For hit singer-songwriter Gigi Perez, Austin City Limits was a graduation

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Gigi Perez’s performance at the Austin City Limits Festival earlier this month felt incredibly meaningful, like a reflection of how much she’d developed as an artist over the past four years.

In 2021, the Cuban American singer-songwriter had just signed a record deal and was gaining attention for a couple of songs she’d posted online – the gentle acoustic track “Sometimes (Backwood)” and the emotionally honest “Celene.” That year’s Austin City Limits festival was her first ever performance, and even though she played early in the day on a small stage to only a few dozen people, she was thrilled. She’d dreamed of this moment for years and was simply happy to be performing.

Perez recently returned to Austin having quickly become a well-known artist. Her hugely popular 2024 song, the heartfelt ballad “Sailor Song,” reached number one in the U.K. and has been streamed over a billion times on Spotify. Riding this wave of success, she spent the first six months of the year opening for Hozier while promoting her first album, “At the Beach, in Every Life,” which came out in 2025.

Seeing her perform at ACL in October was incredible. It wasn’t just any set, it was during that perfect golden hour, and the crowd was massive! But the best part? Everyone knew the words to her songs and was singing along with her – it was a really special moment.

Perez described the experience as magical, noting that some of the people in the audience had been at his very first performance back in 2021, and were right up front. He said it was incredibly meaningful to him, and he’s still surprised and grateful when people come to see him perform at festivals.

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I’ve always been fascinated by artists with compelling backstories, and Kamila Perez is no exception. She’s only 25, but you get the feeling she’s seen a lot. Growing up in West Palm Beach, Florida, after being born in New Jersey, she was raised in a really close-knit, religious Cuban family – smack-dab in the middle of her two sisters. It definitely feels like that upbringing shaped who she is today.

Growing up, her religious beliefs started to conflict with her understanding of her own sexuality, and music became a source of support. Artists like Hayley Kiyoko and Troye Sivan, who identify as LGBTQ+, helped her understand feelings she couldn’t quite put into words, and motivated her to write her own music to express those feelings.

When she was 18 and getting ready to start at Berklee College of Music, she faced the heartbreaking loss of her grandmother and uncle, who both passed away within weeks of each other. This deeply affected her and made her question her beliefs. Still grieving, she then experienced another devastating blow just months into the pandemic with the unexpected death of her older sister, Celene.

Perez felt lost and adrift. Celene had always been her inspiration – the person who encouraged her to pursue music, and who dreamed of being a singer herself. So, Perez did what she did best: she channeled her sadness, anger, and heartbreak into a powerful song, a heartfelt tribute called “Celene.”

She sang, ‘I had a funny thought recently, but I knew only you would get it.’ Then she added, ‘My parents are constantly upset, and I just don’t know how to help them.’

She first became known for her original songs on TikTok, which caught the attention of Interscope Records. This led to opportunities like opening for Coldplay and Noah Cyrus, and in April 2023, she released her debut EP, “How to Catch a Falling Knife.” However, just a few months later, while performing in London, the record label ended their contract with her.

She said she was completely shocked. It felt like an instant and overwhelming sense of fear and disappointment.

Grief is a strange thing. It’s incredibly powerful and overwhelming, but also comes in unexpected ways. Even though Perez was deeply upset by this news, she realized it didn’t compare to the pain of losing her sister. She explained that most things in life don’t affect her as deeply, and that experience, even now, is difficult to put into words.

Celene dreamed of performing on Broadway as a child, and she shared her passion with Gigi. She introduced her to musicals in many ways – through a homemade recording of “Legally Blonde,” a live performance of “Wicked,” and the music from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights.” They listened to one song from that soundtrack, “Breathe,” over and over. The song is sung by Nina, a character in “In the Heights” whose parents immigrated to Washington Heights, and it tells the story of her returning home feeling embarrassed after having to leave Stanford University.

“That’s how I was feeling at the time,” Perez professed.

