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