Sailor Song (song)
| "Sailor Song" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Gigi Perez | ||||
| Released | July 26, 2024 | |||
| Genre | Indie folk | |||
| Length | 3:31 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Gianna Perez | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Gigi Perez singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Sailor Song" on YouTube | ||||
"Sailor Song" is a song by American singer-songwriter Gigi Perez, released as a single on July 26, 2024. Her third independent track following her release from Interscope Records, it went viral on TikTok and reached the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK singles chart, her first track to do either. The track received criticism from far-right conservative Christian communities, prompting Perez to state that her songwriting was "not a democracy".
Background
[edit]Perez went viral on TikTok in 2021 for her tracks "Celene"[1] and "Sometimes (Backwood)",[2] prompting Interscope Records to sign her and release her EP How to Catch a Falling Knife.[1] Following her release from the label, Perez reverted to releasing music independently, starting with "Normalcy" and "Please Be Rude" in 2024.[3]
Composition and reception
[edit]In April 2024, she began teasing on TikTok the acoustic ballad "Sailor Song", where it went viral. The song describes Perez being attracted to a woman who looks like actress Anne Hathaway.[4] In the chorus, she asks her lover to "kiss me on the mouth and love me like a sailor"[5] and "And when you get a taste, can you tell me, what's my flavor?"[4] Perez released the track on July 26, 2024; by 27 August, the initial clip had soundtracked over 40,000 videos on the platform and the official audio had been used in over 75,000.[3] Fans likened her sound to that of indie folk artists such as Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and Hozier,[3] while the Official Charts Company wrote that the track had been compared to Hozier, The National, and Bon Iver.[4]
The song drew criticism from far-right conservative Christian communities online for the lyrics "I don't believe in God / But I believe that you're my savior".[4] In August 2024, in response to requests to remove this lyric, Perez wrote in captions on TikTok that she would not entertain such a lyric change as her songwriting was "not a democracy".[3] Lucy Harbron of Far Out gave the song a rating of 4.5 out of 5, complimenting both "her utterly unique and stunning voice that is rich with emotion" and "her sharp lyricism that manages to articulate even the trickiest feelings with pure poetry".[5] The track became both her first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100[3] and her first to reach the UK singles chart.[4]
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[6] | 34 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[7] | 51 |
| Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[8] | 43 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[9] | 91 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[10] | 10 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[11] | 17 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] | 69 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] | 19 |
| Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[14] | 69 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[15] | 99 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] | 92 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[17] | 13 |
| UK Indie (OCC)[18] | 4 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[19] | 68 |
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[20] | 8 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Daly, Rhian (April 28, 2023). "Brooklyn's Gigi Perez shares new EP 'How To Catch A Falling Knife'". NME. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Q&A: From Going Viral on TikTok to Playing with Coldplay, gigi Discusses Her Journey in Music". THE LUNA COLLECTIVE. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ a b c d e Zellner, Xander (August 27, 2024). "Hot 100 First-Timers: Gigi Perez Debuts With Queer Love Ballad 'Sailor Song'". Billboard. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Griffiths, George (28 August 2024). "Who is Gigi Perez? New artist blowing up with viral hit Sailor Song". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ a b Harbron, Lucy (4 August 2024). "The Big Indie Playlist: The best new music of the week". Far Out. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of September 14, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 36. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Global 200: Week of September 14, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ^ "2024 37-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. September 13, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ^ "Gigi Perez – Sailor Song" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202436 into search. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 37". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ^ "Gigi Perez – Sailor Song". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100: Week of September 14, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: Week of September 14, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2024.