This post was updated April 1 at 8:36 p.m.

Gigi Goldberg’s songs are striking a chord with the UCLA community.

Goldberg, a second-year undeclared student and singer-songwriter who performs as keyofgigi, released her latest single last month – a soulful ballad dedicated to city life titled “urban wonderland.” While her new song is a dedication to cities such as Los Angeles and their communities, Goldberg said she first turned to music during her childhood in Colorado, where her hometown’s busking culture was her original source of inspiration for a career in music.

“When I had my first time busking and random strangers stopped and gave me money, put them in my guitar case, and said, ‘Hey, kid, keep going’ – that is what lit the flame,” Goldberg said.

While she started busking when she was around 13 years old, Goldberg said she started writing songs even earlier. She said it is difficult for her to pick a genre that her style falls into, but she has been told by listeners that her music is at the intersection of country and rock. With her inspirations including Bob Seger, the Eagles and James Taylor, Goldberg said she is a self-proclaimed “old soul” and has adopted the tagline “20 going on 78.”

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Goldberg said her interest in singing stemmed from her unconventional childhood, during which she attended three middle schools and four high schools. Because of this lack of stability, she said she was drawn to music because of it being a constant in her life. Goldberg added that her childhood inspired much of her songwriting, which often revolves around saying goodbye to friendships and starting new ones.

“I have a song called ‘losing you’ about being afraid of always losing people and never really having strong connections,” Goldberg said. “I’ve seen people, and they’ve known somebody since they were in kindergarten, and they all went to school together since day one. And I’m like, ‘Whoa, I have no idea what that feels like.’”

With “urban wonderland,” Goldberg said she wanted to highlight the human interactions that make a big city feel like home rather than focusing on the glamour of living in one. For the song’s release, she said she surrounded herself with her own community and put on a show in her dorm, serving cake and playing her song live for her friends.

Kathryn Quick – a third-year philosophy and religion student and one of Goldberg’s friends – said she attended the dorm concert and loved it, adding that she brought a friend who did not know Goldberg but started listening to her music after the show. Tobey Rosen, a fourth-year labor studies student and another one of Goldberg’s friends who was at the show, said he enjoyed that Goldberg printed handouts with the lyrics of “urban wonderland” so everyone at the concert could sing along.

Though last month’s dorm show was her first time hosting the event, Goldberg said she plans to continue the performances. She also added that putting on a show by herself was an ambitious endeavor she is proud of having accomplished, especially considering that she is an independent artist without a team behind her.

“As a solo, independent artist, you’re doing everything,” she said. “I’m sending out all the emails. I’m booking the shows. I’m planning the concerts. I’m writing the songs. I’m uploading the song. I’m posting everything on socials.”

As an independent artist, Goldberg said social media has been a major tool for gaining recognition and building a following for her music. She said she typically uploads videos under @keyofgigi, adding that the positive comments she gets on her music have helped motivate her throughout her career.

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Though she loves songwriting, Goldberg said performing live is her true passion. When it comes to her future in music, she said her dream is to eventually go on tour. Whether that is as a headliner or an opener, she said she wants to share her songs and connect with as many people as possible through live performances.

“I’d love to go across the world, performing, sharing my music with everybody,” Goldberg said. “That’s my goal. That’s my dream. … No matter what, I’m going to make it happen.”

Lauren Goldberg, Gigi Goldberg’s mother, said her daughter has always been a performer. She added that the moment she felt like her daughter was meant to pursue music was when she got up to sing at an open mic event in Tennessee. Lauren Goldberg said she felt like she could see the passion and drive Gigi Goldberg had for singing.

“Gigi does it for what I see as all the right reasons,” she said. “She feels like she has to sing. It’s in her, and she wants to spread love and joy. … It’s more like breathing for her.”