Written by Hero Magnus
All they want to do is Netflix and chill, and Wilson would rather just chill. And it would be great if they could stop asking the singer questions about the birds and the bees, thanks. Freddie Wilson is a singer/songwriter from Nottingham, and with “Bad Baby,” the singer is trying to bring back that “old-school” type of love.
Wilson is no stranger to showcasing a side of vulnerability on the internet. On the musician’s YouTube channel, Wilson posts original songs and occasional travel vlogs. The standout video on the channel is Wilson singing “Anonymity,” which the singer wrote about getting mugged, it’s worth watching for the clear and painful emotions as Wilson sings the song.
“I write all my songs acoustically at home on guitar. The acoustic version of the song sounds really vibey, I’ll be performing this at upcoming gigs. I then approached numerous up and coming producers mainly based in London. After a lot of emails back and forth I ended up working with Jaime Mac on the production of the track. I headed down to London for two days to lay down vocals and finalise the production route.”
– Freddie Wilson
“Bad Baby” is Wilson’s first official single. It’s a lot of fun from the very beginning with lyrics like“la la la” accompanied with vocal distortion as if through a telephone wire. Quickly, we get a handle on Wilson: an “old-school romantic born to wine and dine.” This explains the imagery for the single, too, which shows Wilson sitting by an old-fashioned box-set television. The up and coming musician is trying to flip the script on the shallowness of relationships and pop songs, by mentioning date nights and sweet things, instead of someone who only wants Wilson in the bedroom.
“I guess I’m a bit of a romantic at heart. I recently came out to my parents but am still coming to terms with my sexuality hence the incorrect pronouns him/her. I’ve just started Newcastle University and wrote the song from a period where I was pretty lonely. The song I guess vents my frustration at all tinder dates etc. lacking something wholesome, People are more interested in one night of blissful debauchery rather than something longterm. The song comes from an occurrence where I had feelings for someone, however, I understood I needed to break things off as it wasn’t wholesome and I was going to end up hurt.”
– Freddie Wilson
The love interest could be a representation of the oft-recalled trope of the femme fatale. “You’re a sexy poisoned apple in my orchard tree / you’re a snake, lead me into your debauchery,” Wilson sings in the second verse, creating a hot little pair of biblical metaphors. Wilson is the Adam in this situation, corrupted by Eve and the snake and the apple all at once.
Wilson also makes a point of mentioning various forms of social media throughout the song. All this love interest wants to do is “netflix and chill,” and in the end, the singer comes to the realization that “this love is toxic, let’s drop it, so I’ll drop your accounts.” With a complete technological blockage comes the end of their toxic relationship; Wilson can go back to the old-school.
In the lead-up to the first chorus, the singer slows the sound down and lowers the vocals when Wilson sings “get with it / you don’t really want me.” This slow-down is a really common musical thing in EDM; basically it is done to get everyone ready to dance during a hyped-up chorus. Wilson’s chorus is very hyped, and the run on the lyric “I don’t think it’s right” is undeniably catchy. As for what the singer would like fans to take away…
“Be clear with your intentions when it comes to relationships. Make sure both members are on the same page! Tinder Sucks & Love is a chaotic minefield.”
– Freddie Wilson
“Bad Baby” has a similar vibe to “Hotline Bling,” where Drake expresses concern over his girlfriend getting a reputation in the city and never calling him. And Wilson has drawn a ton of musical influence from Ed Sheeran’s “Don’t.” All three songs have thematic anger at a love-devil who can’t stay locked down. And Wilson incorporates the same style of singing that Ed Sheeran has perfected, gulping over many words at a time.
Some songs, like the terrific “Classic” by MKTO, praise throwback values and echo them in musical throwbacks. It’s an interesting move to bring new pop sounds to traditional pinnings. But maybe that’s Wilson’s point: can’t romance be contemporary? Let’s bring it back!
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