8 Questions For Pop Princess Bad W0lfy
A young singer behind the catchy new pop song “Used 2 This,” goes by the name of Bad W0lfy, but she’s been known by a few other names as well. Rochella Danishei grew up on the East Coast, and was raised by a fully Russian family, but because she’s spent so much of her life already working as a recording artist, she’s gone through a number of monikers that have mostly been reflective of whichever phase in life she’s experiencing.
Lucky for Ro, those same experiences are exactly what set her up for success today. Read on to find out why the buzzing singer has a leg up on the 90s trend, a surprising fact about her latest music video, and the dream that led her to create WOlfy.
1. Tell us how you got your start in the music industry.
I’ve been doing music since I was 12, since I got started in a group called Candy Coated Chaos. I’m pretty embarrassed about it, but that lasted until I was 18. Myspace music was a big thing back in 2004, or 2005, and so we got pretty big like that.
2. Oh my god, what was it like to be in a girl group? The 90s are so hot right now.
When we weren’t practicing, we honestly spent all of our time watching old YouTube videos of Backstreet Boys and NSYNC videos and trying to emulate their style [laughing].
3. How old were you when you started performing?
My first performance was at an outdoor festival in Brooklyn. I remember being so tiny on the stage. And there were just thousands of people outside watching, and it was really exhilarating, and I was just like, this is what I want to do.
4. Then what happened?
By the time I was 18, the other girls wanted to go to school, and I got a manager who was the VP at Republic while I was still living in Jersey. He put me in a lot of sessions with producers to craft and figure out my sound. I ended up connecting with people in Los Angeles, and fell in love with the city.
5. What’s the significance of your name, Bad WOlfy??
I used to have this recurring dream about this huge black wolf circling my house, like, trying to get in, and I’d have it like three times a year. When I got out to Los Angeles, and I was around 20, or so, I had a similar dream, except this time, the wolf was white and glowing. I faced him for the first time, and we kind of just acknowledged one another. I faced him, and I felt like that was such a transformative moment. I haven’t had the dream since, but I liked the symbolism.
6. What’s exciting you right now?
Just being an individual. I guess with this new album that I’m working on, not a lot of the songs are about love and relationships with another person. It’s more just conceptual, and about what everyone is collectively feeling in the world. “Used 2 This” might sound like I’m talking about a relationship, but it’s not just about two people.
7. What was the process of making the video for “Used 2 This”?
I wanted this video to just focus on me, kind of by myself, and being vulnerable — I feel super awkward when I dance — so I wanted to explore that here. I styled and directed the video. The fashion just came from a little bit of being inspired by 90s music video icons, and I’ve also just like, been really into pastels recently.
8. What artists are inspiring you right now? And what are you making these days?
Hmm, I’m really into a Danish band called Liss. I’ve been listening to the new Grimes album a lot. I’m finishing the vocals on a second single this week, and hopefully that’ll be out in the next two or three weeks, and that song will be called “Synchronicity.” That’s also kind of about a collective purpose. That’s the theme of what I’m working on, basically.
Follow Bad W0lfy on Soundcloud.
