Out singer/songwriter PERFUME GENIUS (aka Mike Hadreas) has new music coming our way. The native Seattle star (who now lives in Los Angeles) announced that his 7th album was entitled GLORY and it would release on March 28th from his home label, Matador Records. The first single from the album, “It’s a Mirror” and its video drop this week. It’s directed by longtime collaborator Cody Critchloe who also helmed the video for Perfume Genius’ “Queen”. Check out the video:
There’s also a big tour coming in support of the new album, kicking off May 12th and wrapping up June 27th in Portland and incuding stops in San Francisco, Brooklyn, and Seattle’s Showbox on June 26th during the city’s annual Pride Week of festivities. Pre-sale starts Thursday, January 16th and public on-sale on Friday, January 17th. Sign up for presale access and get tickets at perfumegenius.org
Perfume Genius on “It’s a Mirror”
More skinny from the press release:
On his new album Glory, Perfume Genius re-teams with long-time producer Blake Mills and keyboardist and co-writer Alan Wyffels along with an incredible group of musicians who have played previously with Hadreas on the road and in the studio including guitarists Meg Duffy (Hand Habits) and Greg Uhlmann, drummers Tim Carr and Jim Keltner, and bassist Pat Kelly as well as a special appearance from New Zealand singer-songwriter Aldous Harding. After approaching writing as an insular practice for much of his career, in the process of making Glory. Hadreas welcomed more collaboration from the musicians working on the project. The result is a more wiry and driving musical underbed to Hadreas’ stories. The album contains themes that he’s wrestled with artistically throughout his career – themes of the body and its decay, of domesticity and love, and of inescapable history and damage. There is also a return of some of his characters including Jason. But Glory is written from a new vantage point – on the other side of struggle, where one is left to contend with all that has happened but also has to learn to live in a still and uncharted place. An album bio, on Glory, by Daniel Felsenthal, can be found after the tracklist below
Hadreas, a Seattle native, began his music career in 2008 and released his debut album, Learning, in 2010 via long-time label home Matador. The album immediately captured critics’ attention, with Pitchfork praising its “eviscerating and naked” songs, marked by “heartbreaking sentiments and bruised characterizations delivered in a voice that ranges from an ethereal croon to a slightly cracked warble.” These descriptors became the hallmarks of Perfume Genius – Hadreas’ unique ability to convey emotional vulnerability not only lyrically, but with his impressively nuanced vocals.
In 2012, Perfume Genius released Put Your Back N 2 It, further growing his audience and critical acclaim. His 2014 album, Too Bright, marked a bold evolution in production and confidence. Co-produced by Adrian Utley of Portishead, it featured the standout single “Queen,” which quickly became a queer anthem and powerful statement of identity. Hadreas later performed the track on Late Night with David Letterman.
In 2017, Perfume Genius released the GRAMMY-nominated No Shape, a breakthrough album that expanded his global fan base and brought mainstream recognition to his art. Produced by Blake Mills (Fiona Apple, Alabama Shakes), the record earned high praise, with The New Yorker noting, “The center of his music has always been a defiant delicacy—a ragged, affirmative understanding of despair. No Shape finds him unexpectedly victorious, his body exalted.” During the album’s campaign, Hadreas appeared on multiple late-night shows and graced the cover of The Fader.
In 2020, Hadreas released Set My Heart On Fire Immediately, a critical masterpiece on Matador Records that garnered worldwide acclaim. Produced by GRAMMY winner Blake Mills, the album featured contributions from Phoebe Bridgers, Jim Keltner, Pino Palladino, Matt Chamberlin, Rob Moose, and longtime collaborator Alan Wyffels. It explored and subverted concepts of masculinity and traditional roles, introducing distinctly American musical influences.Hadreas promoted the album with performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He followed with Ugly Season, a project born from his collaboration with choreographer Kate Wallich on The Sun Still Burns Here, a dance piece commissioned by Seattle Theatre Group and Mass MoCA and performed across major cities in 2019. The release included a stunning 30-minute film, Pygmalion’s Ugly Season, created with renowned visual artist Jacolby Satterwhite, blending surreal visuals with Hadreas music.
Mike Hadreas is now based in Los Angeles with his partner in life and music, Alan Wyffels.
Track Listing – Perfume Genius – Glory
- It’s a Mirror
- No Front Teeth (feat. Aldous Harding)
- Clean Heart
- Me & Angel
- Left For Tomorrow
- Full On
- Capezio
- Dion
- In a Row
- Hanging Out
- Glory
Tour Dates
5/12/25 – Little Saint — Healdsburg, CA
5/13/25 – The Fillmore — San Francisco, CA
5/16/25 – Kilby Court Block Party — Salt Lake City, UT
5/24/25 – C6 Fest — Sao Paulo, BR
5/30/25 – The Van Buren — Phoenix, AZ
5/31/25 – 191 Toole — Tucson, AZ
6/2/25 – Emo’s — Austin, TX
6/3/25 – The Studio at The Factory — Dallas, TX
6/5/25 – Variety Playhouse — Atlanta, GA
6/6/25 – Haw River Ballroom — Saxapahaw, NC
6/7/25 – 9:30 Club — Washington, DC
6/8/25 – Union Transfer — Philadelphia, PA
6/10/25 – Brooklyn Paramount — Brooklyn, NY
6/12/25 – Royale — Boston, MA
6/13/25 – Electric City — Buffalo, NY
6/14/25 – The Concert Hall — Toronto, ON
6/15/25 – Globe Iron — Cleveland, OH
6/17/25 – The Vic Theatre — Chicago, IL
6/18/25 – First Avenue — Minneapolis, MN
6/19/25 – The Truman — Kansas City, MO
6/21/25 – Gothic Theatre — Denver, CO
6/23/25 – Treefort Music Hall — Boise, ID
6/26/25 – The Showbox — Seattle, WA
6/27/25 – Revolution Hall — Portland, OR