Some releases have more in common than one would think. At least in my case, there's three 20-something year between pop releases that have overarching themes. This is Part 3 of 3 in this series "The Gospel of FLUKE"
In October of 2025, one time Atlantic Records (Lava, but whatever) pop act, Willa Ford released "BURN BURN", her first single in nearly 22 years. In 2026, following the release of four music videos for "Love4Life", "Carousel", "Disassociate" and "How Do You Like Me Now" (let's just call it four more singles even if modern times doesn't want to), she released her second album amanda, the first album of hers since the 2001 Willa Was Here...damn near 25 years ago.
Slight primer: Willa Ford came to prominence in 2001, with her single "I Wanna Be Bad" which went to #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was after her initial entry into music under the stage name Mandah (I shit you not, music acts in 1999 to 2001 were damn near named anything and everything), got her the track "Lullaby" on the soundtrack for Pokémon: the First Movie. "How the fuck does she go from Pokémon to 'I Wanna Be Bad' and filming a video in a strip club?" It was 2001, she was having fun and wound up being subject to media manufactured rivalries of "who's the next Britney Spears" kind of shit.
After a second single in "Did Ya Understand That?" had underperformed and a bit of a wrongfully placated reputation of "9/11 destroyed my career" (the song was released as a single on September 11th, 2001. The same day a famed news clip of a woman having bought the Mariah Carey album Glitter wound up saving her from being among those that lost their lives that day), Willa would release one more song, the deliciously trashy sorority culture inspired "F*ck the Men (A Toast to Men)" in 2003, which went nowhere chart wise. This led to a second album at the time, SexySexObsessive, to being scrapped.
Between 2004 and 2025, Willa Ford as far as we knew wasn't doing shit music wise. She had taken up bit parts in acting in movies and appearances on TV shows (let's put it this way, if I had to tell people I was eliminated 5th on Dancing with the Stars, I'd tell them instead about how I was in the 2009 version of Friday the 13th). Ford did manage to find a unique niche in TV hosting, ranging from The Ultimate Fighter to things worth watching like Pants Off Dance Off.
However, there were signs that she was onto something but was too early to cash in on anything.
While KPOP or Korean language pop music is experiencing fever pitch mania in the present day, turns out Willa Ford was ahead of that curve in 2002. She collaborated with singer Park Ji-yoon on the song "Nastified" that appears as track 12 on the album Man which gave Park Ji-yoon a #3 album in South Korea.
Shit, she was basically eight years ahead of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" when in an interview with Billboard in 2017, https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/willa-ford-i-wanna-be-bad-interview-7880907/ , she reminisced on a song she wrote that was secretly pimped as a single in Europe ["Who I Am"] that was about being gay and coming out to one's parents, inspired by a friend who was struggling to come to terms with their sexuality. And that was for the scrapped SexySexObsessive album!
There's one particular answer that gives away that she needed something to give in order to release any kind of music. Keep in mind by 2017 or so, she was an interior designer and living her best mom life. When asked by the interviewer, "If you were to release a record today, what would it look like?", she answers as follows:
"It would go in two directions, which is funny to say. It would be a pop-dance record that you’d see in the club with a ton of remixes. I’d also love to do collaborations with some sick DJs right now. I would really want to work with someone that hasn’t made their mark yet. I’d love to be that catapult to do a collaboration with. I’m pretty much obsessed with country music writing. I went to Nashville for a while and did some writing. People were like, 'You’re Willa Ford. You grew up on a farm. Why are you not doing a country record?' That’s the only other kind of record I would make, and that would be for myself."
Upon listening to amanda, it becomes clear that it goes in multiple directions but not where she thought it would have.
Fast forward to October 17th, 2025. On this day, Willa Ford's music career emerges from a comfortable throwback post on social media as a new song, "BURN BURN" is released to pop fan acclaim. Mainly because in 2025, a song with a bridge was released in a commercial capacity. Essentially, the lot of us still around from the 90s and 00s despise the modern music landscape because of TikTok but that's a whole 'nother post.
