BELLA WOOD TALKS DIRTY CHERRY
"Frustrated with how I was viewed"
Daniel John
What is this new track about?
'Dirty Cherry' is about the desire for autonomy without the judgment. I hope it conveys the importance of not caring about what others think of you, but rather what you know about yourself. When I wrote the song, it was honestly an outburst of my emotions. I was so frustrated with how I was being viewed at that time in my life, so I really just wrote what I was feeling and had a lot of fun with it. I'm pretty sure I wrote it all in one sitting, and when I finished, I felt a lot better, like I had just gotten it off my chest and said, “I know what you're thinking about me, and I don't care."
Does an outburst of emotions speak to the core of what songwriting is for you?
I would say yes. With this song in particular, I knew what I wanted to say before I started writing, but a lot of the time, I will start without really knowing exactly what I'm feeling and use the process as a tool to figure it out. I think it's always fun to try to write something catchy, but I often find that writing about what you feel can actually get you there easier.
Here you really lean into a tongue-in-cheek attitude, really unapologetically so, as well. Do you feel a witty, sharp tongue like that can act as a kind of safety net when confronting still obviously tough and serious feelings?
Yes, definitely. I can be very tongue-in-cheek. I use humor to cope with a lot of things and I honestly rely on it as a safety net. I do think in music you can lean into that even more than you can in everyday life. Writing music is almost like a journal or a diary exercise for me, it's really the only way I can confront those feelings unapologetically.
While the song relates to romance, the core theme of society's views and expectations of women is a relationship between you and the world, not least also in pop culture, that goes much deeper. How have you found navigating your agency as a woman in the music industry with as much autonomy as in the music itself?
For me I try to stay grounded in the writing. I just focus on what I'm feeling and who I am in that moment. And I hope that is what resonates with people. I feel incredibly lucky to have a team around me that genuinely supports my vision. Having that foundation of trust allows me to focus on the creative side without feeling like I have to compromise my autonomy.
How did your story in music first start?
I've always had a genuine love for music, performing, and singing. It's all I've ever been passionate about and I've always tried to use whatever tools I had to work towards it. No matter how little. I first started writing songs when I was about thirteen. But music has always been a big part of my life.
You're carving out your own lane now but who in the pop-world do you or have you looked to for inspiration, regardless of whether it comes through in your own productions or more for what they represent artistically?
I grew up just loving music, so I've looked up to so many amazing artists. I would say my biggest inspirations have been Ariana Grande, Joni Mitchell, ABBA, Queen, Stevie Nicks, Debbie Harry, Madonna and Lady Gaga. Musically, all of these artists are quite different but they all have a love, and passion for music, that I've always found so inspiring and necessary.
You've delivered a triple threat of pop bangers so far, with this latest one being, well, a dirty new cherry on top. What is next for you after this?
Thank you, that's very kind! I've got lots of stuff that I'm really excited about. I have a big announcement regarding an amazing collaboration with someone on the other side of Canada! But I'm not quite ready to reveal who it is yet. Soon, though!
