Gabriella Raelyn delves into her artistry, the inspiration behind ‘peace OR love,’ and the thematic elements of her NEPHELE: ACT I .
GABRIELLA RAELYN‘s captivating song, ‘peace OR love,’ takes listeners on a heartfelt journey through the artist’s inner turmoil.
As the second installment in her ‘NEPHELE: ACT I’ project, the new track beautifully explores the choice between two powerful forces: peace and love.
With a friendly and sincere tone, Gabriella invites us to delve into her conflicting emotions, not only in the realm of relationships but also in her passionate connection with music.
Drawing inspiration from retro vaporwave vibes with a hint of Taylor Swift, early Lady Gaga, and MARINA, ‘peace OR love’ blends introspective synths to create a lush soundscape that envelops listeners.
The ethereal composition, combined with an experimental reggaeton-style beat, makes for a truly unique sonic experience.
The song’s melodies swirl around the dichotomy of desiring love while acknowledging the potential peace that comes with walking away.
As the rapid-fire lyricism unfolds, we can feel the anxiety and uncertainty of not knowing which path to choose.
It captures the universal struggle of being torn between following our dreams and facing the demanding realities they entail.
Within the pounding beat lies a deep sincerity that resonates with anyone who has experienced the bittersweet pursuit of their passions.
Gabriella’s heartfelt vocals and the evocative production create a powerful synergy that pulls at our heartstrings and invites introspection.
‘peace OR love’ showcases Gabriella Raelyn’s talent for crafting thought-provoking and emotionally charged music.
With her unique blend of reggaeton synth pop, she delivers a track that not only captivates our ears but also touches our souls.
Through her artistic expression, Gabriella invites us to reflect on our own personal journeys and the difficult choices we face along the way.
As we immerse ourselves in the world of ‘peace OR love,’ we can’t help but appreciate the sincerity and artistry that Gabriella Raelyn brings to her music, leaving us eagerly anticipating the next chapter of her NEPHELE project.
Read along for an insight into Gabriella’s artistry, and the liminal dreamscape or peace OR love.
Happy: What are you up to today?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: Today I went out for breakfast with my family to celebrate the release of my new single!
Given that it’s been a grueling month preparing for the release, today is all about relaxing and treating myself a little bit, and maybe I’ll go to the mall and get a few new shirts.
Happy: Tell us about where you are from? What’s the music scene like in your neck of the woods?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: I am originally from Aurora, Colorado. I moved out of there partially because there’s virtually no music scene there, apart from folk cover bands, which is decidedly not my scene.
Now, I live in the Los Angeles area, and the music scene here is very vibrant. Little gigs are happening every night somewhere, open mics are plentiful, and one doesn’t have to look far to find like-minded artists. It’s quite the welcome change!
Happy: Describe your average day?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: I’m a hermit. I do all of my work from home, which is just the way I like it. I’ll plan my week on Monday, and each day complete the scheduled tasks to keep myself organized.
Most of that looks like making a new cover, since I do a new one every month on YouTube and SoundCloud, or making a new original song.
I also do any administrative work, like updating my website or planning my next release. I batch film the week’s TikToks, and then the next day, edit them all.
Once those tasks are done, I like to teach myself a new song to play on the piano or draw. Once a week, I’ll go and take a pole dancing class which is loads of fun.
Happy: What about your ultimate day?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: My ultimate day would honestly be a day where I do nothing at all. Ha! I’m always doing stuff, so a day where there’s no obligations would be amazing, just a day to recharge and binge one of my favorite shows and play games would be great.
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Happy: What did you read or watch growing up that fuelled your passion for music?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: My earliest memories of music involve lots of kid shows, like Little Einsteins or The Wiggles.
I really think they instilled my basic understanding of music. When I was in elementary school, in music class we would watch VCRs of Animusic (animated sentient instruments that play really cool music, highly recommend), STOMP, and Blue Man Group.
That was seriously my favorite thing to do in school.
Happy: How has your music evolved over time, and what do you see as the key themes and ideas that run through your work?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: I’ve definitely developed my own style and sound over the years. I have a huge love for the 80s, and I tend to stay in minor keys when I make my songs. I like a certain darker, angstier sound.
I have a flare for the dramatics, and I also like to tell stories through my lyrics. A huge theme is definitely romance and more specifically forbidden love. Something about it is just so inspiring.
Happy: What inspired the mesmerizing blend of dream pop, synth-wave, and electro house in your new single “peace OR love”?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: When I think of peace OR love, I imagine a very vaporwavey, liminal dreamscape.
When I was making the song, I knew I wanted to do a reggaeton-inspired beat because I haven’t yet, and I thought it would be cool to do so with synth-wave beats to make it different.
I’ve never been good at staying within one genre, so I just let my instrumentation run free to make something unique.
Happy: How would you describe the concept of “Neon Renaissance” and “Ret-Romantic” that you incorporate into your music?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: I’ve always been a huge fan of classic romance stories like ‘Romeo and Juliet’, and just the aesthetic of the renaissance era in general.