It's within the release of "BURN BURN" and Ford reentering the music industry via social media exposure, that she establishes newbies that her gay fanbase is the most ardent. Posting gigs centered around The Abbey in West Hollywood, etc., again, she knows.
Fast forward to 2026, especially after Ford pulls a move right from the 2000s and releases something Christmas related. She already had "Santa! Gimme Gimme Gimme" or whatever, and we did not need another one of those. Anyway, it's January 9th, 2026 and the release of "Love4Life". Again, it earns fans like myself because of how upbeat it is and it also has a bridge! By now, this much has to be established: not every song that got a video looked like they had the same budget.
Something to appreciate about independent artists or at least artists not signed to a major label, is that when the creativity is there, they go for it. In terms of music video presentation, it tests the taste level of the artist in question. "BURN BURN" had Ford enveloped in a red background. Sometimes the shots were off but at least it made sense. "Love4Life" as pictured right above...listen, she had enthusiasm and a megawatt smile, even if it looked like she had a $50 budget and got $45 change.
Still, it's ultimately a triumph to see someone with renewed spirit pursue their craft. Besides, anything that can sound like a Sandals resort ad or background music in a romance show edit is perfectly fine. "Love4Life" does have conviction behind it that in the hands of someone who doesn't give a shit, can make it sound cheap. Throughout this album, it becomes clear, Willa Ford gives a shit about music again.
Cut to February 13th, 2026 and the release of "Carousel" which technically acts as the third and final single on streaming. Things take a wonderfully avant-garde turn.
"Carousel" as pictured above, is meant to chronicle how Willa experienced the music industry in her 20s. The video is also reflective of this in terms of visuals, which does suggest the video budget was at least utilized more. If you know carnival music or anything that could invoke coulrophobia (the fear of clowns) or the episode of The Simpsons when it's discovered Barnacle Bay from Marge's childhood devolved into a shithole, then you'll be pleasantly surprised at how "Carousel" sounds just like that with a pop twist!
A surprising amount of depth is shown when looking at Ford's albums next to each other but no shit there is. She's not a horny-go-lucky acting 20-something but instead someone embracing the kinetic nature of a pop release despite a lot of setbacks. Think in terms of Jade and her messily handled debut album, the fitting That's Showbiz, Baby. When a pop act rides on potential for as long as they do, an album goes from the "potential" energy to a need in it becoming "kinetic" or finally out there, no matter how long it took to get to release day.
Then came March 5th, 2026. A fourth video is released, this time for the song "Disassociate". Admittedly, looking at the title, I was a little apprehensive. Thanks to the internet and the genre of videos known as "pop psychology", certain behaviors such as disassociating or to disassociate, lose urgency due to how casual its usage in colloquial slang becomes. I was not entirely hopeful and then the song wowed me...
...once I found out what it was about.
As a song, "Disassociate" is deceptively airy and simple in design, but actually houses a high-brow concept of confronting one's sense of mortality and health. Sharing the meaning behind the song, Ford took to her Instagram and wrote:
"This song is about my experience with PNES (psychogenic nonepileptic seizures) that I started having due to past trauma. It expresses the determination I had to keep moving forward despite all the mental and physical struggles that came with these seizures."
In other words, homegurl put to words and music what it was like having a seizure brought about by past personal trauma. What kind, you wonder?
In an interview on the Spout podcast, she reveals that not only did she secretly begin working on this album in 2023 or 2022(!), but that "Disassociate" was the reason she fully committed to the album at all. The song was a moment by moment recollection of having a seizure that came about in writing sessions for what would become her second ever album.
