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Perfume Genius's 'Natural High' Opens 'The Lesson,' a Dance Piece Bound for Seattle, Washington
Mike Hadreas and choreographer Kate Wallich reunite for a Piano Teacher-inspired music-and-dance work, and the first song is a six-minute shape-shifter.
Perfume Genius, the art-pop project of Mike Hadreas, who was raised in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington, has a new song and a new stage show. "Natural High," shared Sept. 22, 2026, is the first release from The Lesson, a music-and-dance work he created with choreographer Kate Wallich.
The piece was commissioned by Seattle Theatre Group, and its 2027 tour ends April 9 at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, according to Beats Per Minute.
A six-minute shape-shifter
Stereogum's Tom Breihan called the track "a six-minute epic that starts off as eerie ghost-folk," adding, "This is Perfume Genius operating at peak capacity." ArtistRack says it was released via Matador Records and runs 5:45, and Our Culture reports Fashion Club's Pascal Stevenson co-produced it.
Beats Per Minute hears sparse keyboard notes under Hadreas's fragile voice that build into waves of synths and close with a cosmic rave-up. Our Culture describes "Natural High" as a single from the work's score.
The Piano Teacher connection
The Lesson draws on Elfriede Jelinek's novel The Piano Teacher, per Stereogum and Beats Per Minute. It is the second collaboration between Hadreas and Wallich after 2019's The Sun Still Burns Here, the dance piece that led to his 2022 album Ugly Season. Stereogum says it will be performed live with Alan Wyffels and Tate Justus.
Wallich said, per Beats Per Minute, that she and Hadreas are drawn to "the same kinds of tensions and contradictions in the work we make." Hadreas has described his albums as "soundtracks to films that do not exist."
Where The Lesson goes in 2027
- Feb. 6: North Adams, Massachusetts, MASS MoCA (work-in-progress showing)
- Feb. 18–20 and 25–27: Los Angeles, REDCAT (world premiere)
- March 4–6: New York, Baryshnikov Arts Center
- March 17–18: Paris, Philharmonie de Paris
- March 21: London, Barbican Centre
- March 24: Utrecht, Birds of Paradise Festival
- March 27: Dublin, National Concert Hall
- April 1: Minneapolis, Liquid Music / Northrop
- April 9: Seattle, The 5th Avenue Theatre
The stage work follows Glory, his March 2025 album, which earned a Best Album Cover nomination at the 2026 Grammys, per Wikipedia. Beggars Canada reported that Glory came out via Matador Records, with Hadreas re-teaming with producer Blake Mills. Hadreas was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and moved to the Seattle suburbs at age 6 or 7.
Where to listen and follow
"Natural High" is out via Matador Records, according to ArtistRack. Beats Per Minute points fans to perfumegenius.org/tour for tickets to The Lesson.
Sources
Stereogum — "Perfume Genius Shares New Song 'Natural High': Listen"
Beats Per Minute — "Perfume Genius announces new stage collaboration, offers endorphin-laced new single “Natural High”"
Our Culture — "Perfume Genius Releases New Song ‘Natural High’"
ArtistRack — "Perfume Genius “Natural High” Single Review & The Lesson Tour"
Wikipedia — "Perfume Genius"
Beggars Canada — "Perfume Genius Shares 'Clean Heart'. 'Glory' Out Friday"