I’m usually under the influence when I find new artists to listen to which I find enhances my experience greatly. It rarely happens, but there are times when a musician or song doesn’t sound as good sober as it did when I was drunk or high. Not GIRLI, though. When I first listened to her music off the sauce and flowers, I was more impressed with her than the night before. She didn’t just sound good, her songs were phenomenal!

Respect is not something that I feel for everybody; it has to be earned. But you have to respect GIRLI upon first listening like I did because she speaks to the humanity in us all. Most of us don’t care to be preached to, but she does it in such a way that is pleasurable and not at all obvious. Her gospel is one of love. She is bold, eloquent, and honest. This combination makes for some of the best music I’ve ever heard.

Her Damsel in Distress EP was released today and if you’re already a fan like me, you’ve heard all of the songs with the exception of "I Don’t Like Myself”. I don’t do album reviews because I suck at it, but I do know what I like and you will not find a single individual who will tell you that I don’t have good taste in music. I don’t limit my likes to songs that were popular in my generation or to any particular genre. My catalog of albums contains classical, jazz, soul, salsa, pop, rock, metal, reggae, afrobeat, r&b, and more. It spans from as far back as Bach to Earth, Wind, & Fire, to artists such as GIRLI. Great music belongs to no era in particular. You’ll never hear me say “back in my day, music was…”. The past doesn’t own me.

But, GIRLI’s musical talent isn’t the only thing that makes her a great musician. Her honesty is so genuine, you almost feel as if you’re intruding into someone’s personal affairs. She bares her soul in such a way that, if you’ve thought the same thoughts that she expresses in her songs, you can’t help but be moved. While I am nowhere near her target audience, I, too, relate to some of the personal issues she confronts (“Dysmorphia” and the aforementioned “I Don’t Like Myself”, come to mind). We live in a society where image is everything, which makes a lot of us feel out of place. It’s why we create our own spaces. It’s why GIRLI makes the kinds of songs that we can relate to on such a personal level. Our spaces are everything.

What cemented my respect and admiration for GIRLI is her YouTube series, GIRLI IRL (currently in Season Two). The conversations she has with her guests who are musicians from different parts of the world are brilliant! The discussions range from feminism to race, to politics and music. It looks like she’s hosting her show from her bedroom, which creates an incredibly intimate setting. Hearing these younger people talk about things that are important to them relieves a lot of the anxiety I feel about current events. I would imagine that the young people watching GIRLI IRL feel the same way. She is truly a treasure!

If at all possible, I recommend you attend her “first fully independent DIY self-funded tour”. She most definitely deserves our support.

Stream GIRLI, follow on Instagram. All photographs ©Haris Nukem Special thanks to Michelle Duffy at Halestorm PR.