Oxford-based avant pop talent Julia-Sophie announces sophomore EP </3, releases the opening track “and you know it”.

It’s been less than a year since the release of her much praised debut EP y?, but Julia-Sophie has been working away on her follow up (on her Instagram, she has even announced that she started the labour of her EP3). Anyway, today, she has announced her sophomore project, </3, due out April 22. She has also shared the opening track, “and you know it”, which follows up to “I Wish,” already ranking amongst our Best Tracks of 2021.

Showing that the line between love and hate is not always so obvious, Julia-Sophie penned the track after having a fight with a loved one. She explains “When I wrote the song I had just had an intense fight with someone who wanted to break up with me and I was feeling incredibly sad and hurt. I guess there’s such a thin line between love and hate and by living this intense love, one that seemed so everlasting, through this bad moment, I was experiencing how quickly it could all turn to feelings of hate. Although my immediate impulse was to write something sarcastic and bitter, the truth is that underneath, I was feeling incredibly vulnerable for being so in love and heartbroken at the thought of this relationship being lost.”

Compared to her previous work, “and you know it” has a less “dark” facade, even despite the subject matter. Much as she describes, it’s less fuelled by sadness and anger, but more vulnerability. This new minimalist direction also gives a truer insight into Julia-Sophie’a psyche; we truly share and understand her pain and fear of being alone.

“and you know it” is a song of two halves; the first plays out with oscillating synths that go from sparse to concentrated, with electronic drums scattered amongst Julia-Sophie’s honest and to the point lyrics. Then, at the halfway point, it melts away, much like being in the eye of a storm. This then gives way to a rapid two minutes of free experimentation.

In the concluding minute, we finally hear Julia-Sophie switch to her mother tongue (French) over an almost tender soundscape. “and you know it” certainly shows us an artist who is expanding her horizons, isn’t afraid to transgress her own boundaries and experiment with her sound.