Singer-Songwriter Giift Shares the "First Chapter" of Her Rising Career
An artist’s ability to engage in seamless storytelling from the beginning to the end of an EP or album is a gift. For 18-year-old burgeoning singer-songwriter Giift, this skill is evident in her new EP, Archives. The succinct five-track EP flows beautifully and sounds like an autobiography alluding to the various emotions that Giift experiences in her day-to-day life. You can hear the self-taught artist's vulnerability in each harmonious note and heart-stirring lyric. For instance, in the single, “Me Time,” Giift reflects on the confusing aspects of love and the common shared thought within a society of wanting to have life all figured out. EDITION spoke to Giift about her new music and what she describes as her career's “first chapter.”
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Everyone has their own interpretation of music. So, from your perspective, how would you describe the songwriting process of “Me Time?” Describe your headspace.
“Me Time” was written when I had just learned to have a good time spending time by myself. I didn't feel like I really needed anybody there to comfort me all the time, and I felt good in my own company. I just needed to “cut some people off” because I didn't like people getting too close to me.
How would you describe your music to someone new to your world?
I would just describe it as a vibe. If you like it, you like it, and if you don’t, you don’t. Listen whenever you feel like it, and just vibe and relax. It's just about letting yourself feel whatever you feel when you hear my music.
What has been the transition between life in Pretoria, South Africa, to now in Havnsø, Denmark? What impact has this move had on your artistry?
I don't even remember how it felt living in Pretoria because I only lived there ‘til I was six months old. So, all I can do is imagine how different life would have been if I was still living there. But I love living in Denmark. Visiting South Africa still felt like home, even though it had never really been a home to me. I have yet to unfold more knowledge about my South African music culture.
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What other songs can we expect to hear on your EP, Archives? And what are the messages?
Archives is like storytelling. Everything that I’ve experienced over the last few years is in this EP, and there’s a story behind every song, top to bottom. I've tried to list it in the order of when I experienced what and in the order of the emotions I was going through—songs about falling in love, falling out of love, loving yourself, and everything in between.
What would you like your listeners to take away from your EP?
I would like whoever listens to try and either feel what I was feeling or link it to something they might be feeling themselves. Listen to the whole EP to get the most out of it and understand the whole story.
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What else can we expect from you in the upcoming months?
Right now, I’m really enjoying the space I'm in with the music. So, for me, it's about making as much music as I can while I'm still in this creative headspace. So, I'm just excited for people to hear and watch everything that I have created this year.
On your Instagram, you describe your music as a part of your “first chapter,” how would you describe your second one?
I’d like to describe my music journey as a book getting written as I go along. The first page was releasing my song, “Fed Up,” and the first chapter is releasing this EP, Archives. Whatever comes next will be my chapter two. The great thing about it is that I don’t even know what chapter two will be. But I’m really excited to see what chapter two will bring in terms of getting my music out there and releasing new songs.
