Gigi Perez’s new queer love song doesn’t need the backing of a big label to be successful in the music industry.
“Normalcy,” released on March 15, is Perez’s first independent single after being let go by Interscope Records. The track, which has been in the works for over a year, was first teased on the singer’s TikTok in December 2022. The stripped-back snippet featured just Perez’s haunting vocals and the strum of her acoustic guitar, catching the attention of over 400,000 people on the app.
Since the release of that original video, Perez has posted various other incarnations of the song, many of which have also gone viral. But on March 8, Perez announced the release of a full-length, studio recording of the track, stating on her Instagram that she was “so happy to be here and to get to share this with [her audience].”
“It’s the first song that feels like mine in a long time,” Perez said, highlighting how important it is to her that she be an independent artist:
“What I can say is, I’d never trade my experiences for anything else. I think God saved me in a time where I really needed it and it worked. I was busy and distracted and I wasn’t so caught up in my grief as I could’ve been. Years later, I was stuck inside of a machine that didn’t work or make sense for me and I was unhappy.”
Quiet and expressive, “Normalcy” is a spacey ballad, championed by drawling acoustic guitar and Perez’s ghostly vocal tone. Built upon a simple sliding chord progression, the song’s musicality is fluid, populated by the thrum of the occasional electric guitar flourish and the swish of calloused fingers against well-worn strings. Beneath the track’s synth-distorted outward layer hides the dancing of distant keys and something that twinkles, mimicking the sound of faraway wind chimes.
While “Normalcy” is musically a gorgeous track, Perez’s ethereal vocals make the song so special. Androgynous in nature, the haunting tone of Perez’s voice promotes the added quality of something being restrained, begging to be set free. At the song’s beginning, the singer’s voice is breathy and quiet, giving the impression of weariness. But as the track progresses, Perez’s singing grows stronger, almost growling as she bangs on the walls of her enclosure, begging to be set free.
In the original TikTok video that featured “Normalcy,” Perez stated that the song was written about “coming to terms with a bizarre connection you have with someone and accepting that it may never be normal or understood.” While the gender of Perez’s lover is never explicitly stated in the song, the singer has shared that many of her tracks are about female partners. The lyrics that make up “Normalcy” paint the narrative of sapphic love beautifully, shining a spotlight on the confusion that can come with caring for someone of the same sex romantically.
Perez goes on to sing “You say I should visit / Your place in Austin / You know that I’d love to / But we shouldn’t be talking this often.” Simple and concise, these lyrics rattle painfully in the chests of those struggling to move on from a connection that won’t let them go. While some artists complain that new music often spoon-feeds its lyrical meaning to the listener, Perez manages to remain straightforward while still connecting with her audience deeply.
Although it may be easy for some to swipe past Perez’s videos without thinking, “Normalcy” proves that those people are truly missing out. A newly independent artist, it is clear that this singer doesn’t need a big label to back her. Perez is going to soar on her own.