I Wanna Be Bad

Before recording "I Wanna Be Bad", Willa Ford, who was signed to MCA Records at the time, had already recorded nearly a full album's worth of songs.[2] 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.[3][4] Her associates, Brian Kierulf 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. However, when Lava Records president Jason Flom 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.[2][4] Ford recorded the track at The Dojo in Jackson, New Jersey, 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.[5]

Musically, "I Wanna Be Bad" is a pop and dance-pop song.[1][4][6] 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.[7] 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.[1] 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 lines; both versions of the track are three minutes and four seconds long.[8] In a 2017 interview with Billboard, Ford stated that although she did not dislike 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".[3]

A screenshot from the song's music video. In this scene, Ford (center right) flirts with police officers while eating a doughnut. She eventually puts the officers in the backseat and commandeers their cruiser.[1]

On April 24, 2001, Atlantic and Lava Records serviced "I Wanna Be Bad" to American contemporary hit radio (CHR) and rhythmic contemporary radio stations, as Ford wanted her debut single to "push the envelope".[9][10] 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.[2][11] The song was then released as a CD single in the United States on May 22, 2001, and a maxi-CD was released the same year.[12][13] In Australia, the track was distributed as a CD single on August 20, 2001.[14] The song was later included as the opening track on Ford's debut studio album, Willa Was Here, which was issued in the US on July 17, 2001.[15][16] Most attention to the song came from backlash after Ford ended her relationship with Backstreet Boys 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.[2][7]

A music video 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.[1][17] 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.[18] The video received significant airplay on American television program Total Request Live (TRL).[1][19] In the booklet for Willa Was Here, there is a hyperlink that leads to the video.[5] In February 2001, Ford called the video "off the hook",[10] 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.[3] Ford also promoted the song by performing it live at the Pantene Pro-Voice 2001 concert, and it was used in an advertising campaign for Six Flags amusement park.[1][20]

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.[6] 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's "Dirrty" seem modest.[4] AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the song "catchy" with "post-Britney, Max Martin flair" and noted how it is the only track on the album that is not "startlingly crass".[15] 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.[21] 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.[3][11] 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.[3]

Credits are lifted from the US CD singles liner notes and the Willa Was Here booklet.[5][8][13]

Recording

• Recorded at The Dojo (Jackson, New Jersey) and Battery Studios (New York City)
• Mixed at the Mix Room (Burbank, California)
• Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)

Personnel

• Willa Ford – writing, all vocals and vocal arrangements
• Brian Kierulf – writing, instruments, programming, production, recording (Dojo)
• Josh Schwartz – writing, additional guitar, production, recording (Dojo)
• Royce da 5'9" – featured vocals
• Stephen George – recording (Battery)
• Rob Chiarelli – mixing
• Tom Coyne – mastering