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Bad Gyal
Spanish singer and songwriter From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Alba Farelo Solé (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈalβə fəˈɾɛlu suˈle]; born 7 March 1997), known professionally as Bad Gyal, is a Spanish singer and songwriter. Bad Gyal has developed a strong cult following ever since her musical career began in 2016, with an interpretation of Rihanna's "Work" in the Catalan language. She continued to make music as an independent artist, releasing records like "Jacaranda" and "Fiebre". Bad Gyal later released two mixtapes: Slow Wine (2016) and Worldwide Angel (2018), which established her as an emerging artist within the Spanish urban scene.
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Bad Gyal signed with Interscope Records and Aftercluv in 2019 and saw mainstream acclaim with songs like "Santa María", "Zorra" and "Alocao", the latter becoming the number-one song in Spain for 2019. 2021 saw the release of her first project as a signed artist Warm Up, and Sound System: The Final Releases. Her debut album, La joia, was released in 2024.
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Early life and education
Alba Farelo was born on 7 March 1997 in Vilassar de Mar, Barcelona.[1][2] The eldest of five children,[3] Farelo is the daughter of Eduard Farelo, actor and voice actor.[4][5] Farelo's younger sister Irma is also a singer, performing under the name Mushkaa.[6]
At 18, Farelo entered the University of Barcelona, aiming to study fashion design. While attending university and simultaneously working at a call centre, she released "Pai", an adaptation of "Work", by Rihanna and Drake, in Catalan.[7][8]
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Career
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2016–2018: Slow Wine Mixtape and Worldwide Angel
After "Pai" gained popularity on YouTube, and was picked up by a local radio, Farelo started recording Slow Wine Mixtape, alongside producer Pablo Martínez. The mixtape was released on 9 November 2016 and caught the attention of several professional magazines and music outlets, including Pitchfork and Fact. The latter named her song "Jacaranda," the best single of 2017.[9] After releasing the record's debut single "Fiebre", Bad Gyal's popularity grew exponentially. The song has developed a cult following ever since. The mixtape's success and critical acclaim led Farelo to perform at numerous festivals throughout Europe.[10][11] In late 2017 she also toured Mexico and the United States.
In February 2018, she released her second mixtape, Worldwide Angel, to critical acclaim. The album was licensed and distributed by Canada Editorial.[12][13] The mixtape was produced by Jam City, Dubbel Dutch, Florentino and El Guincho. It spawned many singles including "Blink", "Candela" and "Internationally". To promote the album, she took part in international festivals such as SXSW and Lollapalooza and toured the United States once again. In November 2018, she embarked on her first Asian tour, which visited Japan, China, and the Philippines. She also released "Open the Door" featuring Jamaican singer Govana, "Yo sigo iual" and "Unknown Feeling".[citation needed]
2019–2021: Commercial breakthrough and Warm Up
Formerly signed with the production company Canada Editorial, in April 2019 it was announced Farelo had signed with Interscope Records and Aftercluv Dance Lab.[14] As a signed artist, was able to enter the mainstream. Her first release was "Santa María", featuring Busy Signal, which became her first charting song in Spain, and was later certified gold.[15] Its B-side, "Hookah", peaked at 55 in Spain. In October 2019, Farelo collaborated with Omar Montes on "Alocao", which peaked at number one in Spain for several weeks and is certified five times platinum.[16][17] Two months later she released "Zorra", which peaked at number 2 in Spain.[citation needed] A remix featuring Rauw Alejandro was released in February 2021.[citation needed]
In 2020, Farelo was featured on Kafu Banton's "Tú eres un bom bom", which would later be remixed in collaboration with Guaynaa.[18] She also released "Aprendiendo el Sexo" later on, with a music video produced by Canada and filmed at the W Hotel in Barcelona.[19] In November, she released "Blin Blin" to commercial success and the acclaim of the general public. The track became viral in her home country and significantly used TikTok. She also partnered with Vodafone and offered a unique virtual concert.[20]
Bad Gyal released her first extended play Warm Up on 19 March 2021.[21][22][23][24] The EP peaked at 5 in Spain.[25] She also collaborated with clothing brand Bershka and released an exclusive clothing line.[26] On 25 June, she collaborated with Mariah Angeliq and María Becerra on "BOBO", which sampled TLC's "No Scrubs" and sparked controversy due to similarity with Luchy DR's "Bufón".[27][28] As tour season came to an end, Farelo published "Flow 2000" as well as her second extended play Sound System: The Final Releases featuring songs she had been performing live for years yet remained unreleased.[29][30] She released "A la mía" in parallel, exclusively for the Grand Theft Auto Online radio station Motomami Los Santos hosted by Rosalía and Arca.[31]
2022-2024: La Joia, La Joia Tour, and La Joia: Bad Gyal
At the beginning of 2022, Bad Gyal traveled to the United States to meet in the studio with producers such as Scott Storch, Supa Dups, and Nely el Arma Secreta, to record her first studio album.[32] Additionally, she attended Paris Fashion Week. On March 18, she released "Flow 2000 (Remix)" alongside singer Beny Jr, a release that she herself announced on social media on March 15.[33] A few days later, on March 21, the rum brand Havana Club and Bad Gyal presented a new limited-edition bottle, which went on sale shortly thereafter.[34] In April, one new collaboration were announced, "Formosa (Remix)", originally by Kaio Viana, featuring Totoy el Frío and MC CJ, which premiered on May 6.[35]
