Bad Gyal polishes his diamond in ‘La Joia’: “I never act with the intention of changing anyone’s mentality”

The title of his debut album is not a coincidence, it is a response to his determination and the talent he has and has developed at the age of 19. “I felt identified with the idea of ​​a diamond, a stone that needs to be worked on, polished. It was applied to the album and to myself as a composer,” explains the artist from Vilassar de Mar in an interview with this newspaper. ‘La joia’ was released this Friday, the eighth year of his career, later than planned due to paperwork, collaborations and just this search for shine. “I have mastered all the details. When it comes to the songs, I do everything, the selection of features, the producers, the sound of the beats, what kind of sounds…” he says in Catalan. He says he has the resources he dreamed of when he signed with Universal years ago. Since his first steps in this regard, he says assertively, “I managed to take my project to another level.”

The album is a mirror of the Bad Gyal we know today, enjoyable songs designed for the party, clear and powerful lyrics. More than half of the songs (13 songs plus an ‘intro’ and a track that acts as a transition) already have a life of their own as ‘singles’. This was not the case with the urban Latin one, which remained outside the most “exclusive”, “all-encompassing” genre, collaborating with Jamaican Tommy Lee Sparta and combining it with fetish rhythm, dancehall. . The book that first united him with Morad, another Catalan artist who was also an international star, was also unpublished. “We’re pretty different, I think that’s the fun of it; getting together with other artists and seeing how they do it. He’s super passionate,” Bad Gyal elaborates on a mash-up that takes place in the world’s calmest environment. ‘Here I am’ album.

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‘La joia’ comes as Bad Gyal achieves success. So say its nearly 14 million listeners on Spotify, or its second full Palau Sant Jordi in a year (Feb. 9); audiences are moved by her connection with the audience, a notable phenomenon among the LGTBIQ+ collective dedicated to her figure. For his character, how he conveys power, destructiveness and freedom through his lyrics, the way he confronts and expresses love and sex, makes him an artist with cultural, social and political weight, even if he is not conscious of it. “It’s a natural thing, I just chose to be myself. I’m not a product, I feel like I have the freedom to express myself the way I want… Maybe that’s what made that connection, but it wasn’t intentional,” he says. Your target audience in the data: 55% female and 40% male; 78% of the total are between 18 and 34 years old.

And he integrates all of these messages into songs that are a mix of many styles, all designed to be danced like his concerts, a constant party. “When girls see how I express myself, dance the way I want, dress the way I want… I feel like it gives them more confidence to be who they want to be, and that’s nice.” he states. “I never act with the intention of changing anyone’s mentality or winning anyone over,” he says.

He says that having become a reference does not condition him. Nor does he believe his career should veer towards a less fiery tone to reach a wider audience. “Having clear lyrics is not an obstacle to reaching a wider audience. On the contrary, everything is going in that direction right now,” he says.

Bad Gyal emerged during the tumultuous birth – due to scorn and attacks – of what is now called urban music, as part of a generation that managed to shape the ‘mainstream’ and the music industry. “When the numbers are like this, young people listen to what they hear, the rest of the world can’t do anything but adapt. I don’t think this has changed because the mainstream media or people of other generations have decided to change their views. “This is what was meant to happen and it happened,” he argues. So what about the social aspects of your music? Have you noticed that you are more accepted? “Yes, but it was accepted by seeing how successful you were, how successful you were. “If you finally see that your son loves it, you’ll stop judging who made that music.”

Bad Gyal, who says that he dreams of a quieter future in the near future because he is tired of touring and that he is focusing on composing, remains determined and focused when talking about his project. But when asked about her sister Mushkaa, her expression changes, she relaxes and breaks into a half smile. and one of the most impressive lights of the cityscape, benefiting from the path opened by the largest of Farelo i Solé, among others. “I’m so in awe and I love how she does it. I see her with such clear ideas. I’m super proud and on top of being my sister, she’s a super complete artist.”