Perfume Genius Celebrates 10 Years of 'Too Bright' With Deluxe Edition

On September 23, 2014, Perfume Genius (Mike Hadreas) released his third album, Too Bright, via Matador Records. The LP marked a significant departure from his earlier work, with its bold, avant-garde sound and introspective lyrics, earning him worldwide recognition and critical acclaim. To commemorate the 10-year milestone, Perfume Genius has released a digital deluxe edition of the album, featuring three previously unheard songs "Story Of Love," "My Place" and "When U Need Someone."

Hadreas says of these, “These songs were written in 2013 alongside the tracks that became Too Bright. I was reminded of them while sifting through demos from that time, reflecting on this anniversary. I’m really glad they have a place to live now. We took them to the studio last month and opened a portal with our insane band, somehow able to channel the very specific spirit of that record. It reminded me how formative and wild that time was, how much I still call on that energy and how grateful I am for the people I work with and whoever is listening.”

This past Friday (September 20) Perfume Genius released a crystal-clear vinyl reissue of Too Bright. It is available for purchase HERE. 

Perfume Genius is also celebrating the anniversary with the Too Bright 10th Anniversary Tour, performing the album in its entirety. The tour kicked off last week with sold-out shows in Washington, DC, and Brooklyn, NY. It hits the West Coast this week, concluding with a two-night stand at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles on September 26 and 27. All remaining dates are listed below.

Too Bright features the standout single "Queen" – Hadreas’ confrontational dissection of “gay panic,” which Pitchfork said “sounds like triumph amid the pathetic relevancy of its subject matter in 2014.” The song was a jolt in the cultural discourse and has since become a fan-favorite. The song’s electrifying music video featured Hadreas as a young street hustler.

Hadreas grew up in Seattle, WA and started his music career in 2008. He put himself on the map with the release of debut album Learning in 2010 via long-time label home Matador Records, earning him widespread praise from music critics and fans around the world.  The momentum only intensified with his subsequent albums, 2012’s Put Your Back N 2 It, and 2014’s Too Bright, which exhibited a massive leap forward in both production and confidence. The follow up was 2017’s GRAMMY-nominated No Shape, an album that would crystalize his fan base world-wide and bring mainstream awareness to his art. The record was produced by Blake Mills (Fiona Apple, Alabama Shakes). “If you listen to the four Perfume Genius albums in chronological order, you can hear Hadreas healing himself in real time, moving toward an emancipation that seems, suddenly, to have come to pass,” said The New Yorker.  Over the course of the campaign he appeared on multiple late-night television shows and graced the cover of The Fader. 

In 2020 Hadreas released the critical masterpiece Set My Heart On Fire Immediately and appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! performing “Jason,” on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert performing “Whole Life”  and performing “On The Floor” on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.  The album was also produced by GRAMMY-winning producer Blake Mills and featured contributions from musicians Phoebe Bridgers, Jim Keltner, Pino Palladino, Matt Chamberlin and Rob Moose with longtime partner and musical collaborator Alan Wyffels. The LP explores and subverts concepts of masculinity and traditional roles, and introduces decidedly American musical influences.  He followed this release with Ugly Season - the LP’s ten songs began as an accompaniment to Perfume Genius and choreographer Kate Wallich’s dance piece, The Sun Still Burns Here, which was commissioned by the Seattle Theatre Group and Mass MoCA and performed via residencies in Seattle, Minneapolis, New York City, and Boston throughout 2019.  For the release Hadreas teamed with renowned visual artist Jacolby Satterwhite for a 30 minute film featuring Hadreas and the music of Ugly Season. Entitled Pygmalion’s Ugly Season, the film is both stunning and surreal. Mike Hadreas is now based in Los Angeles and working on a new Perfume Genius album alongside Alan Wyffels. 

Perfume Genius “Too Bright” Tour Dates:

September 24 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall

September 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever

September 27 - Los Angeles, CA - Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever 

Photo Credit: Camille Vivier

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