Giselle Turns Pain Into Perspective on New Album 'JUST SAY SORRY'

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Giselle is turning years of personal reflection into a candid new chapter with JUST SAY SORRY, a 12-track album centered on accountability, healing, self-forgiveness, and learning how to move forward from circumstances beyond our control.

Drawing from experiences spanning childhood, young adulthood, and the present, the project moves through pain, loss, drama, confidence, and growth without attempting to package those emotions into one neat conclusion.

Originally from Boston and raised in Buffalo, Giselle relocated to Los Angeles at 21 after years of performing throughout New York. Since making the move, she has appeared at venues including The Hotel Cafe, The Mint, The Viper Room, Whisky a Go Go, and Hotel Ziggy, developing a sound primarily rooted in pop and R&B while refusing to stay confined to a single genre.

That versatility carries into JUST SAY SORRY. The title track establishes the album’s central idea before songs like “COMPLICATED,” “BACKSTABER,” “RUMORS,” and “CONSEQUENCES” dig further into fractured relationships and their aftermath. “FINAL GIRL” and “(HAUNTED BY) THE GHOST” shift the record into darker territory, with the latter tapping into Giselle’s love of Halloween and giving the album an unexpected detour from its heavier personal themes.

By the time JUST SAY SORRY reaches “FORGIVE MYSELF,” its trajectory feels clear. Accountability here is not exclusively about waiting for apologies from other people. It also means recognizing what cannot be changed and deciding what deserves to be carried forward.

Giselle hopes listeners leave the record examining their own experiences with renewed confidence, ultimately recognizing that “the power is in their hands moving forward.”

When you look at JUST SAY SORRY as a whole, what part of your life do you feel this album finally allowed you to make peace with?

So many parts, if I’m being honest. It also helped me close the chapter of rumination. I felt myself becoming free with each song I wrote and recorded. While it doesn’t take away any pain I’ve experienced, it’s helped me not live IN my trauma. I AM healed, and it was about accepting that. I think with music, even if we do find we’ve healed ourselves, we can still allow feelings to flow. We’re human; those thoughts don’t just go away overnight. Betrayal doesn’t just leave your mind, and pain most certainly doesn’t. But it’s about not constantly living in it and ruminating. This album helped me learn to release and not live in the trauma. 

The album deals heavily with accountability and self-forgiveness. Was there a point during the writing process when you realized you needed to forgive yourself just as much as anyone else?

Oddly enough, during the process I realized a lot of the people I was writing about never truly would apologize. For the few situations where people did say sorry, it was never followed up with action or proof of change. Proof that the apology was real. “Sorry” is a word that is meaningful and helpful, but your actions afterward need to follow suit. So many people don’t follow up their apologies with changed action. I had to learn how to be okay with that. I found out how when my song, “FORGIVE MYSELF,” came to me. I was humming the melody, and then lyrics just flew right out. There wasn’t any sitting there and overthinking or overcomplicating it. “I don’t need to forgive you, but I forgive myself. I don’t need to love you, but I can love myself. You don’t need to apologize ‘cause it would be more fucking lies. I don’t need to forgive you, but I forgive myself.” I wanted the song to also give off the feelings of a gospel choir at the end with the layered harmonies. While I’m not religious myself, one thing I did love about being in gospel choirs as a child was the sound of us all singing together, the harmonies layering, and that feeling of safety and security in the power of our voices. You could feel the peacefulness of it all washing over you. I wanted the song to emulate that and provide the listener with that same feeling I felt. This song made me realize it’s okay to forgive myself for not knowing better at times, for my own ignorance that may have led me into horrible situations, for the things I couldn’t control at all… I had to let go of all the shame and the blame I put on myself for years. 

Songs like “BACKSTABBER,” “RUMORS,” and “CONSEQUENCES” suggest there are some very real experiences behind this record. How did you decide what you were comfortable putting into the music and what needed to remain private?

There are most definitely so many real experiences behind this record! These songs in particular, I chose to, in some ways, leave open ended/generic with a little touch of “yeah, if you’re listening to this, you know it’s about YOU.” I could’ve said some really clear things, but I wanted to keep those things private. It also allows for listeners to place themselves in these situations and find relatability. I always want listeners to have space to find themselves in my music.   

“FINAL GIRL” and “(HAUNTED BY) THE GHOST” bring your love of Halloween and horror into an otherwise deeply personal album. What draws you to that darker imagery, and what does it allow you to express differently as an artist?

I absolutely love all things Halloween and horror! I’ll be honest, “FINAL GIRL” is just a quick break for listeners to have room to breathe, enjoy a campy horror tune, and join me in my little world of horror! As for “(HAUNTED BY) THE GHOST,” I initially wrote that song to have a double meaning. The song is actually a deep dive into abuse I have faced in the past from someone who just will never leave me alone. No matter how much time goes by, he’s always lurking. This song came from that frustration, fear, and pain. Being hurt and abused by someone is painful enough. Knowing they will never truly leave you be… that’s a whole other pain. It’s creepy, scary, and haunting. I found I could share this pain in a way that also shows my love for horror. The genre of horror itself is, and can be, political; horror does contain social commentary and has depth. I wanted to capture that. This song shows you that sometimes ghosts aren’t actually shadows of the dead, but real-life people who lurk in the shadows of your life. 

You’ve said you don’t want your music confined to one genre. How did you use the different sides of pop, R&B, rock, and electronic music to give each chapter of JUST SAY SORRY its own identity?

Each song just fell into where it needed to be. It’s so hard to answer this question because I myself don’t know what goes on in my brain for this! I just know I’ll have an idea, or my brain will play what it hears the song to be, and I’m like, “this song needs to be a give rock ballad,” “now this one needs to give a flare of R&B!” “Oh, and this one? Definitely some experimental electronic vibes!” I will say that when it came to the ORDER of the album, it was all very intentional. I wanted the album to tell a story musically, with the genres placed in certain spots on the album!