The past trauma at least in the Spout interview comes from being burdened with life in the industry (as prefaced by her Willa Was Here deep cut "Tired"), and being exhausted. It did not help that she once upon a time was an ex-girlfriend of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, and if you or any KPOP fan you know of a supposed dating scandal that means nothing, imagine that but Willa Ford being ripped apart for having dated Nick Carter. Ford at one time in a separate interview recalls being subject to hate messages online. It was to say, a goddamn mess.
That being said, knowing what the song was about, I wound up forgiving it as I was liking the song but wondering what the message of the song was trying to say. Initially, I was wondering why the last 25 or seconds was the only time the song title "Disassociate" was sung, but needless to say it became a highbrow fave of mine.
Finally March 6th, 2026 marked the release of amanda. It's astounding that 25 years later, the second album from Willa Ford has a 9 out of 12 success rate!
"BURN BURN", "Love4Life", "Disassociate" and "Carousel" were joined by the highlights of "Safe With Me", "Broke Broke Broke", "How Do You Like Me Now", "1x1" and "Tombstone" as slayful from this album. Frankly, if I never have to hear "Flex" in any context, a chorus as actively displeasing as "Hammer" or the slightly pandering but not the worst thing ever but still not worth much "Money Honey", it'll be too soon. But on to the highlights!
The album cut I would actually recommend the most outside the singles of "Love4Life" and "Carousel" is the sparse yet polished "Broke Broke Broke". In that very Spout interview, Ford discloses that she listened to nothing current in music and in many ways that rings true on the album. I mean that as a compliment, by the way but do have some suspicions that that might be a stretch when listening to "Broke Broke Broke".
The song's chorus out loud reads, "do you think think think think think think think / do you know know know know know know know / that you Broke Broke Broke Broke Broke Broke Broke my heart, my heart"
When listening to the song, I could not help but hear resemblance to the 2024 super viral but not actually commercially viable "Touch" by KATSEYE. Not saying that Ford secretly snuck in a song as pH level 14 basic as "Touch" in her listens, it just shows that whether or not she meant anything by it, she may have ended up ahead of the curve again.
Still, "Broke Broke Broke" is subtle (which I usually don't fuck with) but is a wonderfully sophisticated pop song with enough play in her mid to lower registers to make it something unctuous for the listener.
Vocally, the decision to go for range and versatility against the upbeat joints with ballads was for the better. Production wise, there's boldness that only the independent gurls seem to visit. "Stay With Me" in particular shines with a layered harmony and performed a capella. That being a secret weapon because of Ford's upbringing of being classically trained in opera. In an interview from around the soon to be scrapped "SexySexObsessive" days, she divulges that she needs to warm up for extended periods of time before attempting to sing opera; due in large part to how she sounds when she speaks and sings pop. Then and now, she clearly knows her voice, even if it doesn't totally sound like it.
Here's what I mean. Over the last few years, singers reemerge after long hiatuses to release new music. However, their voices go from what the public may remember them as vs. what they sound like now. Aside from Mariah Carey whose technique comes under scrutiny from singers deep in the trenches with their craft, one singer comes to mind in terms of "you don't sound like we remember you but you still came correct on this release here".
That being Tracey Thorn from Everything but the Girl and the lead single for their 2023 album Fuse, "Nothing Left to Lose". The song bangs like you wouldn't believe but Thorn's vocal performance was met with some misguided inquiry as to what had "happened" with her voice. It was not the crystalline voice she came to prominence for in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s. Considering it was over 20 years between releases and basically Donna Summer god rest her soul was the only person who sounded the same at every stage in their life, yeah Tracey Thorn's voice changed. It was decidedly huskier or raspier (hint hint), but that didn't impact the quality of the song delivered. If anything, husky vocals on a song called "Nothing Left to Lose" even on a dance beat is just sheer luck and talent.
