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Photo:  Ryan Scott Graham

Up-and-coming artist grentperez has come a long way since posting covers on Youtube. After the success of his 2020 cover series, “Sing You to Sleep,” more on that later, the indie singer-songwriter has melted our hearts and enamored our ears with his endearing blend of bedroom pop, soul, and R&B.

grentperez first started uploading covers consistently to Youtube in 2016 when he was a teenager, debuting with none other than Justin Bieber's “Love Yourself.” He continued to upload popular covers of songs throughout the next few years, showcasing his range with the likes of Ed Sheeran's “Thinking Out Loud” and Daniel Caesar's “Japanese Denim.” In 2020, the budding artist would experience their first taste of internet fame with “Sing You to Sleep,” a 14-part covers series designed to help others sleep during the stresses of the pandemic. After the unexpected success and a moment of self-examination on what he wanted to do with his life, education was an essential priority in his household, he dropped out of college, never looked back, and went all-in on music.

The first official single grentperez put out was a remastered version of his song “Confusing Girl.” Released over a year after the original and demo version, the song featured production by Linden Jay, who had previously worked with artists like Doja Cat and Joji. The sun-soaked debut single featured what are now hallmarks of grentperez’s work, including soulful yet sweet vocals and carefully crafted, intricate indie pop-rock sonics that make listeners want to dance and maybe cry a little. Not one to rest on his laurels, two weeks later saw the release of his debut EP, Demo(s) About Love, a collection of intimate and raw demos.

Only days later, as if to make up for lost time, grentperez revealed the release date and cover art for his next single, “Cherry Wine,” the lead single from his sophomore EP, Conversations With The Moon.  He teased the track on his Instagram by performing a snippet of the first verse and chorus. The tease would eventually result in  his most successful song to date, earning over 39 million streams on Spotify alone.

Following the success of “Cherry Wine,” grentperez released “My Heart It Beats for You,” the second single from Conversations With The Moon, showcasing a more upbeat and uplifting side to the artist. The song, which also features a section in Tagalog, was a collaboration between grentperez and his Twitch community. “I started off by coming up with a chord progression that I liked, then moving into the writing,” he shared with NYLON. “I just had an open floor for people to come up with certain lines that would fit, and I’d handpick them and adjust them slightly to tailor to the song.” The lines he picked ultimately made up the second verse. In addition, the community aspect of the track carried over into the song’s community music video, which features a combination of worldwide fan-submitted videos.

The singer closed out 2021 with the release of “Clementine,” which effortlessly combined R&B, pop, and soul elements. The single explored the darker side of love, revolving around heartbreak and not being able to move on from a relationship. The track took heavy inspiration from cult classic Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, so it was named after Kate Winslet’s character. However, despite its darker, moodier theme, it still featured grentperez's signature light and swaying sound. The top of the year saw the release of his last single, “Absence of You.” The song tells the story of the aftermath of a harsh breakup and the painful realization that the relationship was never truly going both ways.  

On Valentine’s Day 2022, Perez’s long-awaited sophomore EP Conversations With The Moon finally dropped. Consisting of four of his previously released singles, the six-track record combined indie and R&B guitar melodies with pop and soul elements, urging listeners to feel the “feels” and, most importantly, served as a sonic testament that his music could touch hearts across the globe.  

It wasn’t long before the Australia-based artist started releasing new music. His latest single to date, “Wishful Thinking,” is a track full of sweet, intricate songwriting and swooning melodies that poetically depict matters of the heart. The 20-year-old artist explained that the song was about a relationship that was yet to be and how people can “daydream a lifetime’s worth of love from the first moment you met that special someone.”

grentperez exemplifies the best parts of what it means to be a hopeful romantic. His music is a special blend of thoughtful, personal, honest, and endearing. It holds an infectious optimism that encourages listeners to keep their hearts open to love, whether it comes from the people we meet in our lives or from within.