Perfume Genius has shared what initially appears to be a subdued new track. Natural High is the first taste of an upcoming music and dance performance collaboration titled The Lesson, which sees Perfume Genius working alongside choreographer Kate Wallich.
It’s not the first time the pair have collaborated. In 2019, they created the project The Sun Still Burns Here.
Their new work is based on The Piano Teacher, drawing inspiration from both Elfriede Jelinek’s novel and Michael Haneke’s acclaimed film adaptation.
While the track begins slowly, quietly and sombrely, it transforms across its five-minute journey and becomes something remarkably different by the end.
“I’ve always thought of my albums as soundtracks to films that do not exist,” said Mike Hadreas, the artist behind Perfume Genius.
“There is a freedom to inhabiting something imagined and purely sonic. I can be every character or not exist at all or body swap at will. Scenes can shift immediately just because I feel like it.
“That doesn’t change when creating a performance with Kate. All the mystery and thrill of going somewhere lawless and dreamlike stays intact, but I’m not alone in building the world and it literally fleshes out in real time. Body swapping feels very different when you are actually in a room holding the other person.”
The new project delivers the first new music from Perfume Genius since his acclaimed 2025 album Glory. Across his career to date, the artist has released seven studio albums.
