Rising Cuban-American singer-songwriter Gigi Perez celebrates her Vevo DSCVR Artist of the Year title with an intimate visual journey back to where it all started.
Vevo has released Back to the Beach, a short film featuring live performances of “Fable” and “Sugar Water” from Perez’s critically-acclaimed debut album At the Beach, In Every Life.
Shot in Palm Beach, Florida, the film brings the 25-year-old artist back to Village Music Cafe, the intimate venue where she first honed her craft at open mic nights.
“One day, I drove by the mall and noticed that there was an open mic,” Perez recalls in the film. “Ever since that day I walked through the doors, the owners, Steven and Donna, took me in as their own kid, their musical child.”
The DSCVR Artist of the Year honour places Perez alongside previous recipients Reneé Rapp and Chappell Roan, recognising her meteoric rise throughout 2025. The year saw her perform 65 shows to over 700,000 people, a stark contrast to the small cafe setting where she built her confidence as a performer.
“Fable,” performed at Village Music Cafe in the film, holds particular significance for Perez. The track closes with a voicemail from her late older sister Celine, a moment that has resonated with hundreds of thousands of fans across her tour dates this year.
For a deeper look at the song’s powerful message, read our deep dive into the lyrics and meaning of “Fable.”
“Knowing that her voice has reached that many people, even if it was just for a moment in the set, that moment comes at the very end of the song where I feel her reverberate through so many people,” she shares.
The film also captures a touching moment where cafe owner Steve presents Perez with her first guitar, now repaired after years of wear. “This is a gift that was given to me by a family friend,” she explains. “I wrote a lot of songs on it. I’m so happy that I get to play this guitar again.”
JP Evangelista, SVP of Content, Programming and Marketing at Vevo, praises the singer’s authenticity: “With a sound that is bold yet vulnerable, storytelling that’s deeply authentic, and a stage presence that is simply unmatched, she perfectly embodies the next generation of artists that Vevo always loves to champion.”
Perez’s 2025 breakthrough followed years of obstacles and setbacks. “I think the first few years of putting music out under my artist name, there were a lot of constant roadblocks,” she admits. “Like, every single day, there was a door that you opened, and behind it was like a little fist that punched you in the face. But this year, it was different.”
The self-produced debut album At the Beach, In Every Life, released in April 2025, explores themes of grief, love, faith and sexuality. Her breakout single “Sailor Song” helped propel her into the mainstream, leading to support slots with Hozier and an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Back to the Beach serves as both a celebration of how far Perez has come and a reminder of the foundations that shaped her artistry.
For an artist who now commands festival stages and sells out headline shows, the return to Village Music Cafe feels like coming full circle.