Giselle Bellas (often referred to mononymously by her stage name Giselle), is a Cuban-American singer-songwriter and multimedia performer.

Giselle Bellas
Background information
Birth nameGiselle Bellas
BornMiami, Florida, U.S.
Genresindie pop, baroque pop, art pop, alternative
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, flute
Years active2015–present
LabelsIndependent
Websitewww.giselle.us Edit this at Wikidata

Background

edit

Originally from Miami, Florida, Giselle moved to New York City to pursue a singing career. Though classically trained in opera, Giselle's vocal style evolved as she began charting new territories as a songwriter. Inspired by her family's taste in predominantly Latin music, jazz, and oldies, in addition to her own love of classical music and pop music, Giselle began to build a successful music career of her own.[1] Her sound has been called "a combination of the dark ethereal nature of Fiona Apple and the vibrant passion of Florence & The Machine set in a smoky jazz club."[2]

Career

edit

Classically trained, Giselle began her career by recording opera demos for music studios to potentially be used in television and film. Her voice is featured heavily in the Emmy Award winning FX comedy series Louie, most notably the viral "Diarreah Song" which would quickly become an internet hit and receive national praise.[3] After running into pop and indie music producers who encouraged her to release her own original music, Giselle released her debut EP, Change Me in 2016.[1]

In 2017, Giselle released her first full-length album titled Not Ready To Grow Up (stylized as not ready to grow up).[4] Shortly before the album's release, Giselle launched a campaign aiming to hire solely female directors for each music video. [5] The album was well received by critics, and is widely considered her most vulnerable work to date.[6]

Giselle is a staple in the independent music and underground performing arts scene, having opened for big acts such as St. Vincent, Wyclef Jean,[7] and more. In 2023 she announced that she was writing her own original multidisciplinary musical entitled 'Florence Foster Jenkins Schubertiade Review'; a satirical play inspired by the infamous opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins, written, produced, directed, and starring Bellas. [8][9] The sold-out premiere of the musical received rave reviews, and Bellas continues to perform the show across the country.

Bellas's original music often goes viral on various social media applications, particularly on the live streaming platform Live.Me, as do her "guerrilla covers" - covers of other artist's music released within 24 hours of the original release.

Advocacy

edit

As a tribute to her grandmother who died from Alzheimer's disease in 2016, Giselle wrote the track, "Hazy Eyes" and has since become an advocate, working closely with Alzheimer's organizations such as Alzheimer's New Jersey[10][11] and Act Now.

Discography

edit

Albums and extended plays

edit
  • Change Me (2016)
  • Not Ready To Grow Up (2017)
  • Bring the Curtain Down (2020)
  • As Dreamers Do (2024)

Singles

edit
  • "Save Me" (2016)
  • "Hazy Eyes" (2016)
  • "Devil in the Details" (2019)

Filmography

edit
  • Louie (2015)
  • E.ro.sion, noun (2017)

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Home". Giselle. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  2. ^ "Singer Giselle Bellas, of 'Louie' fame, opts for pop at Pianos show". New York Daily News. January 12, 2016.
  3. ^ https://www.salon.com/2015/05/08/i_dream_of_dying_babies_lets_talk_about_the_completely_insane_song_at_the_end_of_the_louie_nightmare_episode/
  4. ^ "Jersey City/NYC Indie Pop Singer Giselle Releases Mixtape, "not ready to grow up"". Jersey Indie. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  5. ^ "NYC Pop Singer Giselle is Not Ready to Grow Up". #Tealcheese. January 12, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  6. ^ https://www.labaatan.com/music/not-ready-to-grow-up-a-review
  7. ^ https://www.metro.us/news/local-news/new-york/new-york-subway-performers-concert-series
  8. ^ https://www.nj.com/hudson/2023/05/opera-singer-from-jersey-city-puts-it-all-on-display-with-new-jctc-show.html
  9. ^ https://pix11.com/calendar/?_escaped_fragment_=/show/?start=2021-12-23#!/details/Giselle-s-Florence-Foster-Jenkins-Schubertiade-Review/13420873/2024-05-25T19
  10. ^ "Video Premiere: Giselle'S 'Hazy Eyes' Speaks to the Struggle of Alzheimer'S". Pancakes and Whiskey. November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  11. ^ Foster, Allen. "Interview: Giselle to host a benefit to raise money for Alzheimer's New Jersey". AXS. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
edit