By Ahni Brown Harbin, Staff Writer
TikTok, Time's Up For A New Star
Say what you will about TikTok, but never forget its power to give rise to amazing new voices in music. Gigi Perez is one of these voices that gained traction through social media, and her “Sailor Song” is giving the rest of the world a taste of her musical prowess. Released in July of 2024, the passionate indie folk acoustic ballad explores Sapphic love in a world often hostile to same-sex relationships. The song finds Perez longing for a beautiful woman that she met to love her openly and without shame.
Gigi Perez wrote “Sailor Song” one night in early 2024 in her childhood bedroom in Florida. She had been thinking about love that is so intense that it becomes all consuming, and verges on infatuation. The line “Won’t you kiss me on the mouth and love me like a sailor” came first, and encouraged by her younger sister, Perez stayed up until the chorus was complete. Perez then began to tease the song on social media, where it went viral. The song peaked at 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the first of Perez’s songs to do so.
What Sets "Sailor Song" In Different Seas
Compared to Hozier, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and the National, Gigi Perez’s indie folk sound, uniquely androgynous voice, and potent lyricisms combine to make “Sailor Song” unlike anything that I have ever heard. The depth of emotion combined with the rawness of the acoustics create an atmospheric song that is more of an experience than a piece of music. With three sets of vocals panned to the left, right, and center, the song surrounds you and feels like falling in love. It is simultaneously big and intimate, personal and yet so universally understandable.
“I don’t believe in God, but I believe that you’re my savior” Gigi Perez sings passionately in the chorus, evoking feelings of devotion and the kind of love that saves. One of the most potent lines in the song, it also drew heavy criticism online from people who took offense with the lyrics. The song is one about queerness and Sapphic love, and yet a conservative Christian community who the song was never meant for began to demand for Perez to change the lyrics to the song after it had been released.
For Perez, this song serves as a confrontation of the intersection of traditional religion, her own personal religion, and her sexuality, and changing the lyric, to her, would take away the meaning of the song. She poignantly said of the requests to change the lyric “My songwriting is not a democracy,” standing her ground and defending her work as an artist.
What's Next?
Since releasing her first song in 2021, Perez has toured supporting Coldplay, girl in red, and more. This summer, Gigi Perez will be supporting Hozier on his Unreal Unearth 2025 tour as well as headlining a few shows in April and May.
Every Monday, our music staff brings you a new Pick of The Week, detailing some of our favorite songs. Check out our previous Picks of the Week here, and make sure to tune in to WERS 88.9FM!
