Stopping by Audacy’s studio to chat with Bru, Jagwar Twin talked all about the mythological meaning behind his name, his single “Bad Feeling (Oompa Loompa),” weaving his cultural roots into his sound, and more.

Having himself an “incredible” year so far, Jagwar Twin shared some of the reasons he thinks “2024 slaps.”

“The song is a pretty, pretty dope thing,” he expressed, referring to the viral success of “Bad Feeling (Oompa Loompa)," which he released in December 2023. “And honestly just like hanging out with my nephews, my brother has like two little kids and they're so fun.”

After talking about their hometowns a bit, Jagwar offered up an explanation to something we’re surely all curious about… his stage name. "It’s about mythology," he began to explain, "and I love mythology. I nerd out on it.” Sharing, “So, in my mythology, the Jaguar is the creature that looks into the dark places of its own depths and soul. And then can look into other people and look into their depths and souls and like, go into those dark unknown places and pull people out of the darkness."

He continued, “a lot of all the Jagwar Twin stuff really is exploring light and dark and polarity and there's always a twin aspect to everything and also I'm a Gemini.”

Getting into how it resonates with him, Jagwar divulged, “well, I think I've known darkness in myself and I've known like deep anxiety and depression in myself, but then I also know that I've been able to pull myself out of it and to turn things around. And so if I can do it, like everyone can do it.”

Talking about his current musical vibe, Jagwar said, “right now it’s me exploring my ancestors. So, like the Polish German, Russian, Slavic Oompa music. And that's like where the Oompa Loompa idea came from.”

“I kept saying in the studio to everyone that I was working, I was like, I want like oompa s*** tubas and accordions,” he added. A sound he noted, “I started exploring,” on the song, “Happy Face,” that he released back in 2022.

Jagwar wanting that "Oompa" sound, was a totally unrelated, but incredible timing with Oompa Loompas back in pop culture due to Wonka.

Talking about the coincidence of it all, he said, “I wrote the song like a year and a half ago with no awareness that a Wonka movie was coming out.” Sharing the “crazy” story of how the obstacles and time it took  to clear the sample, led the track to come out around the same time of the film.

“Because it took so long to do it ended up being like two weeks before the Wonka movie came out when we cleared it. And we're like, this is the perfect timing. So it's almost the universe just looking out being like, yeah, you couldn't do it. But wait, and then the timing just lined up perfectly,” Jagwar said.

Jagwar also discussed his Oktoberfest bucket list dreams, the “Bad Feeling” music video, and more. To catch the entire conversation, check out the entire interview above. Plus listen to the track above.

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Bru