Spanish Artist Bad Gyal Wants You to Vibe With Her New Album Más Cara

Not all music needs to have some deep, underlying meaning, and that’s exactly what Spanish artist Bad Gyal believes. “I’m an artist that’s more of a vibe,” she says.

“My music, it’s for people to enjoy themselves, it’s for the club,” she explains to The Hollywood Reporter over Zoom. “I would just like people to know me as someone who makes music for them to enjoy, dance and lose a little bit of the stress, the routine and the obligations that we have day by day.”

Growing up in Spain, the 28-year-old singer-songwriter, whose real name is Alba Farelo, always knew music and dancing were a part of her identity. But once she entered adulthood, she found herself drawn to Barcelona’s new urban music scene that was enriched in local genres like Rumba Catalana as well as hip-hop, reggaeton, trap and drill.

She was especially inspired by Rihanna’s 2016 album, ANTI, and how she really leaned into her “Caribbean essence and her identity,” she says. So that’s when Bad Gyal decided, “I should try doing my own thing,” and it’s clearly worked out. She’s not only become one of Spain’s most influential voices, but also struck a chord globally with her music that’s redefined dancehall, reggaeton and club culture, including with her just-released sophomore album, Más Cara.

Below, Bad Gyal opens up about her goals with Más Cara, what she wants people to know about her as an artist, her upcoming tour, her reaction to Bad Bunny’s album of the year win at the Grammys, the targeting of the Hispanic community in the U.S. and more.

Talk to me about the inspiration behind your sophomore album, Más Cara.

The inspiration behind the album is basically the genres that I love. I was feeling like I had a lot of freedom coming into the studio. Like, this is what I’ve been listening to, let’s try and do a kompa song. And now let’s play with merengue or mambo. And now let’s go try reggaeton from the 2000s, which is a genre, of course, that has influenced me a lot for the impact that it’s had in my country as well. When we were in high school, I felt really, really free to play with the genres that I love. So basically, those are the inspirations talking about music.

After the success of your debut album, La Joia, in 2024, how were you hoping to differentiate your second album from it? 

I played with new sounds and new genres, but in an organic way. I’m someone who really enjoys discovering music, so I always have something on my mind that I want to try. Of course there’s new genres that I didn’t work on on my first album, as I was speaking about kompa, for example. But the bigger difference is the way I built the team. My first album, it was more of me just going to studio sessions with really talented producers, going to Miami for a bit and recording with this producer, then another producer, and then putting it together and picking the tracks that I love the most.

This process has been a little bit different. We built a team. My label did such an amazing job. I put my trust in them and they were 100 percent right. They introduced me to a lot of new producers that I didn’t work with [before], but that was something that made me really happy because I felt that my label really understood me as an artist, understood my identity and understood which people already in the business would connect with me and would respect my identity at the same time that they make the project grow and sound bigger. … I do music in Spanish, but the music that I listen to is so diverse and they were really similar to me in that side. … So that makes the process much easier, less frustrating when you feel like you speak the same language with everyone that’s in the room.

When creating the album, what were you personally hoping to take away from Más Cara?

I knew that it was going to be a learning experience for me. As I said, it was really different in the way that we were working on the songs. Also, it’s the first time that I worked with writers. [Previously,] it was always me going along with the producer and it’s the first time going with writers because I had a little bit of trauma with that. I remember earlier when I got signed in the U.S., they tried to put writers in the room that didn’t understand me, that didn’t understand I’m a songwriter too. I’m not just a performer. So this experience being completely different, the songwriters that I had, they were just amplifying what I had on my mind, understanding my language completely, the themes, stuff that is inside of my head, my heart, and just giving me more resources to express myself without changing my identity. Also, knowing when to come up with ideas and then knowing where to shut up and let me write and express myself.

For those who may discover your music for the first time with this new album, what do you want them to know about you as an artist?

I like my music to make people get to know me before my words, because at the end of the day, I feel like I’m an artist that’s more of a vibe. I’m not a concept artist. I’m not an artist who’s looking for inspiration through a concrete concept, that’s like very intellectual and [based on] deep research. No, [my music is] more like a vibe. My music, it’s for people to enjoy themselves, it’s for the club. I would just like people to know me as someone who makes music for them to enjoy, dance and lose a little bit of the stress, the routine and the obligations that we have day by day.

Do you have a favorite song on the album?

It’s hard to pick one, but if I had to say one, I would say “Un Coro y Ya :),” because we really got the ’90s, 2000s vibe. It was something that I hadn’t done before. I’m a fan of the beat and how musical it is.