She was captivated by a song she heard in London, playing it over and over. Soon, she began to write. She’s always written intuitively, like improvising music – simply sitting at the piano or with her guitar and letting the ideas come naturally. The title, “At the Beach, in Every Life,” came to her immediately, and then the lyrics followed, almost as if she was just transcribing them.

She recalled the moment she first played those piano chords, saying she had no idea what the future held. She just felt something new blossoming within her, though she couldn’t have imagined how profoundly it would change her life, or that she’d become a traveling artist. She only had a sense of possibility, and experiencing it firsthand was even more incredible than she’d dreamed.

Music

I have to say, this 25-year-old artist really impressed me. She first caught everyone’s attention with the incredibly catchy ‘Sailor Song,’ which blew up online. But trust me, that was just a taste of what she’s capable of – she’s got a lot more depth and a lot more to share with the world.

Once she finished her obligations in the U.K., she returned to Florida and started over from her childhood bedroom. She learned how to produce music and continued writing songs. Unexpectedly, everything from the past few years started to make sense, and she finally found a way to express the grief she’d been carrying.

Perez’s album, “At the Beach, In Every Life,” showcases a deeply personal journey of emotional release. The songs move from sadness and regret – evident in tracks like “Sugar Water” and “Crown” – to a powerful, fiery energy on “Chemistry” and “Sailor Song.” The album culminates in the poignant title track, offering a sense of resolution. It’s a collection of vivid memories about her childhood, family, and past relationships, ultimately painting a picture of loss and longing. Perez describes it as the album she needed five years ago, when she was struggling with overwhelming pain.

“I felt lost for a long time,” she explained. “I never imagined I’d be able to talk about my grief like this. Back then, it felt like I couldn’t breathe, and I was completely alone.”

Perez used to feel embarrassed by her sadness, but she longed to talk about what she was experiencing without letting it take over her identity. She explained, “I didn’t want people to see me only as the sister who was grieving, but I really needed to express my feelings and acknowledge my sister.” Ultimately, she realized that recognizing her sister’s memory was essential for her own well-being.

It’s amazing to see how far she’s come. Just five years ago, things were so different, but now she really seems to have turned a corner and is building a new life for herself. She’s found a way to live with her grief, and even honor her sister’s memory in a way that’s actually helping her move forward. She admits healing isn’t always clear-cut, and her sister’s death still deeply affects her, but she’s made the best of a terrible situation. What’s especially powerful is that she’s able to share her journey with others, even though it’s hard because she often feels like no one truly understands what she’s going through.

She explained that realizing she wasn’t the only one struggling with difficult questions about life had been incredibly helpful, even life-saving. She used to feel hopeless, but knowing others felt the same way gave her a sense of connection and purpose, allowing her to keep going. It’s like we can support each other through tough times, and that makes all the difference.

While making the album, Perez included both of her sisters in the creative process. Her sister Celene appears in voice memos and even sings a bit on the song “Survivor’s Guilt.” Perez also co-wrote “Sugar Water” with her younger sister, Bella, and they perform it together during concerts. “Having two sisters is both chaotic and incredibly close,” Perez explained. “We’ve always loved each other, and my sisters really shaped who I am as a woman. Celene and Bella are the people who reflect me the most.”

Despite a chaotic and unexpected year, Perez feels stable thanks to having her family close by. Her mother now helps manage her career, and her father is traveling with them.

Perez explained that when you’re deeply immersed in something, it can be difficult to fully experience it the way you want to. However, recently revisiting the places where she started performing has given her a chance to think about how much she’s developed and improved over time.

Once her tour finishes, she’s planning to return to Florida to take some time to think about everything that’s happened. She explained, “I feel like that’s when it will truly hit me.” She added that life is unpredictable, but this past year was something she’d hoped for, and many of her loved ones had wished for as well, so she’s incredibly thankful.

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2025-10-27 23:02