stripped''. Despite Aguilera's first three years of commercial success, sh ...
" seem modest.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
reviewer
Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the song "catchy" with "post-Britney,
flair" and noted how it is the only track on the album that is not "startlingly crass".
JEDowney from Earbuddy wrote that the song was one of the three better tracks from the album and compared it to a disappointing Spears song. Due to the song's message of rebellion, "I Wanna Be Bad" has resounded with some of the
LGBTQ+ community and turned Ford into an icon.
Ford said that she believed the community responded because her song is honest in its "I'm trying to figure out who I am" message, giving people the confidence to go out at night and be themselves without acknowledging other people's judgements.
Commercial performance
"I Wanna Be Bad" debuted at number 92 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 on June 9, 2001. It entered the top 40 of the chart on July 7, 2001, and rose to a peak of number 22 four weeks later, on August 4.
The song spent a total of 20 weeks on the Hot 100.
It was a top-five hit on the ''Billboard''
Dance Singles Sales
In the issue dated March 16, 1985, ''Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...
chart, peaking at number four in September 2001, and entered the top 20 on the ''Billboard''
Mainstream Top 40 and
Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks was a chart from ''Billboard'' magazine. It debuted in the issue dated December 5, 1998 to preserve the notion of Hot 100 Airplay when it expanded to include airplay data from radio stations of other formats such as R&B, rock and co ...
rankings, reaching numbers 11 and 19, respectively.
As of 2007, the song has sold 250,000 copies in the US. Elsewhere, "I Wanna Be Bad charted on Australia's
ARIA Singles Chart, reaching number 52 on the week of September 17, 2001.
Ford's following hit, "Did Ya' Understand That", did not experience success due to being released on
September 11, 2001
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
, and she has since become a
one-hit wonder.
Track listings
US and UK CD single
# "I Wanna Be Bad" – 3:04
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (with rap and vocoder featuring
Royce da 5'9") – 3:04
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (video)
US maxi-CD single
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (
Mike Rizzo
Michael Rizzo, is an American DJ, record producer and remixer from New York City, active since the early 1990s. He is well known for working with various artists such as Jennifer Green and Sun, all of whom scored hits on both '' Billboard's Ho ...
club mix) – 6:39
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (Sal "Parm" slub mix) – 9:14
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (Mike Rizzo Hyper vocal mix) – 6:09
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (Sal "Parm" dub) – 7:14
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (Sal "Parm" radio edit) – 3:59
Australian CD single
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (no rap version) – 3:04
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (album version with rap and vocoder) – 3:04
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (Plasmic Honey edit) – 3:59
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (Mike Rizzo radio edit) – 3:36
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (Plasmic Honey club mix) – 9:55
# "I Wanna Be Bad" (Mike Rizzo club mix) – 6:39
Credits and personnel
Credits are lifted from the US CD singles liner notes and the ''Willa Was Here'' booklet.
Recording
* Recorded at The Dojo (
Jackson, New Jersey
Jackson Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the township population was 58,544. A portion of the township is located within the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
Roughly equidistant be ...
) and Battery Studios (New York City)
* Mixed at the Mix Room (
Burbank, California)
* Mastered at
Sterling Sound (New York City)
Personnel
* Willa Fordwriting, all vocals and vocal arrangements
*
Brian Kierulf
Brian Kierulf is a songwriter and producer from the United States. He usually writes songs with Joshua M. Schwartz. They are a part of KNS Productions.
Selected discography
Aaron Carter - album '' Oh Aaron''
*"Oh Aaron" (Written by Andy Goldmar ...
writing, instruments, programming, production, recording (Dojo)
*
Josh Schwartz
Joshua Ian Schwartz (born August 6, 1976) is an American screenwriter and television producer. Schwartz is best known for creating and executive producing the Fox teen drama series '' The O.C.'' which ran for 4 seasons. Schwartz is also known fo ...
writing, additional guitar, production, recording (Dojo)
*
Royce da 5'9"featured vocals
* Stephen Georgerecording (Battery)
*
Rob Chiarelli
Rob Chiarelli (born January 13, 1963) is an American record producer, mix engineer, musician, published author and multiple Grammy Award winner. Widely recognized as a music producer for Will Smith and ''Men in Black II'' (2002), Chiarelli's wo ...
mixing
*
Tom Coyne Tom Coyne may refer to:
* Tom Coyne (writer), American writer and professor
* Tom Coyne (broadcaster) (1930–2015), British television presenter
* Tom Coyne (music engineer) (1954–2017), American mastering engineer
* Thomas Coyne (cricketer) ( ...
mastering
Charts
Release history
References
{{Authority control
2001 debut singles
2001 songs
American dance-pop songs
Atlantic Records singles
Lava Records singles
LGBT-related songs
Music videos directed by Chris Applebaum
Royce da 5'9" songs
Song recordings produced by Brian Kierulf
Song recordings produced by Josh Schwartz
Songs written by Brian Kierulf
Songs written by Josh Schwartz
Songs written by Royce da 5'9"
Willa Ford songs