Pop artist and multi-talented creative Willa Ford has shared a striking new orchestral version of her breakout hit, “I Wanna Be Bad.” #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos has the scoop.
Along with the new recording, Ford dropped a stunning music video directed by Scott King watch it HERE. The new version of “Bad” marks the 25th anniversary of the 2001 iconic smash that introduced Ford to a mass audience on her debut album Willa Was Here.
In March 2026, Ford made her much anticipated return to music with the release of her sophomore album, amanda – LISTEN HERE. The project marked her first full-length body of work in more than two decades. The new orchestral version of “I Wanna Be Bad” will appear as a bonus track on a limited-edition, autographed vinyl package of amanda now available for pre-order exclusively via Willa’s website iamwillaford.com.
With only 500 copies available, the vinyl will also feature a newly recorded pop version of “I Wanna Be Bad” (Willa’s Version) – a fitting, empowered reclamation of the beloved track that reflects this bold new era.
Speaking about the new orchestral version Willa explains, “Most people don’t know that I am a classically trained opera singer. So, I thought finding a way to reimagine my classic pop hit authentically to my roots would be the most reverential and surprising way to remake ‘Bad!’ My fans have grown alongside me and I wanted to create a version to reflect that.”
People Magazine raved, “amanda is a 12-track reclamation — a way for Ford, who co-wrote all of the tracks and collaborated with a team co-writers and co-producers, to return to music on her own terms with club-ready bangers, operatic R&B hymns, and hedonistic homages to Kesha.” American Songwriter proclaimed the album, “brims with musical ambition and lyrical potency.” Willa announced the album with a memorable performance on NBC’s Today and appeared on a lively installment of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live around album launch.
amanda (its title taken from her birth name) is a daring rebirth of a dream nearly destroyed. After joining a longtime friend for a series of informal songwriting sessions in 2023, the Northern California-based artist quickly reconnected with her long-dormant musical passion, tapping into her formidable songwriting talent. But as she delved deeper into the creative process, Ford suffered her first bout with a type of seizure known as PNES—a phenomenon later found to be triggered by unresolved trauma closely tied to her past experience in music. While working through that trauma and learning to cope with her condition, she dove back into music with an even fiercer sense of purpose, soon arriving at the sublime catharsis of amanda, delivering equal parts pure pop pleasure and daring self-revelation.
The vinyl company manufacturing amanda is Good Neighbor – an eco-friendly LP record manufacturing company on a mission to help the music industry take critical steps towards a cleaner supply chain and sustainable future. The first of its kind, their patented product, the EcoSonic Record, is an alternative to vinyl records and is made with PET and rPET (recycled PET) produced using an injection molding process instead of the hydraulic press, with all the quality and feel of vinyl records without the carbon footprint.
Fans have been eagerly awaiting new music from Willa Ford, who first made a splash in the early 2000’s. Her dynamic musicality was honed through her classical training as an opera singer, as well as her background in writing alongside luminaries like Grammy-winning hitmaker Diane Warren. Her impressive career spans multiple disciplines including music, film, television, producing, modeling and her own successful interior design company. Her varied resume includes touchstone pop culture moments such as guest-hosting TRL, appearing on Dancing with the Stars, starring in Friday the 13th, and a turn on the E! reality show Flip It Like Disick with Scott Disick, among others.
Willa Ford’s “I Wanna Be Bad (String Orchestral Version)” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
