Julia Bhatt Releases Airy Folk-Pop Track 'On My Shoulder'

Genre-jumping Miami-based indie artist Julia Bhatt's new airy folk-pop single "On My Shoulder" (off her debut album it is what it is - releasing independently on July 20) depicts the concept of having an imaginary angel on one shoulder and an imaginary devil on the other.

"'On My Shoulder' is about two halves constantly battling about what could have been," she says. "One is ambitious and strict, while the other is carefree and relaxed. I think a lot of people usually settle into one side or the other at different points in their lives, but they never really stop questioning each other. At least, I don't think they should."

"On My Shoulder" rides on the heels of the jangly indie pop "Cotton Candy" which she says is "about feeling safe being on the edge and comfortable in foreign places... kind of like a rollercoaster. You put your trust in the thrill, sorta." TREMG Magazine lauds, "Julia Bhatt brings all the indie pop vibes you never knew you needed with the airy 'Cotton Candy,' it's an energetic rush that's as sweet as the titular dessert."

Lock Magazine also says, "['Cotton Candy' is] a guitar-led single that showcases Julia's unique vocals, it's a delightfully lightweight track from the 20-year-old. We're keeping Julia on our radars for sure..."

An ear-opening concoction that defies categorization, Julia's music is such a fresh showcase of her gen-Z genre-fluid talent (she just turned 20 in January). From September 2019 to early March 2020, Julia was in a whirlwind of life-changes: she released her first three singles ("Tall," "Marco" and "I'm Cool"), turned eighteen and graduated high school. Just as she was really getting started with the announcement of her first ever tour however, the pandemic brought everything to a standstill.

While the world was in quarantine, not only did she release the singles "Miami" and "Bird Girl" as well as her debut EP 2 steps back, but she also, in a creative burst of energy, being states away from her mentor and producer Elliot Jacobson (Ingrid Michaelson, Elle King, Vérité) in New York City, she started to write songs on software, Ableton Live, rather than on the guitar. The first music to come from this new approach to making music were her 2021 singles "1:30" and "Hair Salon Vibes" both of which will be included on the debut album alongside an earlier recording of "Miami."

Since Julia took her time creating this album, she was able to mine her catalog of songs from "newer songs, older songs, and even older songs. Whereas the fresh and carefree indie-pop "Karma" is one of the oldest songs, written around the same time as "Miami" when she was sixteen, the synthy/slinky R&B "Sweetheart" was the last track Julia and Elliot added to the album last year.

Lavishing sparking acclaim for her previous singles, the media has garnished Julia with heaps of praise over the past two and a half years, signaling her as a buzzworthy artist to keep an eye on. Earmilk has declared, "Bhatt is quickly finding herself in the conversation of alt-pop's surging artists, a genre that continues to dominate playlists." While Culture Collide adds, "[She's] on her way to making a name for herself on the charts!"

Julia Bhatt's debut album it is what it is will be released independently on July 20, 2022. "On My Shoulder" is out today, April 22, 2022.

Listen to the new single here:

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