Welcome back to My Ears Through the Years! The series where we delve into the ears and the lives of people in our industry.
This week, we’re uncovering the scandalous past of the infamous ex pop star, Bianca Badem. After years of the run, after a media scandal exposed her affair with record label executive as well as her criminal past, Bianca is back and ready to tell all. Not to mention her alter ego as associate executive producer at Merman Branded, Ziver Irkad. There’s a chance we’ve got that the wrong way round, but let’s dive in!
Hi Ziver! What’s your earlier memory of music?
Ziver> Performing a choreographed routine to Spice Girls’ ‘Wannabe’ with my cousins and older sister for our drunk parents on a Friday evening.
The first music you bought for yourself?
Ziver> My dad is a real music man, so we always had a pretty impressive collection of tapes and CDs in the house. One day, amongst all the stuff I found boring, I stumbled across Cyndi Lauper’s ‘A Night to Remember’ and it immediately stuck out to me. I spent months listening to that album on repeat on my CD player. I have absolutely no idea why it was in his collection, as it’s so out of character for him!
The first song that comes into your head at any given opportunity?
Ziver> ‘My Name Is Tallulah’ from Bugsy Malone. I’m really not a fan of musicals, but this is the ONLY exception. Don’t @ me! I actually auditioned for the part of Tallulah at school and was livid when they didn’t give me the role. Instead, I got a small but very fitting part: Lena Marelli. Very camp, very loud, very small.
Your first slow dance?
Ziver> I was bumpin’ and grindin’ to Sean Paul’s ‘Get Busy’ in Romford Liquid n Envy under 18’s night.
A song you grew up with?
Ziver> Ok, so unless if you’re Cypriot, you won’t know this song, but it has such a huge place in my heart, I would describe it as like the national anthem of Cyprus.
Cyprus has a very complicated history of division between the North and South side, the island is still divided since the war in 1974 which saw families being displaced and the island officially being split in two where Greek speaking Cypriots had to settle in the South and Turkish speaking Cypriots settled in the North. As it actually wasn’t that long ago, the trauma and pain of this is so pivotal in every Cypriots lives as our parents and grandparents had to endure the yearning of the home they built and the loss of loved ones.
There is a Greek and Turkish version of the song and played at every wedding, every celebration, a song that connects us regardless of the barriers and exists in Greek and Turkish, ‘Dillirga’ or in Greek ‘Tillyrkotissa’.
Your walk out music?
Ziver> I give you ‘Rinsed’ by SONIKKU & Bianca Badem. I can’t even believe I’m even putting this out there but here it goes. My mate who’s a producer had a particular track he thought was suited to me, I’ve never actually written a song so we created a character called Bianca Badem and an entire back story for her to get me in the headspace. It’s mental but strap in… Bianca is a ex Turkish pop star who’s on the run after a media scandal exposed her affair with record label executive as well as her criminal past, Sonikku attempted to help her revive her pop career and this is Bianca’s comeback song.
Your go-to for karaoke?
Ziver> Lady Gaga – ‘Bad Romance’.
A song that reminds you of friends or family?
Ziver> ‘Ol’ Dirty Bastard’ ft Kelis, ‘Got Your Money’! My best friend Asa is such a huge part of my childhood and her mum at the time a aerobics and fitness instructor, I always feel very lucky that her family gave me the opportunity to have very British experiences which I could have easily missed out on growing up in a non-English speaking household. Anyway, she’d blast this song from her small silver car whilst we’d inappropriately scream the lyrics on our way to school.
A song for a road trip?
Ziver> ‘Hertz’ by Amyl and the Sniffers.
An artist you think is underrated?
Ziver> I’m obsessed with this Bulgarian Romani pop star – Azis. His most iconic song is ‘Sen Trope’.
Funeral song?
Ziver> ‘Born to Die’ – Lana Del Rey. It’s tragic, it’s romantic, it’s glamorous. This album inspired me to pick up smoking as a full-time hobby in 2012.
Best sync moment?
Ziver> The opening dance scene in ‘Climax’ by Gasper Noe, to ‘Supernature’ by Cerrone – lives in my head RENT FREE. It goes on for five minutes, almost makes you feel claustrophobic and like it’s never going to end but mesmerising and euphoric. But also I can’t not mention ‘Everytime’ by Britney Spears in ‘Spring Breakers’! The girls in their bikinis, balaclavas and guns skipping around the piano is beautiful — still gives me goosebumps.
Music that made an ad campaign?
Ziver> ‘Sweet Harmony’ by Liquid on JD Sports’ ‘Bag for Life’ (2023).
Best theme song?
Ziver> ‘Succession’! Makes me wanna wear a suit, grab a brief case and fight my sister for the company our dad doesn’t have.
Favourite film soundtrack / score?
Ziver> ‘Cruel Intentions’. And also ‘Lady Marmalade’ was the only thing I liked about ‘Moulin Rouge’… like what do you mean you’ve got Lil Kim, Christina Aguilera, Pink and Mya all on one track!?
