Two things are clear about Bif Naked’s career: it’s ever-evolving and guided by honesty. The punk-rock kid’s life in music was recently laid bare in a new documentary simply titled Bif Naked. In this portrait of the artist, guided by the deft hands of Pollyanna Hardwicke-Brown, vulnerability drips from every scene.
Catching up with the 54-year-old via Zoom on a cold December day finds the singer-songwriter (born Beth Torbert) taking a break from screenings at home in Toronto. The conversation with NMC Amplify is not to discuss the film, but rather to turn the clock back two decades and reflect on her 2005 album Superbeautifulmonster.
To set the scene: As Bif Naked entered the studio to record the follow-up to Purge, which featured the smash hit “I Love Myself Today,” co-written with Desmond Child, a lot had transpired in the ensuing three years. The Canadian singer-songwriter was coming off what she calls a horrible relationship. In her mid-30s, and a decade into her career, she was ready to take yet another turn and lay out all of these emotions on what was to become Superbeautifulmonster.
The 13 songs tap into all the feels — from angst and anger to sadness and hope. While the album received mixed reviews from critics upon its release, it resonated with Bif Naked’s fans, and still does today. For the singer, the album’s emotional impact was immediate: hearing it played back in the studio for the first time moved her to tears.
Superbeautifulmonster is an emotionally-charged record. What was life like for you entering the studio that led to these songs, which, as one reviewer wrote, mixed “tender with tough”?
It was such an era coming after Purge. I can tell you that it’s my favourite record of all the records I’ve made. Superbeautifulmonster was just such an emotive record for me. I had been writing a bunch of songs with Jimmy Allen from Puddle of Mudd and two of them made it on the record. I had also been writing with Linda Perry, none of which made it on that record. But, writing with Jimmy was profoundly impactful for me in so many different ways. I had just gone through a terrible breakup in my personal life and it had really, really shaken me. I have a real knack for finding these nutter-like guys. Like, if someone is going to be a criminal or violent or something really awful, I’m going to be attracted to them, guaranteed. So I had gone through a really horrible time in my personal life and then I was sent to Los Angeles to start writing with Jimmy Allen. “Abandonment” was the first song I wrote with him and recording that song in the studio was just unbelievable. Doing the demo with Jimmy was great, but Todd Kerns also played on that record. Todd is just such a lovely person. He’s so musical and he’s so easy to work with and so the making of that record was just so moving for me. I don’t know whether it was my age, or whether I was just coming out of my shell in the studio as prior to that I had always been very anxious in the recording studio. Maybe, it was just me, into my mid-30s, gaining more confidence as a vocalist and as a lyricist.
Speaking of studios, where did you record Superbeautifulmonster?
We worked on most of the record at Mushroom Studios in Vancouver. It was just very comfortable. I had my two dogs in the studio with me all the time and it was just such an amazing recording experience, including doing all the artwork and the photo shoots for that record there. It was important for me to go to the Downtown Eastside, which is traditionally considered an undesirable area in Vancouver to hang out in, or to walk around in, but I really wanted to be photographed in that area. I wanted to be seen with my people … the punks, the invisible, and the unwanted.
I’m guessing that’s where the album’s title comes from and in a way represents?
Yeah. Because I always kind of identified with all the weird kids, I wanted them to know that I felt like I was a part of them, but also I wanted them to always feel like I was wanting to sing to them the most, or to make them feel like I thought they were the most special. I still feel that way.
Turning to specific songs on the album, I understand you cried in the studio the first time you heard “Henry” played back?
Oh yeah, I still do. Sometimes, when you’re saying goodbye to someone, you have to walk away from things. It’s so popular to hear people say, ‘Let go of the things that no longer serve you.’ But that’s a big, tall order for us as human beings. Even though we know something isn’t good for us, it’s very difficult to walk away from relationships that don’t serve us. We know something doesn’t serve us, like a toxic parent or a bad sibling who always criticizes us or whatever it is, but still we want to be generous. Ultimately, each one of us is still that eight-year-old inside who just wants everybody to like them. That is true for every human being. It’s just human nature. So, yeah, back to “Henry,” I mean, obviously it’s a made up song and it’s all imagination. Even the name Henry. I’ve never had a boyfriend named Henry, but Henry Rollins, obviously, is going to be the subject, the muse in the song as the representation of every Generation X girls’ fantasy boy. That song is basically about saying goodbye to someone who’s not good for you … it’s a heartfelt, good intention, but it’s not always easy.
It’s not always an easy exercise to cover a popular song. Speak to the cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” and how that ended up on the record?
My manager, John Zazula, suggested that one. He had managed Metallica before me and every one of his kids loved Metallica. I had never dared or dreamt of ever covering a Metallica song and doing so, for me, was stressful because obviously I wanted to do a good job. We went down to New Orleans and worked on this song with Dave Fortman. I hadn’t done a vocal like that before and it was a lot of pressure. Plus, we only had a couple days in the studio to get it right. Andy Karp, an A&R guy from Lava Records at the time, came down and also worked with me closely on that song. It was such an incredible experience to be down there in New Orleans … it was otherworldly.
Sometimes, I still can’t believe the different opportunities that I’ve had as an artist. I always say the same things, that I could have died happy when I got accepted as the vocalist for Chrome Dog. But recording that Metallica song was another pinch-me moment. Then, to make the video for it and sing the song when we opened for Billy Idol and the crowd would all sing it back to us, it was just unbelievable. People just love the song. The song is timeless and that’s James Hetfield. Hats off to him because it’s such a heartfelt, endearing song … it was definitely a song that I was very proud to sing.
Twenty years on, do you still feel this album stands up in your catalog and resonates, not just with you, but with your audience?
I do. It’s funny though because sometimes people only know the singles, right? I hope that sometimes, when anniversary reissues come out, that they make the time, or have the curiosity, to take a deep dive and discover some of the other tracks on Superbeautifulmonster.
Watch for a vinyl reissue of ‘Superbeautifulmonster’ coming sometime in 2026. Bif Naked is also touring across the country for documentary screenings and acoustic performances — visit bifnaked.com for dates and tickets.
Record Fast Facts:
Released: June 28, 2005 (Canada); September 20, 2005 (United States)
Label: Her Royal Majesty Records
Studio: Mushroom Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia
Mixer: Paul Silveira
Producers: Dave Fortman, Kevin Kadish, and Peter Karroll
Tracks:
1. After a While
2. Abandonment
3. Let Down
4. Everyday
5. Yeah, You
6. That’s Life
7. Nothing Else Matters” (Metallica cover)
8. I Want
9. Funeral of a Good Girl
10. Henry
11. The World is Over
12. The Question Song
13. Ladybug Waltz