Ford sounds radically different on the gorgeous closing ballad "Tombstone" than she did singing "I Wanna Be Bad" and over 20 fucking years later, yeah she was gonna sound different. There's also "1x1" and its infectious dance pop, which like "Love4Life" is this album on easy mode. "1x1" sounds different as someone 22 years or so older than when they were 20-something and using a sorority chant of "Here's to the men we love, here's to the men who love us. Here's to the men we love, who don't love us. FUCK THE MEN! Let's drink to us!" to kick off a single in 2003 called "F*ck the Men (A Toast to Men)". "1x1" is showing age but in a way that showcases being in on what constitutes age by way of societal double standards and the third wave feminism pop divas co-opted into their marketing.
Finally, on March 20th, 2026 a fifth and final music video is released for the album cut "How Do You Like Me Now". First and foremost, Willa served conceptual soft glamour in the video.
Upon first listen, "How Do You Like Me Now" was an immediate favorite as it is the kind of ballad that any diva should fight tooth and nail to get. Then, as with "Disassociate" a deeper meaning revealed itself on Instagram, Ford disclosing:
"This is one of my favorite songs from amanda. It's a song about surviving and moving on from an abusive, emotionally damaging relationship. It's also about self-reclamation and coming out on the other side healed and stronger than ever."
Keeping in mind the personal trauma behind "Disassociate" and its meaning behind her seizure, things are painted that much clearer for the listener.
"How Do You Like Me Now" also acts cinematic in its delivery, but admittedly does have its point made with the music video. Granted, this is a case of the video enhancing the song and not taking anything away from it. No one expected Willa Ford to deliver an album like this. Unless of course you take it "Back Back Back"...
This can't possibly shock anyone, but amanda does not mark her first attempt at new music. It marks her commitment to new music with follow-through but in thinking back to studying her career, there was a moment from 2011 (when the reference picture above was presumably taken) and she made a stab at returning to music with a song called "Back Back Back".
She performed at a club in Los Angeles known as the Viper Room. While it has its reputation as a sex, drugs and rock & roll establishment, pop fans know this place as well. For the WB series Popstars, the initial candidates for what would become Eden's Crush had their LA Workshop final take place there.
"Back Back Back" is decidedly more folksy and guitar strings level of earnest delivery than what a place like the Viper Room is used to. The song itself was never really known for being an outtake from "SexySexObsessive", even if some fan accounts uploaded the audio to a playlist that supposedly had three leaked songs from what could've been that album [a title track called "SexySexObsessive", "Who I Am" and "Back Back Back" despite that being three cases of "one of these things is not like the other..."]
However, a relatively acoustic or downplayed from "sexy" musical release is nothing new. Especially in around 2011 and 2012 when former Pussycat Dolls member Melody Thornton released her mixtape P.O.Y.B.L (meaning "Piss On Your Black List".) On the mixtape is a song "Loving You Better" which despite it working very well for her was more indicative of potential turning kinetic without an audience. That much also happened with Willa as "Back Back Back" despite working, did not yield a moment to which she wanted to follow through with releasing more music.
It was however, more reflective as to what she was embracing about her musical taste and instincts.
As a result in 2026, amanda plays as refreshingly daring from a pop act, especially over two decades later between a single or album release of some kind. From the uptempo dance joint "Love4Life" to an airy but deliberate pop effort in "Broke Broke Broke" to even a great closing ballad in "Tombstone", to even the conceptually confessional "Disassociate" and the avant-garde yet polished "Carousel", amanda is a solid, unique sophomore effort from someone who once upon a time just "wanted" to be "bad".
And in case you need it spelled out, her birth name was Amanda Lee Williford. Hence all the "Mandah" crap from the beginning before a clever but commercial turn as "Willa Ford" before taking time to do things "right" for another release.
In other words, it's when she said "Willa was here, but this is about amanda."
Highlights:
- "Love4Life" 🏆🥇
- "Carousel" 💎
- "Broke Broke Broke" 💎🏆
- "Tombstone"
- "Safe With Me"
- "How Do You Like Me Now"
- "BURN BURN"
- "1x1"
- "Disassociate" 🏆
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