In May 2022, the Catalan artist announced her two biggest concerts yet, to be held in Madrid and Barcelona in February 2023.[36] During the last week of May, she announced the release of the song "La prendo" on May 26, produced by Leo RD and previewed during the first show of her new tour. The music video is the first part of a series of videos.[37] The continuation was released on June 17 at midnight, led by the track "Tremendo culón", also previewed during her new tour shows, with a music video continuing the story from "La prendo".[38] Continuing with the releases of songs previewed on La Joia Tour, the singer released the song "Sexy" at midnight on July 15.[39]
During the La Joia Tour show in New York, a surprise new song was performed, which was later released as "Sin Carné" at midnight on October 6.[40] On November 28, Bad Gyal and Spanish artist Quevedo uploaded a video to TikTok dancing to the song "Real G". Two days later, she performed a snippet of the song during a concert in Mexico City. Finally, the song was officially released on December 2.[41]
The year 2023 began with the Catalan artist’s two largest concerts to date at the Palau Sant Jordi and WiZink Center. She also announced that her debut album would be released that same year.[42][43] One day before the Barcelona concert, on February 10, she premiered her song "Chulo", which had been previewed during La Joia Tour and on TikTok, where she had over ten thousand videos related to it before the official release. On February 11, during her first concert at Palau Sant Jordi, she confirmed the album would be titled La Joia.[44] On February 24, 2023, Karol G released her album Mañana será bonito, which includes the song "KÁRMIKA" a collaboration between the Colombian artist, Bad Gyal, and Jamaican Sean Paul.[45]
On April 20, 2023, Bad Gyal performed "Chulo" live at the Latin American Music Awards in Las Vegas, marking her first invitation to perform at a major international music awards show.[46][47] The following day, Spanish singer Amaia released her own version of the song "Fiebre", which she had been performing in concerts for some time.[48] On May 18, a remix of the song "Qué rico" by Un Titico and El Dany MG was released, featuring Bad Gyal.[49]
On June 7, Bad Gyal became the face of the annual summer advertising campaign Mediterráneamente by the renowned beer brand Estrella Damm.[50] As part of this collaboration, the short film titled PKM (“Pussy K Mana”) and the song “El Sol Me Da” were released.[51] Later, on June 22, Bad Gyal released the remix "Chulo pt.2", a collaboration with Dominican artist Tokischa and Puerto Rican Young Miko.[52] This song remained on the music charts of several Latin American countries, on the Hot Latin Songs chart and the Billboard Global 200 for several weeks. It was also certified six-times platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America and gold in Mexico by AMPROFON.[53][54][55][56] Two weeks after this release, on July 7, Bad Gyal launched her new song "Mi lova" alongside Myke Towers.[57]
In September, the singer was awarded the International Young Talent award by the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia. The ceremony took place at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, with King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and the acting First Vice President of the Government, Nadia Calviño, presenting the award.[58][59]
On October 2, producer Ovy On The Drums posted an Instagram reel announcing that his next song would feature Bad Gyal and Colombian singer Ryan Castro, accompanied by a preview of the lyrics during the studio composition. "Ghetto Princess" was released on October 5.[60] Additionally, on October 4, Chilean singer Polimá Westcoast announced the tracklist of his EP De Camino a Hermes, which includes the song "BARCELONA", a collaboration with Bad Gyal and Chilean artist Standly. The EP and the song were released on November 9.[61]
Later, singer Nicki Nicole announced via her Instagram channel the collaboration "Enamórate" with Bad Gyal. The track had been previewed in shows by both artists throughout 2023. The song was finally released on November 14.[62] On November 23, the Catalan artist revealed the first official teaser of her debut album, La Joia, via an Instagram reel, announcing a January release the following year.[63] Along with this, she published the upcoming Spanish dates for La Joia: 24 Karats Tour, which will visit Spanish indoor stadiums such as Palau Sant Jordi and WiZink Center.[63] Later, during an interview on December 6 with Los 40, Bad Gyal announced that her song "Give Me", previously previewed during shows, would be released the following week as another advance from the album.[64] To close the year, on December 13, she revealed the album’s tracklist via Instagram. It will include 15 songs, among them previously released projects, show previews, and other unreleased tracks.[65]
At the beginning of 2024, Bad Gyal revealed the release of a collaboration, and the final preview of her upcoming album, with Brazilian singer Anitta. The song, titled "Bota Niña", was released on January 12th.[66]
Finally, after much anticipation and speculation surrounding the project, her debut album La Joia was released on January 26, 2024, across digital platforms.[67][68] On the same day, the music video for the song "Perdió este culo" premiered, starring actor Martiño Rivas.[69][70] Additionally, the official album merchandise was announced for sale on the singer’s website, along with LP, CD, and limited edition CD formats of the record.
