After going through a marathon of life changes these past four years, it makes sense that Julia Bhatt needed a beat to compose herself. In the six-month span of September 2019 to March 2020, she turned 18, graduated from high school, released three singles, and planned to embark on her first-ever tour. Of course, plans changed when the pandemic hit. She had to shift course, which prompted her to hone her songwriting skills. During the lockdown period of 2020, Julia created “Miami” and “Bird Girl” before going on to release her debut EP, 2 steps back. The following year, she made even more waves with “1:30” and “Hair Salon Vibes,” strong fan favorites that alluded to her 2022 debut album, it is what it is. After the release of the album, she took a break from music to process all that had happened. In the end, she ended up creating her upcoming Grab Bag EP, out November 17. The EP will contain tracks that came “very naturally” to her, such as its two originals, and two covers of songs that she could not ignore. As she announces the release of this EP, she is treating fans to the lead single, “Charmander.”
A cover of Animé’s “Charmander” that was released in 2021, Julia’s version contains the same “fuck off” attitude heard in the original. We hear the classic lines of, “I’ve been keeping to myself and staying out the way” and “I’ve been taking care of me, don’t need a damn thing,” the anti-social vibes strong. We also get the “I’ve been living on an island too” tagline that serves as the chorus, which emphasizes the tropical vibe that Julia brings to the track. While Animé’s original is fast-paced and straightforward, Julia’s cover is slower and more melodic, speaking more to her style. Of course, she does flex her rap skills, carrying over elements from the original. You can check it out below.
Telling us more about her cover of “Charmander,” Julia explains,
“I love the ‘fuck off’ vibe it gives, and I wanted to replicate it so badly. I haven’t really recorded a rap song either, and that’s something I like to do. The energy of Animé’s words just makes me feel better, I suppose.”
About Grab Bag, Julia shares,
“I used to do ‘grab bags’ on Instagram where I would cover a few random songs, and I did like 100+ of those. Performing songs on Instagram is what launched me into the public eye. So, I decided to call this mix of covers and originals Grab Bag as a tribute to that.
I’m honestly just proud of the EP itself. I find people never know what genre to put me in, and this will increase confusion!! I never like to stick to one genre since there are so many beautiful ones out there. This is me exploring that without having to stick to a certain image people may have of my music.”
Dropping November 17, Grab Bag will contain “Charmander,” “For The World,” a cover of Broox’s “Mom,” and “Time.”
You can listen to “Charmander” on platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Music.
Keep up with Julia Bhatt: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // TikTok // YouTube // Website
