Singer-songwriter Gigi Perez released her debut album, At The Beach, In Every Life, Friday, April 25. Perez announced At The Beach, In Every Life on her YouTube and Instagram platforms April 14, leaving fans excited for the quick release. The 12-track album features five previously-released singles, including recent songs “Chemistry” and “Normalcy.” The album falls into a pop-folk-indie genre unique to the artist and her sound.
Perez began songwriting at 15 years old from her childhood home in West Palm Beach, Florida. Over the COVID-19 pandemic, she uploaded videos of her songs to TikTok and became known for her acoustic guitar instrumentals and her masculine, versatile, and memorable voice.
She got her big break in 2024 when her single “Sailor Song” went viral, trending on Billboard Hot 100 for multiple months and amassing over 940 million streams on Spotify. The song is included as the first track on At The Beach, In Every Life, setting the tone with its acoustic melody conveying themes of sapphic love and a summery feeling.
The fourth track, “Normalcy,” runs over five and a half minutes. Although lengthy, it is a well-written track, a slow-paced, dreamlike storytelling of a love song. “And one out of twenty / isn’t so bad / And I need you now / Here in my lap / I’m gonna freak out,” Perez sings as the bridge of the song builds and intensifies.
The seventh track, titled “Survivor’s Guilt,” begins with a clip of Perez’s late sister Celene singing opera, letting listeners know who the track is about. The short clip fades to an intense and heavy instrumental. The track is unique and devastating without any lyrics or vocals from Perez at all.
“Fable,” the ninth track, is the second tribute on the album to her sister. Full of emotion and vivid songwriting, Perez illustrates what grief feels like; to interact with others and remembering someone who has passed away. The song also goes over subtle themes of religious trauma from her childhood. “When I lifted her urn / Divinity says, ‘Destiny can’t be earned or returned’ / I feel when I question, my skin starts to burn / Capital loss / Love was the law and religion was taught.”
In the final track, bearing the name of the album title, “At the Beach, In Every Life,” Perez saves the best for last. With a catchy tune and simple chords, she blends upbeat vocal tones with emotional lyrics. “And I wash up on the shore / You would find me at the beach / In every life, through every door,” Perez sings in the last verse, using the name of the song and the album. The track feels like getting to know the singer through its personal lyrics about who she is, in addition to feeling like a sister song to her biggest hit, “Sailor Song,” with a similar vibe and lyrical theme.
At the Beach, In Every Life is a no-skip album. From love songs to songs of grief and loss, it captures listeners in a world full of emotion, life, morals, and the beach. Perez outdid herself on her very first album, earning it a five out of five feathers.
