Words By: Bre Offenberger

Julia Bhatt has released her live performance at Sugarshack Sessions as an EP, which features four original songs as well as a cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie.” If you’ve never heard of this talent, after this, you’ll never forget her.

“Marco” kicks off with a smooth guitar riff that’s filled to the brim with alleviating blocks of hope alongside a pinch of frustration. Even though Bhatt sounds calm, she’s immensely aggravated, letting her partner know she constantly feels left off their list of priorities. She knows they’re a hot commodity and constantly busy, but she’s often left wondering if they truly care about her. By the end, she’s so overcome with vexation that she’s happy to move on without them — because she knows she deserves better. She puts her entire chest into the track, and her passion is seen bouncing off the walls.

Bhatt adds a bit of infectious pizzazz to “Valerie,” which she decided to cover because it was one of the first-ever songs she played in front of a crowd. Her voice flawlessly glides right over the robust strums and create their own pool of unparalleled relaxation. Even as a relatively new face in the industry, Bhatt gushes with confidence and vigor does justice to the late icon’s biggest hit — all the while proving why one day she could be just as well-known.

In the closer, “Bird Girl,” she sings so fast that it can be hard to keep up, but regardless of what she’s saying, you can’t help but crave to be engulfed in her feel-good energy. She starts off-tempo and asks for a do-over but doesn’t skip a beat on take two, flying through her verses like the metaphorical bird she desires to be. She’s figured out over the year she’s destined to go much farther than people may have expected, and she’s going to do everything she can to touch and affect the entire world. She adds a dash of rasp to her final verse, solidifying how strongly she feels about reaching the masses — and how she won’t let anything stop her on her path there.

Of the EP, Bhatt shares: “It was such a fun environment to film in. They don’t usually do covers! They allowed mine though… Oh, they also have some cute ass cats! ‘Valerie’ is close to my heart and Amy Winehouse is as well. I really appreciate other people’s music, definitely more than mine, so I figured I should do it (if they allowed it, which they did!).”

Bhatt may have just graduated high school last year, but she has the aura of a seasoned writer and veteran in the industry. Her debut EP, 2 steps back, was a breathtaking entrance into the landscape, and this EP was a jolting reminder of how far she’s bound to go. Keep streaming everything Bhatt has to offer while you wait for even more gold from her.

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