"Bad as Me" is the seventeenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, released on October 21, 2011, by Anti- Records. The album was recorded as early as February 2011 and was officially announced for release on August 23, 2011, on Waits' official website and social media. On the same day, the title track, "Bad as Me," was released as the album's first single.
This album marks Waits' first entirely new material in seven years, following Real Gone (2004). After a distribution deal between Anti- and Warner Music Group, this release was also Waits' first through Warner since Heartattack and Vine (1980). Upon its release, Bad as Me received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.
The album became Waits' first top 10 album in the US, peaking at number 6. On August 16, 2011, amid rumors about the album, Waits announced that he would clarify details on August 23. That day, the title track was released digitally, along with a video preview of the album. A press release described Bad as Me as a pivotal work that refines Waits' previous music while signaling a new direction, featuring a range of songwriting from ballads to avant-garde sounds.
The album was available to stream on October 17, 2011, and released digitally on iTunes on October 21, with physical versions available worldwide on October 24, 2011. These were offered in several formats, including a digipak CD with a booklet and digital download options. In an interview, Waits acknowledged the influence of Captain Beefheart on this album.
