PBG 3 Question Interview with Esthy "Bad Habit" Single
- Produced by a Girl™
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
Hey, it’s Produced by a Girl and we're thrilled to spotlight Esthy’s latest single, “Bad Habit.” Esthy, the talented Los Angeles-based songwriter, producer, and mixing engineer, delivers a cinematic pop experience that pulls you right into the push and pull of loving someone you know you should let go. The track opens up with confessional lyrics and intimate vocals, wrapped in a modern, polished production that feels both raw and dreamy. You can almost see the city lights and feel the late-night energy woven into every beat. Esthy’s storytelling is honest and magnetic, turning the cycle of love, obsession, and heartbreak into a soundscape that’s both personal and expansive. This is pop music that lingers, leaving you with echoes of vulnerability and a vibe that stays long after the song ends.
1. “Bad Habit” really captures that magnetic push and pull, when you know someone isn’t right for you, but you’re still trying to break free. When you were creating this track, were you channeling more of a late-night confession, or was it about finally giving your voice room to work through that journey and taking your power back?
Definitely more of a late-night confession. I wasn't trying to write a song where everything gets resolved in the end. The whole point is that I'm still stuck in the cycle. I know this person isn't good for me, but I keep getting pulled back in anyway.
That's actually why the chorus repeats so much. It feels almost obsessive, like having the same realization over and over again but never quite acting on it. I wanted to capture that feeling honestly rather than pretend I'd already figured it all out.
2. You took the reins on writing, producing, and mixing this track, which really lets your personal vision shine through every layer. How did having that creative control help you capture the emotional tension, the push and pull between wanting someone and knowing you should let go?
Doing everything myself meant I could stay connected to the emotion from start to finish. There wasn't a point where I had to explain what I was feeling to someone else or filter it through another perspective. Every choice, from the lyrics to the production to the mix, came from the same place.
I wanted the song to feel conflicted because that's exactly how I felt. Part of me knew I should walk away, and part of me wasn't ready to. Having creative control allowed me to preserve that tension throughout the track and tell the story in the most honest way I could.
3. There’s this shimmering late-night pop energy running through the track, but beneath the surface, the lyrics are woven with nostalgia, contradiction, and real self-awareness. How do you find that sweet spot, making something listeners want to dance to, while still letting all the emotional messiness and honesty come through?
For me, it usually starts with a melody or a song idea that captures a feeling. Once I have that, I don't overthink the lyrics too much. I just try to be as honest as possible and write the way I'd talk to a friend.
A lot of the lyrics in "Bad Habit" are really conversational. Lines like "You pull up to my place like everything is alright" are things I could genuinely imagine saying in a conversation. I wasn't trying to be poetic or hide behind metaphors. I was basically telling the story as it happened and letting the melody carry it.
I think that's where the balance comes from. The production gives the song energy and momentum, but lyrically it feels more like a confession. You're getting my unfiltered thoughts in real time, almost like I'm venting to a friend at 2 a.m. haha.
4.Bonus Question: What does Produced by a Girl mean to you personally?
To me, it's about visibility. I write, produce, and mix my own music, and when I was starting out, I didn't see many women being highlighted in those roles. Seeing other women doing it made it feel possible for me too.
I also think it's really important for women to be able to tell their own stories and bring their creative vision to life without compromise. Writing, producing, and mixing my own music allows me to express exactly what I want to say and how I want it to feel. There's something really special about having ownership of the entire creative process from start to finish.
I'm grateful that platforms like Produced by a Girl create space for those stories and help show that women belong in every part of the music-making process, both behind the scenes and in front of the microphone. Thank you for having me and for creating such a supportive platform for female creators.
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