New Music From Canadian Rapper Harm Franklin On This Week’s Playlist

Harm Franklin
Photo by Val Parenas

Discover new sounds from Canadian rapper Harm Franklin on Loop Magazine's eighth weekly Spotify playlist “On Repeat.”

When Harm Franklin joined Curtis Waters on his single “Stunnin’” that premiered in May 2020, the two had no idea it would garner more than 123 million streams on Spotify and 1.4 million videos on TikTok. 

“We would joke around about it going viral at first, and then this shit really swept the nation and went viral,” says the Canadian artist. “So it’s funny; it’s the stuff you’ll be joking about that comes true, so you know, you’ve gotta be careful what you joke about with yourself.”

With momentum from that track’s success, Harm talks a mile a minute about his most recent release titled “Bad Guy,” which dropped on Friday, Oct. 16, and is a nod to the early ’80s Cuban gangster movie “Scarface.” 

“I honestly think it’s one of the best songs I’ve ever made; I’m super proud of it,” he says. “It’s one of those examples of me being super sensitive to my surroundings and just channeling the pain and challenges I’ve been through and making something beautiful from it. I’m a firm believer in turning your pain into power, and this song is a good example of that.”

Borrowing from an Al Pacino quote, “You need people like me so you can point your fuckin’ fingers and say, ‘That’s the bad guy,’” Harm applied the words to the context of a toxic relationship. 

“Me and this girl, we were involved for a while and she would have her past traumas from whatever she’s been through, and no matter what I would always be the bad guy,” he says. “Eventually one day I was like, ‘Why am I always the bad guy? It’s because you need people like me to be the bad guy so you don’t feel bad about the things you say.’ As I said those words coming out of my mouth I was like that’s just a real thing anyone in a dysfunctional relationship can relate to.”   

Harm’s producer HOUNDS set the lyrics to a melodic selection of beats, and while the artist says he doesn’t aim for virality with his music, the song definitely has the potential to catch on quickly.

As the newest member of S.K.A.M. Artist Management, Harm is currently working in the studio with HOUNDS and Curtis Waters on his next album, which is set to drop in spring 2021.

To find songs like Harm Franklin’s “Bad Guy,” check out this week’s installment of “On Repeat” on Spotify, where we’ve also curated new music from Clean Bandit, Disclosure and more.

“On Repeat” keeps a finger on the pulse of the most prime nightlife sounds from today and tomorrow. Follow Loop Magazine on Spotify, and check in weekly as we curate more all-star track lists.

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