I also love the 80s, and blending the two together is my happy place. Perfect examples of this ‘world’ would be The Labyrinth and The Princess Bride. The stories I tell with my music exist in the same vein as those.
Take the drama and beauty of the renaissance and incorporate the unique, synthwave style of the 80s and you have my music!
Happy: Who are some of your musical influences that shaped the unique sound of “peace OR love”?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: I love the cinematic quality that ABBA, Lana Del Rey, and MARINA have in their music. In terms of sound, I draw lots of inspiration from The Cure’s eighties stuff, a-ha, and Depeche Mode.
Also, more non-specifically, movie scores also influence my music in the essence of dramatic flair.
Happy: Can you share the story behind the lyrics of the song and how it reflects your personal experiences?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: When I was making ‘peace OR love’, it started off as a completely different song and message. It was more about jealousy than a turmoil with loving someone difficult.
I wasn’t completely satisfied with it, so I rewrote the whole thing and ended with a song that has double meaning—it can be interpreted as being about loving someone who isn’t good for one’s self, or about being devoted to a passion that completely saps one’s energy.
I wrote it more about the latter. I’ve always had an internal struggle with my pursuit of my music career, because there isn’t a one-size-fits-all blueprint for success, and a lot of it is trial and error, experimentation, and trying new things blindly to see what does and doesn’t work.
It’s a lot of risk and requires a lot of trust and belief in one’s self, which is very taxing mentally and emotionally. So while I do love music and creating it, and sharing it, it does cost me my peace a majority of the time.
This was the basis for ‘peace OR love’, since I choose my love of music over ‘peace’ by staying faithful to it instead of giving up on the dream.
Happy: How does “peace OR love” fit into your NEPHELE: ACT I project, and what thematic elements tie the songs together?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: Nephele is a character I created who has a story to tell. The first installment of the story was ‘wish upon a STAR’, where she expresses her struggle with believing in herself and her dreams.
‘peace OR love’ now introduces another facet of her personality where she is consumed with a passionate love for someone not good for her. The revelation of who this is will come in a later song in the ‘NEPHELE: ACT I’ project, which I’m very excited to share.
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Happy: What emotions or messages do you hope listeners will take away from the song?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: I want listeners to imagine their favorite story or characters to this song. I want to see edits to it, because I love when people take the song and interpret it to fit themselves or their interests in their own way.
Maybe it can bring comfort to someone who is struggling in the same way, caught between a choice between keeping love, or letting it go for peace of mind.
Happy: Could you tell us more about the experimental edge in your music and how you merge different influences to create something individual?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: When I’m producing, I always want to use instrumentation that doesn’t normally go together. I used synth-style drums for a reggaeton beat, and sometimes I’ll put a harp with electric guitar, things like that. I draw the sounds from The Cure or Depeche Mode and use that inspiration along with instruments that remind me of movies I like such as Romeo and Juliet.
Whatever I feel like when I’m creating, I’ll throw in there, kind of like Remi in that one scene of Ratatoullie when he’s just throwing spices into the pot of soup. Random things come together nicely!
Happy: How does your perspective on femininity influence the romanticism and interpretation within your music?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: Through my character, Nephele, I’ve personified an interesting perspective. She’s a strong woman that values self-sufficiency and an iron-will, but at the same time can have weak resolve around a man she loves deeply.
From that, she feels frustration towards herself because she knows she shouldn’t give in so easily for anyone, but finds herself doing it for him anyway. This perspective makes room for a woman who’s trying her best to stay strong while working to embrace the weaknesses of her own heart.
Happy: In what ways does “peace OR love” represent a new era for you as an artist, and how does it showcase your growth and authenticity?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: It’s the second installment in my new project, and as such, the second song that cements my new darker, synth-driven sound.
The story that will unfold through Nephele will convey deeper, more authentic messages on a wide range of topics including but not limited to love, feminism, the drawbacks of modern society, the ego battle with men, and so on.
It allows me to express my feelings on tough subjects through my favorite language—music.
Happy: Lastly, what makes you happy?
GABRIELLA RAELYN: I enjoy the little things, because happiness is just one emotion that one experiences throughout the day. It’s a bit like weather—sometimes it’s cloudy, sometimes sunny.
I know chasing something to believe I’ll be happy once I get it is just an illusion, so rather than dangling a metaphorical treat on a stick in front of myself, I appreciate small moments each day.
A deep belly laugh with my family, looking into the eyes of my dog, or watching an episode of my favorite anime (Naruto) and eating a burrito on the couch. Sometimes the moments are bigger, like seeing my favorite artist (Stray Kids) in concert with my mom and sister.
Any nice, peaceful snapshot of life. Also, today what made me happy was this interview. The questions were so deep and insightful, I had lots of fun answering them. Thank you so much for the opportunity!
Check out ‘peace OR love’ by GABRIELLA RAELYN
