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Bad Gyal
Bad Gyal in 2022
Background information
Birth name	Alba Farelo Solé
Born	1997 (age 26–27) Vilassar de Mar, Barcelona, Spain
Genres	Dancehall EDM reggaeton pop
Occupations	Singer songwriter DJ model
Discography	Discography
Years active	2016–present
Labels	Aftercluv Interscope
Website	akabadgyal.com

Alba Farelo Solé (born 1997), known professionally as Bad Gyal, is Spanish singer and songwriter. Known for her distinctive overall use of Auto-Tune, 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 consecrated her as an emerging artist within the Spanish urban scene.

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.

Early life and education

Alba Farelo was born on 7 March 1997 in Vilassar de Mar, Barcelona. The eldest of five children, Farelo is the daughter of Eduard Farelo [ca], actor and voice actor. Farelo's younger sister Irma is also a singer, performing under the name Mushkaa.

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.

Career

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2024)

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. 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. 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. 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".

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. 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. 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. Two months later she released "Zorra", which peaked at number 2 in Spain. A remix featuring Rauw Alejandro was released in February 2021.

In 2020, Farelo was featured on Kafu Banton's "Tú eres un bom bom", which would later be remixed in collaboration with Guaynaa. She also released "Aprendiendo el Sexo" later on, with a music video produced by Canada and filmed at the W Hotel in Barcelona. 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.

Bad Gyal released her first extended play Warm Up on 19 March 2021. The EP peaked at 5 in Spain. She also collaborated with clothing brand Bershka and released an exclusive clothing line. 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". 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. She released "A la mía" in parallel, exclusively for the Grand Theft Auto Online radio station Motomami Los Santos hosted by Rosalía and Arca.

Discography

• La joia (2024)

Filmography

Television

Tours

Headlining

• Slow Wine Mixtape Tour (2017)
• International Bad Gyal Sound System (2019–2021)
• La Joia Tour (2022–2023)
• La Joia 24 Karats Tour (2024)

Supporting

• Mañana Será Bonito Tour (2023)

Awards and nominations

References

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2. Martin, Felicity (2 August 2018). "A Little Bit International: Bad Gyal Interviewed". Clash. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
3. Joshi, Tara (23 February 2018). "The Catalan reggaeton queen growing angel wings". Dazed. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
4. Sherburne, Philip (5 October 2017). "Bad Gyal Is a Rihanna-Loving Dancehall Badass From Barcelona". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
5. Fortuny, Ignasi (20 January 2023). "Mushkaa, algo más que la hermana de Bad Gyal: reguetón para ellas y portentosa sensibilidad juvenil". El Periódico de Catalunya.
6. Aroesti, Rachel (5 July 2018). "Bad Gyal: 'Young people feel really represented by reggaeton'". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
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8. Bowe, Miles; Horner, Al; Lobenfeld, Claire; Twells, John; Clare Welsh, April; Wilson, Scott (15 December 2017). "The 50 Best Tracks of 2017". Fact. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
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External links

• Official website
• Bad Gyal on Instagram
• Bad Gyal at AllMusic

• Bad Gyal
• 1997 births
• 21st-century Spanish singers
• 21st-century Spanish women singers
• Dancehall singers
• Feminist musicians
• Interscope Records artists
• Living people
• MTV Europe Music Award winners
• People from Vilassar de Mar
• Reggaeton musicians
• Spanish electronic musicians
• Spanish feminists
• Spanish LGBTQ rights activists
• Spanish pop singers
• Spanish singer-songwriters
• Spanish women singer-songwriters
• Spanish women singers
• Universal Music Latino artists
• University of Barcelona alumni
• Women in Latin music
• Spanish women songwriters