Perfume Genius Unveils 'Natural High' Ahead of Dance-Theater Collaboration
Mike Hadreas, known as Perfume Genius, has released a new track titled 'Natural High,' his first solo music since the 2025 album Glory. The song serves as the lead single for 'The Lesson,' a live music and dance performance he created with choreographer Kate Wallich, inspired by 'The Piano Teacher.' The project will tour venues across the U.S. and Europe starting in February 2027.
Hadreas first partnered with Wallich in 2019 on "The Sun Still Burns Here," and their new work draws thematic inspiration from both Elfriede Jelinek's novel and Michael Haneke's film adaptation of "The Piano Teacher." The production pairs Hadreas's original score with choreography exploring tensions between desire and restraint, with the artist noting his albums have long functioned as imagined film soundtracks.
The track marks Hadreas's first release following his 2025 album "Glory," with production assistance from Fashion Club's Pascal Stevenson. The Lesson embarks on a multi-city run beginning with a work-in-progress showing at MASS MoCA in February 2027, followed by engagements at Los Angeles's REDCAT, New York's Baryshnikov Arts Center, and European venues including the Barbican Centre and Philharmonie de Paris.
This跨界 project could expand Perfume Genius's audience beyond traditional indie music fans, drawing in contemporary dance and theater attendees who may not typically follow his catalog. The Piano Teacher's provocative themes may also spark conversation about how pop musicians approach challenging source material. For the live-performance sector, the tour's international footprint suggests sustained demand for hybrid music-dance productions, potentially encouraging other artists to pursue similar interdisciplinary collaborations.