This past April 205, Gigi Perez released her first album titled At The Beach, In Every Life. If you hear this name, and think you’ve never heard of her, chances are you have. If you’ve ever heard of the song, “Sailor Song”, a song that went viral on TikTok, then you’ve heard Perez’s voice before.
At The Beach, In Every Life is a tribute to Perez’s older sister, Celene who passed away in July of 2020. This is an alternative/indie folk album that intertwines themes of grief, religion, and sexuality.
Gigi Perez began her career in 2018 with songs such as “Sometimes (Backwood)”, leading to the release of her first ep in 2023, How to Catch a Falling Knife. Perez gained a greater following at this time, however it wasn’t until Perez’s hit song titled “Sailor Song” was released in July of 2024, when Perez began getting the credit she deserved. The song blew up on TikTok, being featured in over 100,000 videos which contributed to it being top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Coming off of the success of her hit song, Gigi Perez released her first album called At The Beach, In Every Life.
The vulnerability and emotional depth of this album stands out, especially in the song “Sugar Water”, which describes the grief of losing a sibling and how it creates a desire to go back in time. Throughout this song, Perez describes her childhood, listing the different things she did as a child such as “The texture of our Barbiе’s hair/The trampolines we flew mid-air.”
This theme continues throughout the album and can also be seen in the song “Fable.” In the song, Perez expresses her wish to see her sister in the afterlife, but unfortunately cannot see this as a possibility due to her lack of faith and sexual orientation. Heartbreaking lyrics such as “Stars blink like my sister’s eyes” and “I dream of eternal life” beautifully capture the core of this song and the overall message of this album.
It’s not only the lyrics of Perez’s tracks that capture listeners, but also her unique vocals and the sharp acoustics. Gigi Perez has an impressive vocal range that was showcased throughout the album.
My personal favorite off of this album, “Please Be Rude,” centers around a romantic relationship that has a push and pull dynamic, with Perez asking her significant other to be honest or “rude” to her. This song has Perez’s signature of powerful acoustics and melodic vocals.
I recommend this album for its deep lyricism, indie/folk aspects, and for the overall message of the album that speaks to things we all experience: Loss, love, and grief.
