Motivated by the murder of George Floyd, San Diego R&B singer-songwriter Rebecca Jade released “Bad Wolves,” a song about racial injustices and police brutality, where the bad wolves are the those running the country and furthering the systems of oppression and racism. Featuring other musicians from the city to contribute to the powerful message, singer Jason Mraz, emcee Miki Vale, and singer Veronica May also lend their talents and co-writing to the piece.
Produced by Jeff Berkley, the song starts out with Jason singing a cappella: “The country’s being run by bad wolves on the hunt, they got a taste for blood,” before mellow drums kick in and jazzy strings croon. Preceding the chorus where the rhythm picks up with bold piano keys, Jason first acknowledges his white privilege, which is then followed by Veronica painfully questioning why the color of her skin is viewed as a threat (“Dark days, red flames // Burned by a case of the blues // Tell me why the beautiful skin I’m in is some kind of threat to you“).
The song continues with Veronica lyrically painting a picture of what it’s like to be ignored and silenced when fighting for justice, equality, and freedom, while Jason Mraz calls out to white allies, encouraging diligent research, donating where possible, signal boosting important causes and voices via social media, protesting, and making sure to call out the bad wolves. Don’t sit idle and silent on what’s happening, don’t turn a blind eye to people in danger, and don’t be a sheep.
Lastly, fueled by anger and the things she’s seen, Miki Vale spits a fiery verse about restitution, revolution, and doing whatever she needs to in order to bring peace to her people. Veronica May lends her voice in the chilling chorus, too.
The music video was directed/edited by Eb Of Course, and filmed in Balboa Park. We see a woman in red, carrying a “Stop Killing Black People” sign while walking down the street, minding her own business. Throughout the video, she’s constantly being wrongfully approached and blamed by White people who view her existence as a threat. It’s all done through beautiful, emotion-evoking choreography, with bystanders filming the confrontation. The first few times I watched the video, I got goosebumps and felt emotional. It’s so good.
Choreography by Katie Lynn Scofield, Daeja A, and Trevor Quezada, who were also dancers among Isabela Muguira and Ryan Beck. Watch the music video below, and you can also stream “Bad Wolves” on Spotify or Apple Music.
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