Music has this weird way of sticking in your brain like gum on a shoe. You know the feeling. You hear a synth-heavy intro, some distorted guitar, and suddenly you’re back in 2017. When Descendants 2 premiered, it didn't just drop a sequel; it dropped an anthem. We need to talk about ways to be wicked, because honestly, that track changed how Disney approached the "villain kid" aesthetic forever.
It wasn't just another pop song. It was a statement.
The Shift in Disney’s Musical DNA
Before Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart, and Cameron Boyce stood on those cars in the middle of a rainy Auradon, Disney Channel music was, well, pretty "bubblegum." Think High School Musical. Think Camp Rock. It was upbeat, earnest, and very polished. But ways to be wicked leaned into something grittier. It used a rock-inspired edge to bridge the gap between "the bad guys" and "the kids we actually want to be."
It’s catchy. It’s loud. It’s kinda rebellious.
Adam Anders and Peer Åström, the geniuses behind a lot of the Glee arrangements, knew exactly what they were doing here. They took the "rotten to the core" concept from the first movie and cranked the production value up to eleven. You’ve got these layered vocals that feel massive. The percussion isn't just a beat; it’s a heartbeat. It’s aggressive in a way that Disney rarely allowed their stars to be.
What People Actually Get Wrong About the Lyrics
Most people think the song is just about being "evil." It’s not. If you actually look at the narrative context of the film, ways to be wicked is about the internal struggle of identity. Mal and her friends are basically suffering from a massive case of imposter syndrome. They are living in this perfect, pastel-colored world of Auradon, but they feel like they’re suffocating.
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The song is a fantasy sequence. It’s what happens when you let the "bad" parts of your personality take the steering wheel for a second.
Long live having some fun.
Slingin' mud, kickin' up dirt.
It's about the release of pressure. Everyone has those moments where they just want to break a rule, even if it’s a small one. The "wicked"ness here isn't about hurting people—it's about the freedom to be messy. That is why it resonated so hard with the target demographic. Being a teenager is basically just a long exercise in trying not to mess up. This song gave kids permission to imagine what it would be like if they just... did.
The Technical Production: Why It Hits So Hard
If you listen to the track with decent headphones, you’ll notice the mixing is incredibly dense. There is a specific frequency boost in the lower-mid range that gives the guitars that "crunch." This wasn't some cheap MIDI track. They used actual session musicians to give it a live-band feel, which was a huge departure from the purely electronic sound of the first film's lead single.
- The Hook: The "W-I-C-K-E-D" chant isn't just a lyrical device; it's a rhythmic anchor. It forces the listener to participate. You can't not chant along.
- The Contrast: Notice how the verses are relatively sparse? That’s intentional. It builds tension so that when the chorus hits, it feels like an explosion.
- Vocal Processing: Dove Cameron’s voice has this slight rasp in the recording. It sounds "expensive," as they say in the industry. It’s not over-tuned to the point of sounding like a robot, which keeps that human, visceral energy alive.
Behind the Scenes of the Music Video
Kenny Ortega is a legend for a reason. The man who gave us Newsies and Hocus Pocus understood that a song like ways to be wicked needed a visual that felt chaotic but controlled. They filmed the sequence in Vancouver, and if you watch the "making of" clips, you’ll see the cast was actually performing in freezing rain.
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That wasn't all CGI.
The choreography is sharp. It’s more athletic than the stuff in the first movie. You see more hip-hop influences mixed with jazz-funk. It’s fast. If you try to do the dance in your living room, you’ll probably trip over your coffee table. I've tried. It's harder than it looks.
The Legacy of the "Wicked" Sound
This song paved the way for the darker turn in Descendants 3 and even influenced how later Disney projects like Zombies or the Villains series handled their soundtracks. It proved that you could market "darkness" to kids as long as it had a hook and a heart.
Social media metrics from the late 2010s showed that ways to be wicked was one of the most-used sounds on early TikTok (back when it was still transitioning from Musical.ly). It had that "main character energy" before that was even a phrase people used. It’s also worth noting that the YouTube video for the song has racked up over 300 million views. That’s not just "kid popularity"; that’s a cultural staple.
How to Apply the "Wicked" Energy (Actually Useful Advice)
You don't have to go around casting spells or turning people into lizards to get something out of this. There’s a psychological benefit to embracing what researchers sometimes call the "shadow self."
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- Acknowledge the urge to disrupt. Sometimes, the best way to innovate in your job or your art is to stop following the "Auradon" rules. Do something "wicked" by breaking a convention.
- Use music as a mood shifter. High-bpm, aggressive pop like this is scientifically proven to increase dopamine and prep the brain for physical activity. It’s a top-tier gym song.
- Express yourself loudly. The song is about being seen. If you've been playing small lately, take a page out of Mal's book and stop apologizing for taking up space.
To truly understand why this track sticks, you have to look at the "rotten" parts of your own routine. Are you being too perfect? Are you following a script that doesn't fit? Sometimes, the most honest thing you can do is admit that you're "chillin' like a villain."
The real takeaway from the era of ways to be wicked is that perfection is boring. The mess, the grit, and the loud choruses—that’s where the actual fun is.
Actionable Steps for the "Wicked" Aesthetic
If you're looking to channel this specific brand of energy into your creative work or just your daily vibe, start with the "Rule of Three." First, identify one routine you follow just because you "should." Second, find a way to flip it on its head. Third, do it with an unapologetic amount of style.
Whether you're a fan of the franchise or just someone interested in the evolution of pop culture, there's no denying the impact of this song. It was the moment Disney stopped playing it safe and started playing it loud. If you haven't listened to it in a while, go back and put it on. It still holds up. The production is still crisp. The vocals are still powerhouse. And honestly? It's still fun to be a little bit bad.