Getting CFDA Ready with Bad Gyal

Even with a flight later in the evening, she tells me how she’s been making the most of her time in the city, playing new songs for friends and teasing what’s next. “The music really feels like me,” she says. “Everything from the visuals to the photography aligns perfectly with this era.” The still-untitled album, hinted at with “Da Me” and “Última Noche,” feels like a natural next step: bigger, bolder, but still undeniably hers.

Fans who’ve been around since Worldwide Angel or Slow Wine Mixtape will clock the evolution immediately. The new stuff is more polished but just as fun, a mix of all the sounds that shaped her — from 2000s R&B to merengue to whatever genre she’s feeling that day. “It’s like my playlist,” she says. “All the genres I love.”

Fashion has been a big part of that growth too. Between videos, editorials, and collabs with designers like Lopez, she’s carved out a look that’s instantly recognizable but never predictable. “I’ve had so many opportunities in fashion,” she says. “It’s made me more mature and more sure of what I want.” As for the new music? Expect confidence, energy, and plenty of hits. “There are going to be a lot of hits,” she laughs. “It’s music to dance to, to feel sexy, to feel yourself in the club.”

We caught up with Bad Gyal after her big night out at the CFDA Awards to discuss all things fashion, her “chameleon-like” eras and keeping things fresh.

How are you feeling? How were the awards last night?

I’m feeling great. It’s always good to be in New York. I love it here. Especially coming for the CFDA Awards, since it was my first time, and it went amazing. I have a really good relationship with Raul [Luar], so I felt really taken care of. I felt beautiful and comfortable in my look. It’s also nice to have a little time here to go around and show some of the new music I’ve been working on. I’m finishing my album right now, so that’s what’s going on.

That’s so exciting. How has that been? You’re teasing new music and showing it to people?

I’ve been showing like four or five songs, not the whole project, just little previews so people can get a feel for the vibe. The music really feels like me. It’s my identity. Everything we’re doing visually, from the image and videos to the photography, aligns perfectly with this sound and this era. I feel much more mature and established. The music feels more solid, and I’ve had more resources to record and collaborate with producers I’ve always admired. I’m in a really good place right now.

I feel like you can really sense that growth in your music and visuals. “Da Me” is just so good. It’s definitely on rotation at gay guy music video night. I feel like you’ve evolved so much; it feels more refined, more polished, and just more you, if that makes sense.

Totally. It has a lot to do with what I was saying before: now I have more resources to create my vision. And at the same time, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve had so many opportunities in fashion too; I’ve been really lucky to work with amazing photographers and go to runway shows. All of that taught me so much and gave me so much inspiration to create my own vision — to make it more mature and elevated. I’ve been doing music for nine years now, and I feel like I’m at a really good place. I’m lucky to have so much to play with creatively.

I think that’s true for a lot of artists who came up around the same time. Even someone like Charli XCX who was more underground for years, but now she’s having this massive Brat moment. It’s funny how the “Best New Artist” nominees at the Grammys are always people who’ve actually been around for, like, a decade.

Exactly. Especially when you come from a more underground path, it takes longer. But it’s worth it. You have time to build your own language for the world to understand your identity. Coming from that scene often means being a little more different, a little outside what’s trending or expected. For me, I’ve always had to be 100% myself in everything I do. Even now that I’m more mainstream and integrated into the industry, I’ve never felt like I gave up on being me.

For the new project, can you tell us anything about the inspiration behind it? You don’t have to share track names, but is there a concept or guiding theme?

It’s not really a conceptual album. I didn’t pick one specific idea to create a “new Bad Gyal” or a new persona. It’s more musical, like a playlist of all the genres I love and listen to. That’s the biggest inspiration. I worked with some incredible producers, and most of the album — like 80 to 90 percent — was made from scratch. I’d go into the studio and say, “Today I feel like doing something compa,” or “Let’s make something with 2000s R&B energy,” or “Let’s try merengue.” We’d start from there. I’d play, like, 5 to 10 songs for inspiration, and the producers would build the melody or drums around that. It’s my favorite way to work.

Basically, the album feels like my personal playlist — a mix of everything I love, but more elevated and solid. I’m at a point where I really know who I am, and I have the resources to express that fully.

The visuals this era are so strong — from the styling to the set design. I loved your performance of “Da Me” at the Premios Juventud, when you started hanging from that rig. It felt so fresh. And I don’t know if you saw, but there was a whole TikTok trend of people hanging like that. I was like, wait, did you start that?

No, I didn’t plan the actual TikTok trend. I think people just got inspired by the music video. But yeah, I saw everyone doing it, which was really fun to see.

How do you keep your ideas feeling fresh? Is it through collaboration or the people you surround yourself with?

Of course. I’m really lucky to be surrounded by people on my team who are so informed. They know everything about photographers and eras, from the ’70s to now. They’re like walking libraries. I don’t always know the names or references, but I know what I like, and communication is everything. They know me really well — my looks, my fashion, what I buy, what I have in my closet. I’m very clear and decisive about what I like and what I don’t like.

If I had to pick a color, I wouldn’t be grey. I’m black or white. I’m very sure of my taste. So when I surround myself with the right creatives, it’s easy for them to build from that. It’s a real teamwork thing.

Also, music itself inspires me visually. The music I listen to often shapes how I want things to look. I’m European, from Barcelona, but Caribbean culture has always been my number one inspiration. My trips to Jamaica and Puerto Rico, and even watching early reggaeton videos as a teenager, all of that has stayed with me. The internet also inspires me a lot. You can always find something new you didn’t know existed.

Were you a Tumblr girl back in the day?

Not really. Not actively. I didn’t have a profile, but I had an account just to look. I guess I was a lowkey Tumblr girl — super hippie, smoking my weed, going through phases. I wore one dreadlock at one point. I’ve always been really interested in fashion, visuals, and photography, so even if I wasn’t posting, I was absorbing it all.

That’s the best kind of artist though — a chameleon.

Exactly. And nowadays, I feel like artists have to have so many different skills. It’s not just about making good songs. You have to know how to perform, how to build a brand, surround yourself with the right team, understand your image — everything. With social media, you have to be versatile, and I really enjoy that part of it.

If you think about someone like Madonna, she really invented the idea of having eras — shapeshifting and taking on a new identity for each album.

Exactly. And I feel like that’s what keeps your fanbase connected — they’re always excited to see what’s next.

We’re almost out of time, but any last words you want to share with your fans or PAPER readers about your new album? Any teasers for what’s coming next?

Honestly, if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that I’m a hitmaker. There are going to be a lot of hits. I’m not trying to make it super serious or conceptual. It’s music to dance to, to enjoy yourself in the club. I want people to feel sexy, to embrace their femininity — or their masculinity, or whatever makes them feel good. It’s about confidence, energy, and just having fun. Whether you’re a woman, a gay man, whoever. It’s for everyone who wants to feel hot, empowered, and pretty in the club.