Giselle’s 2025 Was a Year of Reinvention, Fearlessness, and Her Most Haunting Song Yet

2025 was the year Giselle fully stepped into her power, not just as a pop/R&B artist, but as a creative force shaping her own world. From upbeat anthems to cinematic indie-pop moments, this year showed the full scope of her artistry. With multiple releases, a new album, community-building projects, and massive personal milestones, Giselle turned 2025 into a year of evolution, expression, and unapologetic self-discovery.

She kicked off the year with vibrant singles like “GAME OVER,” “SUNSHINE,” and “SCHOOL'S OUT” showcasing her ability to shift moods and genres with ease. By the time she released her album GISELLE REBORN, it was clear she wasn’t just writing songs; she was piecing together a narrative of transformation. Tracks like “Cruisin’” and “Final Girl” revealed her duality: the playful storyteller, the emotional architect, the pop artist who isn’t afraid to push into rock, R&B, or even horror-inspired themes. Final Girl in particular sparked conversation, flipping the classic trope and asking listeners to rethink who they root for, why, and what survival actually feels like.

But the moment that defined her 2025 was the release of “(Haunted By) The Ghost.” A devastatingly vulnerable track, it marked a new height in Giselle’s storytelling. Where her earlier releases shimmered with confidence, this one cracked open the quiet, aching corners of the human experience. She wrote it for the people still carrying emotional residue from past hurt, the memories that linger, the whispers that follow us, the shadows our hearts haven’t outrun yet. With haunting production and vocal delivery that feels like a confession whispered in the dark, the song quickly became one of her most powerful releases to date. It wasn’t just music. It was catharsis. An invitation to cry. A safe room for anyone living with emotional hauntings of their own.

Outside the studio, Giselle spent 2025 matching her creative output with real-world impact. She launched Soul Shadows, an immersive Black History Month event merging horror, art, culture, and community, a rare blend only someone with her artistic DNA could pull off. She celebrated one year of her horror pin brand Bloody Hell Pinz, curated multiple events, acted in several indie films, and even got married. It was a year of artistic expansion and personal joy, proving she’s not just building a career; she’s building a life rooted in passion and intention.

As she heads into 2026, Giselle’s goals are beautifully simple: keep creating, keep performing, keep loving her family, furry babies included, and keep choosing gratitude. Because if 2025 proved anything, it’s this: Giselle thrives when she leads with heart. And with “(Haunted By) The Ghost” anchoring her most emotionally resonant year yet, she’s only getting started.

2025 felt like a massive era of reinvention for you, musically, personally, and creatively. When you look back at this year as a whole, what chapter do you feel you closed, and what new one do you think you opened? 

This year has been such a great year overall. Of course, as with any fellow human, I had a lot of hardships and sad things happen. But overall ,so many positive things that I am grateful for in my personal life, musical life, etc. I really feel like with my music in 2025, I closed the chapter of my life where I was being told who I was as an artist wasn’t “enough” or “wasn’t going to get me anywhere.” I silenced those voices this year and explored all types of possibilities when it comes to creating my music! That is a door I have opened and one I will never close. 

Your album Giselle Reborn showed such a wide emotional and sonic range. What part of the album felt like the biggest personal breakthrough for you as an artist?

Thank you so much! Honestly? The whole album truly felt like a breakthrough for me. I’d say the final track on the album, “SCHOOL’S OUT,” felt like an intense moment of healing and a breakthrough not only for myself and my healing journey as a person who was bullied growing up, but it was a breakthrough song for me. I connected with new audiences due to this song, and also connected with other people who were also bullied. It felt like this amazing community grew in support, and this song became an anthem for a lot of people to say “F YOU!” to their past and their past bullies. There’s something so magical about that… having your music connect to people and not only telling my own personal story, but a story that many people could connect to and use this song to heal with. 

You released several singles this year that each hit different corners of pop, R&B, and rock. What guided your sound this year? Was it experimentation, emotion, or something deeper?

Honestly, it was a mix of experimentation, emotion, and something deeper. I’ve always loved experimenting with new sounds for myself, and I love following my emotions when it comes to it. The feelings I have while writing songs or just singing from the top of my head really format how a song will come out and in what style.  On a deeper level, I grew up listening to EVERYTHING. Every single genre. It’s part of who I am. I have a love and respect for so many genres that I don’t want to just center myself in only one genre, but I want to explore and experiment in all of them. Growing up and listening to an array of artists and genres made me who I am today, and I like to honor that.

Soul Shadows became a huge moment in the culture this year. What did curating that event teach you about community-building and the intersection between music, art, and horror?

Soul Shadows is my baby. A huge pride and joy of mine! Organizing, funding, hosting, and curating this event was so worth it because I got to see the community come together and celebrate. This event takes place in February and celebrates Black horror movies, Black horror directors, Black horror artists, Black horror businesses, and more. It takes place during Black History Month because I felt it was important to have an event like this since we often aren’t celebrated in the Horror genre. Times are changing, though, and we have seen growth in the Horror genre and community, but there still needs to be MORE inclusion and change. 

I felt called to create this event to allow for that! To uplift my fellow Black horror fans and to celebrate music, art, culture, and horror all together. There’s so much intersectionality between music, physical art and horror. I’m going to geek out here for a second, so bear with me. The films rely so much on not only good acting and writing but also amazing music. Music that frightens you, scares you, and gives you goosebumps! But also music that calls to you and makes your heart race in a good way. Physical art is also so important for these films. Think of things like marketing, posters, flyers, and ads. Even down to the artwork we see ON the screen or the artwork used to create the Horror character! It all connects and each part is so important. Each part of it brings the community together. 

“(Haunted By) The Ghost” is one of your most emotionally raw releases to date. What moment or realization made you feel ready to write a song that vulnerable?

Thank you so much. To be fully transparent, there wasn’t really a moment or an ah-ha moment. I was in my music room that day, and it was a pretty stressful day, from what I remember. I decided to turn on my keyboard, grabbed my phone, hit record on my voice memo app, and then played from my heart. I didn’t even know what was going to happen. I literally closed my eyes and allowed myself to play and sing what I felt. That’s how this song came to be. Everything you hear in the track is exactly the same… just of course MORE production! And each part of the song are things I heard while playing it. So for example the song includes a theremin, bells, swooshes, ghost sounds, etc. When my eyes were closed, and I was singing and playing for the first time, I could hear in my head exactly how I wanted the full produced track to sound like. I saw the color schemes for the song along with the music video. I guess you could say somewhere in my mind I was ready for the pain to come out. I must’ve had it locked away and I needed to let it go. I am so glad I did because I am extremely proud of this song and music video. And I know it’s a song that will connect to many people. 

This track invites listeners to sit with their pain instead of running from it. What was the hardest part of letting yourself go that deep, and what surprised you the most during the process?

Yes, yes it does. As I said in my previous answers, I guess you could say somewhere in my mind I was ready for the pain to come out. I must’ve had it locked away and I needed to let it go. The most surprising thing during this process was how freeing it was to just let it out and while it’s intense and sad in many ways, it was overall a FUN process. That surprised me for sure! 

If someone pressed play on “(Haunted By) The Ghost” at a moment when they’re hurting, what do you hope they feel in the first 10 seconds?

Wow. This is a great question. I would truly hope within the first 10 seconds they realize they are NOT alone in their pain. I hope the first 10 seconds welcomes them in to listen to the rest of the song and allows them a very good cry session. It’s okay to let things out. I feel like so often we just store our pain away. I hope this song allows people to feel safe to cry and know they are not alone in their battle(s).