Recommended Tracks: “Falling for a Friend”, “Fuzzy Feeling”, “Yours To Keep”
Artists You May Like: Rex Orange County, Dayglow, Still Woozy
A classically old soul trapped in a Gen-Z body, Australian-born artist grentperez, born Grant Perez, noted in a 2023 Rolling Stone interview that he attributes the overarching themes of love and nostalgia within his music to his Filipino roots. In his debut full-length studio album released today, March 28th, entitled, Backflips in a Restaurant, there is no shortage of whimsical, love-filled tracks experimenting with a multitude of genres that showcase this influence. From his humble beginnings posting clips of his singing and guitar skills on Youtube to touring alongside household names, Perez’s career continues to soar with tens of millions of streams across his four latest singles in anticipation for the full album release.
On Backflips in a Restaurant, he follows in the footsteps of those he’s inspired by, such as soft rock 70’s artists like The Carpenters and the Eagles, while simultaneously putting his most authentic self forward in his music. This catchy, genre-bending album focuses on feelings of adoration and curiosity of the “could be”’s. It is clear that Perez is on cloud 9 in the moments both with and just thinking about his muse, diving into how it feels for him to be in love, perhaps for the first time. This era of grentperez demonstrates immense amounts of experimenting to find out what feels right in the moment — whether that be sonically, lyrically, or romantically.
In collaboration with Dutch singer/songwriter Benny Sings, Perez dropped “Fuzzy Feeling” in September 2024, which showcases the overarching themes of infatuation and longing that span the entire album encapsulated within an upbeat, cheerful vibe. This track tells the ever-relatable story of effortlessly falling for someone (or something – that something being cars in the accompanying music video, funnily enough) without them particularly knowing the massive effect they have on you.
“Headspace” and “Reason Why” give audiences a peek into the perspective of the muse, as these anthems present Perez as a kind of moderator within the story, seeking to get his muse out of their own head. Touching on overthinking and letting anxiety lead with lyrics like, “’Cause life’s too short for you to be crammed in your headspace” and “Just tell me what you’re feeling / ‘Cause I can’t read between your lines,” Perez attempts to bring this person back down to earth, quelling their anxieties and reassuring them that if they could see themselves through his eyes, then they could see their true beauty and infatuating impact.
Another standout track entitled “Falling for a Friend” uses playful, dreamy melodies to put feelings into words about what it means to know that a person is meant to be your person. It gives listeners a glimpse of what your platonic relationship could look like if it were to develop into a romantic one. This track dives deep into the “what if”’s of the relationship, daydreaming about best case scenarios, reiterating the idea that this muse doesn’t know their effect on Perez with lyrics like, “I’m wrapped round this finger of yours / And you wouldn’t even know it.” These initial feelings of yearning take a deep dive into a borderline delusional kind of love on “Everest,” encompassing all the emotions that come with the type of love that leaves you feeling on top of the world and truly invincible.
Perez wraps the album up beautifully with “Yours to Keep.” It’s the type of song that makes you want to slow dance under a gazebo in a field on a sunny spring day. The strumming background instrumentals paired with the delightful lyrical imagery of daisies, a nice breeze, blue skies, and a full and taken heart make for the ending that audiences can only hope for when approaching an album based on young love.
Overall, Backflips in a Restaurant does well in portraying exactly what Perez was feeling in these moments of adoration – and the catchiness and relatability of the album makes it one that spans audiences and is easy to get hooked on. I hope he continues to follow his intuition and experiment with different sounds to dive deeper into the niche that is his own creative mind and find out exactly who he is and how he wants to present himself to his audience.
Listen to Backflips in a Restaurant.
Keep up with grentperez: Website // Instagram // TikTok // YouTube // Spotify
