Music

Known for her distinctly deep voice, Perez is the powerhouse behind “Sailor Song,” the viral, chart-topping hit that launched her into the mainstream. But that was only the beginning.

If you don’t already know Gigi Perez, it’s time to take notice.

Known for her distinctly deep voice, Perez is the powerhouse who penned “Sailor Song,” the 2024 hit single which went viral on TikTok, joined the Spotify Billions Club, soared to No. 1 in the United Kingdom, spent months in the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States — peaking at No. 22 — and earned four-times platinum status by the RIAA, among other widespread acclaim.

The Cuban-American singer-songwriter then cruised into a breakout year in 2025, as she released her debut album “At The Beach, In Every Life” via Island Records and earned the honor of VEVO’s “DSCVR Artist of the Year.“

Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, and raised in Florida, Perez briefly studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left school after the sudden death of her older sister Celene in July 2020. Amidst unimaginable grief, Perez channeled love and loss into the song “Celene” and found an audience on TikTok via the songwriting process, as detailed in a Rolling Stone feature published last year.

This year, in between her own headlining performances, Perez is supporting Noah Kahan on his “The Great Divide” Tour, including his four sold-out shows at Fenway Park this week.

On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Perez not only performed a roughly 40-minute opening set featuring tracks like “Fable” and “Sugar Water,” but she also joined Kahan on stage for a duet of his 2022 song, “She Calls Me Back.”

Boston.com caught up with Perez during this special week at Fenway Park to talk Berklee, Boston, and more. Since she was unfortunately on vocal rest between shows, the singer-songwriter answered some questions over email.

Note: The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Boston.com: You were born in New Jersey, raised in Florida, but you found your way to Boston for a brief stint at Berklee College of Music before kick-starting your music career via platforms like TikTok and Soundcloud. How did your time at Berklee impact your journey as an artist? Were there any moments in your Boston experience that helped shape who you are today? 

Gigi Perez: Berklee impacted me greatly! Although my time there was short, it was formative into who I am today as an artist. I went into the experience wide-eyed and eager to learn, and I feel that the basic knowledge I learned in a year is applicable to some extent in the work I do, but more so, [it] connected the dots in things I was already doing. It sunk into me enough for me to learn [the] basics, but I think a lot of my songwriting is driven by my ear, and I always preferred to keep it that way, but if I need to understand something, I know I can find somewhere to start. 

This isn’t your first time performing at Boston’s beloved ballpark. You also opened Hozier’s show at Fenway in June 2025. A few months later, you returned to the neighborhood for your own headlining tour with a stop at House of Blues on Lansdowne Street. From the “Cathedral of Boston” to the much more intimate space at the HOB, how did those performances prepare you for this week’s series of shows? 

Those shows were magnificent! I would walk around Fenway Park and House of Blues all the time during scoop and just imagine what it would feel like to get to play there. I saw FKA twigs play HOB in 2019, and it was a life-changing experience. I felt so strongly that I was meant to do that someday, and it’s so surreal to have had the full-circle experience. With those shows, I think Fenway with Noah for me is about just letting go and having fun. Always giving it 100% and finding new ways in the moment to play with the songs and the set and the audience, but it’s more freeing than nerve-wracking. Every day is a gift.

During your time at Berklee, did you have any go-to hangout spots around Boston? Are there any places that hold special meaning for you or generally, helped make the city feel a bit like home? 

To be honest, I struggled to find community while at school and tended to hang out with people one-on-one for the most part. I wish I could’ve discovered more parts of Boston and spent long enough to experience the full possibilities, but there are friendships [I] have today that root back from Berklee. It’s funny how many friends I’ve become close with in the last few years who also went to Berklee but we didn’t know each other while at school.

For anyone new to your music, how would you describe your approach to songwriting? What do you hope audiences take away from a live show experience? 

My songwriting is whatever I’m thinking, whatever needs to be expelled. There’s an immediate relief when I write the things that I haven’t been able to put into words or make sense of, and I think songwriting is my way of doing that. And the live shows, I hope that people take away whatever it is they are looking for. Whether it’s to disappear into the moment or go to the places emotionally you’ve been wanting to go. Grief, loss, being in love, or just because you love music. I don’t have a goal for anyone else except that you know you’re loved and safe to be exactly who you are when you’re at my show. 

On and off stage, as well as via his nonprofit The Busyhead Foundation, Noah Kahan has been a vocal advocate for making mental healthcare accessible for all. How do you take care of your own mental health while on tour? Do you have any tour bus essentials or specific routines that keep you grounded while on the road? 

I have a therapist that I’ve had since high school and she’s helped me keep myself grounded through all of my struggles. It’s important to have someone to talk to and I find it helps me be OK. I walk a lot, tour makes walking a little challenging but I try to walk to clear my mind and get my endorphins running. Strength training is also really great and helps me feel confident and strong mentally and physically. And I like to be quiet when I can.

Perez continues her support of Kahan’s tour with two more shows at Fenway Park on Friday and Saturday nights. Check out Boston.com’s review and setlists of the first two nights for more on Kahan’s performances.

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