Welcome to a quick guide of where to start with listening to Remi Wolf, our Dillo Day 2022 daytime headliner. Wolf is an up-and-coming artist whose songs you might not be familiar with, though you’ll probably recognize her viral TikTok song “Photo ID.” But she’s more than just a one-hit wonder – her music is electric, colorful and perfect for Dillo Day, coming up on Saturday, May 21.
The easiest way to become familiar with an artist before a concert is to look at the artist’s setlist – the music and order they have been playing their songs on tour. Wolf won’t have enough stage time to play all her songs and you won’t have enough time to memorize every single one of them either, so be efficient! The setlist might not be accurate, but it’s a good place to start if you’re looking to narrow down the list.
Here are some of my favorites.
If everyone in the audience is going to know a song, it’s “Photo ID.” The popular 15-second refrain repeats the phrase “ooh, baby, turn out the light,” but the rest of “Photo ID” is just as catchy. In an interview with Line of Best Fit, Wolf said “the lyrics are all just a culmination of those chaotic thoughts.”
The song is as gorgeous as it is chaotic.
As a tribute to the founding member and lead vocalist of the band Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Anthony Kiedis” is a reflection on Wolf’s relationship with her family, riddled with references to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“Anthony Kiedis' writing style is so freeform. He just says whatever the f--- he wants, and I'm very inspired by that,” Wolf told Entertainment Weekly. She does the same thing with her lyrics and the variation in melodies in this song – “I'm making donuts with my body and talking with Jesus.”
While this song is slightly more chill, “Sexy Villain” is nonetheless just as vibey.
In an MTV Push video interview, Wolf revealed that the song was inspired by her interest in true crime shows and a weird point in her relationship where she always felt like the bad guy. These two inspirations led Wolf to create her alter-ego, the Sexy Villain, which is first described in the song. In the video, she dresses in a style akin to what Cruella De Vil would’ve worn in her early 20s.
In my opinion, “Liz” is one of Wolf’s grooviest songs. She drunkenly wrote this about her close friend who attended the University of Southern California together with Wolf and their love-hate relationship. She even has a mini-documentary about the process of writing it.
Fun fact: “Liz” is a fan favorite that Wolf had been playing at concerts for years but was only released in 2021, according to the music video’s description.
“Woo!” is the first single off Wolf’s 2020 EP I’m Allergic to Dogs!
As Wolf described in an interview with Clash, “It’s fun and cute and sparkly and INTENSE. The song is an ADHD explosion of my feelings on LOVE.”
You also won’t be disappointed with the music video. She does hip thrusts on a fidget spinner with mini CGI versions of her dancing on its rims, twerks around fruits three times her size and bounces on an animated inflation of herself.
Wolf’s visuals have just as much energy as her music, and watching them together creates a whole new experience. Her music videos combine to be one gigantic trip because they embody that oversaturated indie TikTok style with a hint of Jack Stauber claymations, ‘90s children shows and trashy CGI animations (definitely watch the Guerilla music video).
I hope this tiny toe dip into the world of Remi Wolf has made you excited for Dillo Say. If by the end of this guide, you’ve gotten hooked on her music like I have, I recommend you check out some of my other favorites: “Disco Man,” “Hello Hello Hello,” “Guerilla” and “Liquor Store.”
Happy listening!
Thumbnail graphic by Kim Jao.