On the Rise: Gigi Perez
Four years ago, a song called “Celene” quietly went up on SoundCloud. That moment sparked the slow, steady rise of Gigi Perez, who’s now one of today’s most exciting breakout artists. From a record deal with Interscope, to supporting Coldplay on one of the most attended world tours in history, to her debut EP, a move to Island Records, and landing a spot on the Billboard 200, Gigi Perez has been on one hell of a ride.
Just a typical music-loving teenager at first, Perez wrote songs in her bedroom, joined a band called Wendy Lane, and chased the dream all the way to the best place she could do it: Berklee College of Music. Well that’s only part of her story. What really shaped her music came from something deeper. It was an emotional battle that led her to write some of the most personal lyrics her listeners have ever connected with.
“Celene” came out just months after Perez lost her older sister. She continues to grieve privately, but music became the outlet. Her songs became a way to process everything, family, loss, identity, love, all the stuff that’s hard to put into words. But she did it, and it has connected with a lot of people.
One of the reasons Perez resonates with so many people is that she doesn’t box in her creativity. Inspiration can come from anywhere, at any time and anything. That really came through in the work she put out while signed to Interscope Records.
“The Man” takes a close look at gender expectations within the queer community.
“Glue” clings to the heartbreak of holding onto love after loss.
“When She Smiles” dives into the chaos of a toxic relationship, referencing to the Ryan Reynolds rom-com Just Friends with a title inspired by the song “When Jamie Smiles.”
Perez’s time at Interscope Records may have ended, but it didn’t feel like a loss, more like a blank slate. Maybe something shifted when she dropped “Sailor Song,” a moment that coincided with her signing to Island Records. Whatever it was, it led to her debut studio album, At the Beach, In Every Life, a record that sounds less like a continuation and more like a fresh change.
Gigi Perez is proof that music hits hardest when it’s honest. Berklee may not have ended up being her long-term path, but that didn’t matter, her music had something real to say. And that low point in her life? Turns out, it was the start of her actual journey.
Thinking of catching her live? Here’s where she’ll be playing on the East Coast this fall:
Asbury Park, NJ → Sea Hear Now Music Festival → September 13, 2025
Bristow, VA → Unreal Unearth Tour → September 16–17, 2025
Forest Hills, NY → All Things Go → September 26, 2025
Columbia, MD → All Things Go → September 27, 2025
Bridgeport, CT → Soundside Music Festival → September 28, 2025
Boston, MA → At The Beach, In Every Life Tour → October 15, 2025