Between songwriting, recording, performing and filming music videos, do you have a favorite part about being an artist?

Songwriting, definitely. I love being in the studio.

It’s probably a cathartic feeling in there.

It’s more intimate. It’s kind of like a therapy for me. Sometimes there are parts of this job where you have to project yourself outside, [and] depending on the point that you are in your life, [it] can be a little anxious or you can feel more pressure. I enjoy it as well. It’s not like I’m panicking to be a public person or whatever, but it’s something that you have to learn to deal with. And I feel like the studio is always my safe place, somewhere where I can be 100 percent myself, [not be] judged, just create.

In addition to your new album, you’re also embarking on a tour this year. What can you tease about that, and do you think you’ll perform some shows in the U.S. later this year?

I would love that to be earlier, but since the new laws of working in the U.S. and visas, we have to postpone it a little bit. I think it’s going to be after summer, probably just because of all these things that we have to set up to travel properly. I don’t want to say that much [about the tour], but of course they’re going to hear the new songs, the stage that we’re working on, I’m so happy about it. It’s so different to any tour that I’ve done. I wanted to try a different thing for these tours, [regarding the] stage, choreography, lights, color palette, everything. It’s just really new, really refreshing for me.

Spanish-language music is finally having its well-deserved moment in the mainstream space. As an an artist seeing the impact it;s having across the globe, what does that mean for you?

I love it! And we have a unique vibe when you hear Latin music at a party, even if it’s reggaeton or salsa or merengue or dembow, it creates a different energy. And I understand why people from so many cultures love it. Me, I’m Spanish. I’m not even from the Caribbean, but of course the history of my country receiving this type of music goes a little bit farther. We grew up with a lot of reggaeton. But that’s definitely something that we cannot ignore, the vibe that this music spreads. It connects with different types of people from different places all over the world, different cultures, different ethnicities, and that’s the most beautiful thing.

Specifically, Bad Bunny had made massive waves for Latin music and the Hispanic community. What’s your reaction to seeing the impact he’s made, from his Puerto Rico residency, to winning album of the Year at the Grammys to headlining the Super Bowl?

He’s so inspiring. When I saw the residency in Puerto Rico, even before I went to the “La Casita,” I was about to be in tears because it’s so, so, so inspiring. And the fact that he made his culture have this respect and love and admiration all over the world. Also him as an artist and his story, it’s so inspiring for all of us. Of course, seeing him at the Grammys and winning three Grammys, it was like magic. I couldn’t be happier. He’s not even my friend. I just met him once. I would love him to be my friend, actually (Laughs). But I felt like he was my brother or something when I saw him win. It’s like, “Oh, I want to cry. He deserves it so much. It’s such a magical moment,’ because he’s been doing it so right.

Given the current political climate in the U.S. and targeting of Hispanic community and immigrants, do you think that makes Bad Bunny’s Grammy wins even more important and impactful? 

One hundred percent. I mean, I feel like it’s just an even more clear way to say, this doesn’t make any fucking sense. Like, are you connected with the real world? Are you aware of what’s going on? I feel like America — I don’t live there — but who are the Americans actually? (Laughs.) You know what I mean? America is what it is because of its mix of culture, mix of people who immigrated [there] and they created the country, so it doesn’t make sense at all to try to be [removing] the same people that built the country. They are Americans. Maybe they are even more Americans than other Americans because they are the people that made it America. And the fact that Bad Bunny is just dominating everything, it’s just a clear example. So of course I’m super against ICE, I’m super against everything that is happening. It’s really sad, and it has no common sense to me.

When you get a break from work and performing, what does your perfect day off look like?  

I love this question. My perfect day off would be waking up, going to the gym, having my coffee, my breakfast on the beach or in a pool while getting some sun, just enjoying the day. I’m a Pisces, so that’s 100 percent my perfect day. And after that, just get ready, put on some clothes that make me feel beautiful and go have dinner at a nice restaurant and have some drinks, maybe leave it there, maybe go to the club if there’s anything interesting. That would be my perfect day. If I had time, a little bit of shopping. I love New York for shopping (Laughs). Maybe half of the day in Miami, and then the other half of the day in New York (Laughs).

Looking back at your career so far, is there a moment you’re most proud of?    

I would say the first time I sold a 20,000-seat stadium, because from there, everything changed. It’s one of the best rewards for an artist just to see the progress and like, ‘OK, this is the type of audience that I’m working with right now. I’m not going to do clubs anymore.’

If you had to describe what makes Bad Gyal Bad Gyal, what would you say? 

I don’t know any formula other than being myself, honestly.