On February 22nd, Bad Gyal performed "Bota Niña" together with Anitta at the Premios Lo Nuestro, held at the Kaseya Center in Miami.[71] Both artists took advantage of the trip to shoot the music video for the song, which was released on March 14th.[72] Shortly after, on March 22nd, "Double team", a single by Anitta featuring Puerto Rican artist Brray and Bad Gyal, was released as part of Anitta’s album Funk Generation.[73]
On March 28th, Mushkaa and Bad Gyal released "SexeSexy", marking Bad Gyal’s first song in Catalan since the 2018 release of "Yo sigo igual", previously unreleased from her sister’s album.[74] Her next collaboration came out on April 18th, "Guay" with Puerto Rican singer Ozuna.[75][76] The song stayed for weeks on the Spanish weekly charts, reaching number 8 on PROMUSICAE’s Top 100 Canciones list. It also earned a platinum certification.[77]
On May 24th, Bad Gyal released the remix of "Perdió este culo" alongside Puerto Rican artist Ivy Queen, titled "Perdió".[78] Then, on July 5th, "Party Amanecio" was released, featuring Bad Gyal alongside Ryan Castro, De La Ghetto, Maldy (from the duo Plan B), and producers DJ Luian and Mambo Kingz, under the Hear This Music label.[79]
On July 9th, Amazon Prime Video released the teaser for La Joia: Bad Gyal, a documentary about the making of the album La Joia, announcing its release for later in the year.[80] One month later, Colombian artist J Balvin released his album Rayo, which includes a song featuring Bad Gyal titled "Gato".[81]
On September 12th, "Duro De Verdad pt. 2", Bad Gyal’s first bachata, was released.[82] It is a remix of the original song by Los Sufridos, a group of Dominican producers and artists. The track reached number 2 on PROMUSICAE’s charts in Spain, the highest position Alba has achieved on this list since the release of "Zorra" in 2019.[83]
On October 23rd, the documentary La Joia: Bad Gyal premiered at the In-Edit festival in Barcelona, and the following day it was released in cinemas across Spain and Andorra.[84]
The singer received five nominations at the LOS40 Music Awards, where she won Mejor Colaboración Latina Urbana for "Mi Lova" with Myke Towers, and Mejor Artista Español Urbano.[85] She also performed at the awards ceremony, presenting a medley of her songs including "Fiebre", "Flow 2000", "Chulo", "Perdió Este Culo", "La Que No Se Mueva", and "Duro de verdad pt.2".[86]
2025-present: New singles and Bikini Badness Tour
On January 17, she released her first single of the year, "Angelito", in collaboration with Argentine rapper Trueno.[87] A month later, in February 2025, it was revealed that the Catalan artist had recorded a new track with singer Nicky Jam and American producer Scott Storch, generating high expectations among her fans.[88]
On February 20, she attended the 37th edition of Premios Lo Nuestro, where she had received five nominations, including Album of the Year for La Joia.[89] That night, she took home her first Premio Lo Nuestro in the category of Best Eurosong for "Chulo pt.2", alongside Tokischa and Young Miko.[90][91] Continuing her streak of releases, on April 18 she dropped "Comernos", a collaboration with Puerto Rican artist Omar Courtz.[92]
On May 27, she announced her upcoming festival tour Bikini Badness Tour.[93] The first show took place on June 2 at the well known Pachá nightclub in Ibiza, where she also premiered "Da Me", her first solo single in over a year.[94][95] The track was officially released on June 6 and quickly climbed to number 7 on the PROMUSICAE Top 100 chart.[96] During an Instagram Live session where she discussed the new single, she reflected on her artistic direction, stating: "You have to follow your own instincts", referring to her embrace of autotune in this new era.[97]
On June 13, during her performance at the O Son do Camiño festival, she surprised the audience with the live debut of an unreleased collaboration with Zion & Lennox.[98] A few weeks later, on July 18, she released "Última noche" with Ozuna, produced by Jorge Miliano and Cromo X.[99][100] Staying true to the Caribbean sounds that have characterized her recent work, the song debuted at number 23 on the PROMUSICAE chart.[101]
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Discography
- La joia (2024)
Filmography
Television
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Tours
Headlining
Supporting
- Mañana Será Bonito Tour (2023)
Awards and nominations
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References
External links
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