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Report nowHairdresser, service, call center: Gigi Malua knows the struggle to survive. Her appearance in the Cypher brought her respect and attention. The rapper from Graubünden talks about her rocky road to the top - and about her role model.
Gigi Malua's path to the top was anything but easy: hairdresser, service employee, call center - she kept her head above water with a variety of jobs. Her breakthrough came with her performance at the Cypher, where she gained respect and attention in the scene with her strong rhymes - and catapulted herself into the limelight.
Looking back, she says she no longer knows where she got the courage and self-confidence to take this decisive step. One thing is clear: Gigi Malua gave it her all in 2022 - and that's exactly what paid off.
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But the path remained challenging: in November 2024, everything became too much for her and she suffered a burnout. Today she is back - stronger than ever, with a new sound and fresh energy.
In "On the Rocks", the rapper from Graubünden also talks about her musical preferences - and clear boundaries: She can't do anything with Goa, Rammstein is taboo for her. Not because of the music, but because of the incidents and the band's attitude. "I'm strict about that," says Giulia Maria Gort, Gigi Malua's real name.
Instead, she raves about singer Rosalía and folk music star Beatrice Egli. The rapper from Graubünden wouldn't hesitate for a second to record a feature with her - "Beatrice Egli is an icon", she says and continues: "I went crazy when I saw that she followed me on Instagram. That made me super happy."
"Malua" is the name of her new single - and it opens a new chapter: "It shows a new, darker and poppier side of me." The release is planned for April 24, with the song "Melatonin" also being released at the same time. In it, she addresses the topic of mental health - an important issue for the artist, who has spoken openly about her burnout in the past. In November 2024, it became too much for her and she pulled the ripcord.
Today, she is doing well again, she says. She has learned to take better care of herself and to learn the right lessons from difficult times. She finds strength in her old home in Maienfeld - in familiar surroundings where she can be creative and spend time with her horses. "I'm well," says Gigi Malua - and beaming. Her new energy is palpable, not least on stage.
She tells Frank Richter in "On the Rocks" why she can't do anything with Goa, why Rammstein is taboo for her - and why she would like to see more respect for women in the music industry.
