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Photos by Sophia Matinazad

OnesToWatch: This is your third single of 2026 already, what is the through line between them? 

Macy Todd: As I was writing “bad bad love” and my last few singles, I kept coming back to this idea of what it actually feels like to grow into being a woman. It’s a really sobering experience, getting older and realizing there are parts of girlhood that feel incredibly liberating, and others that are honestly pretty painful. The songs I’ve been putting out so far this year live in that tension. 

If you were to assign sun, moon, and rising to the songs ("bad bad love", "someone to you", and "so ruthless") which one would be which?

Easy! Sun: “so ruthless” Moon: “someone to you” and Rising: “bad bad love”

Your newest single "bad bad love" reflects a common sentiment I've been picking up in female songwriting recently. How did you put your own spin on communicating the message?

When I’m writing, I try to say things the way I would actually say them in real life. So writing this felt pretty natural, because I’m constantly jotting down little phrases in my phone...almost like my own “isms,” just ways I talk or think in passing. A lot of the song came from those kinds of everyday lines. “bad bad love” might sound like a breakup song, but for me, it was about a friendship ending. I think a lot of women know how quietly painful that can be.

How did you execute the visual language for this single?

When we were talking about the visual language for my current collection of songs, the idea of a slingshot kept coming up for “bad bad love”. A lot of my recent music feels like being on defense. I liked that imagery because it still feels feminine, but also charged and intentional. I wanted the visuals to hold both strength and softness at the same time, because I’m talking about things that can be really painful for women, and I didn’t want to soften that truth, but I also didn’t want to lose the tenderness in it.

What's the perfect listening experience for this single?

This is a car-listening song. It’s how I typically digest every mix and every iteration of every song I put out, and that’s still the way it feels the most natural to me to experience it.

What is your advice to other people who are trying not to settle in love?

I think my best advice is to stay tender, but don’t ignore the parts of you that need to be honored, too. It’s easy to think in extremes... like there’s only bad love or perfect love. But I do think there are really good partners out there who are also growing alongside you. 

What are the biggest inspirations right now?

My biggest inspiration for the songs I’ve been putting out recently is Patty Griffin’s Flaming Red. It’s not the most aligned sonically, but it was my North Star for the feeling I wanted my music to leave behind when someone finishes listening to it.

If "bad bad love" were in a movie, which director and/or actor do you envision being involved? 

If “bad bad love” were in a movie, I could totally see something like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, it's Kate Hudson energy for sure.

What can we expect in the future from Macy Todd? 

A lot more music, and a lot more shows. Playing live is one of my favorite parts of being an artist. It really informs my writing in real time, especially when I get to feel songs out in rooms with people for the first time.

Who are your OnesToWatch?

Someone who’s really on my radar right now is a writer and my best friend, Lauren Scott Barnes. She’s all over this project and has such a strong pen. I really think she’s going to make a lot of waves in music, and it’s special to know and have worked with her so early on.

Listen to “bad bad love” below: