GABRIEL GUY: FROM RECLUSION TO REVOLUTION

WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS

Emerging talent and true original, 22-year-old Gabriel Guy drops his latest single, Black Eye, via Island Records. Co-written with Omri Behr, Black Eye draws from Gabriel’s teen years at an international school in Nigeria, where he often felt like a complete outsider. Pretending he needed no one, he’d escape - driving off into the unknown - quietly hoping someone would notice, someone would understand.

The track’s hook - a shout-along anthem wrapped in twisted alternative pop - is both a cry for love and a declaration of identity. With its raw emotion, Black Eye marks a compelling new chapter for this rising artist.

At F Word, we couldn’t wait to dive deeper into Gabriel’s world in our exclusive interview. 2025 is already shaping up to be a breakout year for Gabriel Guy, with live shows and more releases on the horizon including his new EP ‘Bullies At Recess’ dropping May 14th… Watch out!

Hey Gabriel, welcome to F Word! What has the response been like since ‘Black Eye’ entered into the world?

Gabriel Guy: Well it was very positive actually. A lot of people seem to connect with it. The theme of isolation and finding yourself in a new place is maybe relatable. It did get into a lot of big playlists around Europe which is good, so they tell me. 

MD: It’s such a powerful track - can you tell us a little bit about the moment or headspace that sparked it?

GG: It was written in the studio with my producer, Bear. He played some chords and I sang the chorus melody. Then we did this trick - a list of things I hated and loved. Really simple. And while at it, what crossed my mind was the feeling of loneliness and reclusiveness after coming home from a decade in Nigeria. I remember lying to myself that I don't need anybody but myself to feel at peace. So I started writing a whole song about this time in my life. 

MD: You mention returning home and feeling like a stranger. What was the hardest part of that transition - and how did it shape your identity?

GG: Well the hardest part is the realization that not everyones supposed to like you. I came in with high expectations that I'm gonna have the time of my life, and I ended up very isolated. It did help me understand how to be alone. Now I love my alone time and I really need it too. It toughened me up and made me look at situations with less emotion than I usually do... and I developed trust issues lol. I am really thankful for my parents and family in general for making me feel like I matter. It made me understand that I need to fight and be the best at what I love, which is music.

MD: Do you feel like songwriting gave you a voice before you had the words to express yourself out loud?

GG: No, but I do feel like it made me understand my voice a little bit better. Songwriting is like a therapy session. When you write about something that happens to you, you tend to change perspective in order to be as truthful as you can. And when you do that, feelings change. Self reflection is so important in any situation.

MD: Let’s talk visuals! Your use of ambiguous animation adds such a surreal layer to your storytelling. What do these characters represent for you?

GG: I love visual storytelling. The first music video that I ever released (arrest me), I wanted it to be animated with a cute but dark twist. Me and the animator made up some weird and crazy story about a prostitute that adopts a little kid that kinda looks like me. I wanted to show the happiness and positivity in a dark situation. It shows that not everything is as bad as it seems. I also made another music video featuring puppets (doing so much better). I built an apartment out of cardboard to make them more human and grounded throughout the video. I would love to create more characters and weird visuals in the future if I get the opportunity. 

MD: Was the DIY style of the ‘Black Eye’ video intentional from the start - or did it evolve naturally?

GG: One time I was looking for someone to help me with my social media. Then I met this girl who can make body parts bigger or smaller via an editing program. Then I thought yooo this is kind of a cool idea to do a little visual for my next song where I have a big head the whole video. I asked her if she can help me make this kind of visualizer. I was a little too ambitious at first and realized that I'm still broke as hell, so we made something a little smaller. I messed around with makeup and made it look like I had a black eye and we started shooting around town. This song wasn't meant to have a music video but I really believe that visuals for a song are very important so I pushed hard for this to happen.

MD: Is there a specific emotion or message you hope people walk away with after hearing ‘Black Eye’?

GG: Yeah, I feel like people should not be afraid of being lonely. It's really hard to lose and find yourself in a situation where you feel weak, really shitty for the ego. But I feel that if you're not afraid of being alone, and just keep doing what you love, then people will come to you naturally. Nothing is the end of the world and everything changes all the time.

MD: At 22, you’re already carving out such a unique lane. What’s been the most important lesson you’ve learned so far?

GG: Keep failing until you start to do something right.

MD: What does 2025 have in store for you? 

GG: Well, I'm going to release an EP that is called “bullies at recess”. It features 3 new songs plus 3 more that are already out! Anddddd I'm going to do a couple of small shows around London which is exciting.

MD: Finally, we have to ask... what’s your favourite F-word?

GG: fart?