Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Greg Mendez paints a stark portrait of someone aimlessly drifting through life on his latest single, “I Wanna Feel Pretty.” Complemented by Mendez’ dark sense of humor, he traces the pain of feeling lonely and unseen while battling addiction and the painful self-awareness of self-destructive behaviors that keep you stuck in place.
At just a two-minute runtime, Mendez’ incredibly honest storytelling lets us peer into the head of someone hopelessly lost to the point where they can’t help themselves. “I Wanna Feel Pretty” has a gentle teetering folk sway to it, with a subtle instrumentation that folds in as the track develops, but maintains a raw intimacy that mirrors his unraveling. The song’s lo-fi warmth and tenderness brings a true confessional quality to the music, as if Mendez is singing from the edge of a moment he is currently processing.
“I Wanna Feel Pretty” and the bulk of the songs on Mendez’ upcoming album Beauty Land were recorded directly to tape in his makeshift home studio in Philadelphia. It’s his first full-length album since 2023’s self-titled album, which was a a slow burn success following fifteen years of writing and recording music in relative obscurity between Philly and New York. Beauty Land will continue along Greg Mendez’ themes of grief, love, and addiction.
I spent most of my childhood in the suburbs, surrounded by the American Dream. Grand and lonely, strip malls and housing developments. Cathedrals of consumerism and reconstituted culture. The stores weren’t built for the towns, the towns were built for the stores. No one really belongs. The dream is close enough to smell but as soon as you reach out, your hand passes right through – a hologram of a promise. I hoped this video would feel like that.
-Greg Mendez on the music video for “I Wanna Feel Pretty”
“I Wanna Feel Pretty” is released ahead of Greg Mendez’ upcoming album, Beauty Land, out May 29th, 2026 via Dead Oceans. Preorder available here.
Listen to “I Wanna Feel Pretty” below:
Greg Mendez 2026 Tour Dates
6/10 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd #
6/11 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall #
6/12 – Asheville, NC – Static Age #
6/13 – Nashville, TN – The Blue Room #
6/15 – Bloomington, IN – The Bishop #
6/16 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon #
6/17 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th St Entry #
6/19 – Iowa City, IA – Gabe’s Oasis #
6/20 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall #
6/21 – Detroit, MI – Lager House #
6/23 – Toronto, ON – Sound Garage #
6/24 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall #
6/25 – Portland, ME – SPACE Gallery #
6/26 – Boston, MA – Sinclair #
6/27 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom #
6/30 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg #
7/01 – Kingston, NY – Tubby’s #
7/10 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church #
7/31 – Durham, NC – Cat’s Cradle Back Room ^
8/01 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5 ^
8/02 – New Orleans, LA – Siberia ^
8/04 – Austin, TX – 29th Street Ballroom ^
8/05 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada ^
8/07 – Santa Fe, NM – Meow Wolf ^
8/08 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar ^
8/09 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar ^
8/10 – Los Angeles, CA – Sid the Cat Auditorium ^
8/12 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent ^
8/14 – Portland, OR – Polaris ^
8/15 – Seattle, WA – Barboza ^
8/16 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret ^
8/18 – Boise, ID – Shrine Social Club ^
8/19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court ^
8/21 – Denver, CO – Lost Lake ^
8/22 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar ^
8/23 – St Louis, MO – Off Broadway ^
8/24 – Newport, KY – Southgate House Revival ^
8/25 – Pittsburgh, PA – Bottlerocket ^
# with Scarlet Rae
^ with Maria BC
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