Single Review: Natasha Jane Julian shares dazzling, dizzying new single ‘Take Me To Paradise’

Natasha Jane Julian’s latest single, ‘Take Me To Paradise,’ is a shimmering anthem about longing, loss, and heartbreak. The single marks the fourth release from the Californian artist’s upcoming debut album

California native Natasha Jane Julian has shared her new single, ‘Take Me To Paradise,’ as she prepares to release her long-awaited debut album.

Described as a “brilliantly evocative” artist whose music combines confessional art-rock, trip-hop, and pop music, Natasha was immediately tipped as one to watch when she emerged on the scene a few years back. She has drawn comparisons to Lana Del Rey, Kate Bush, Sia, and Coldplay – for excellent reasons – but she also sets herself apart from these artists through her uniquely ambient production, her gift for deep poetic lyricism, and her sultry voice.

Natasha won over the critics and secured herself a burgeoning fanbase after the release of her 2019 EP Angel, which involved her collaborating with Grammy Award-winning producer Dom Morley.

The momentum from this EP carried Natasha forward in a big way, paving out a jam-packed five years, which saw her working relentlessly on her career at every turn. Since 2020, she has released a string of singles – including a highly acclaimed take on Lana Del Rey’s ‘Summertime Sadness,’ which proved that she could be a natural successor to the artist.  

A full-length album was always in the works for Natasha, and she shared the news in 2023 that she’d be releasing her debut LP in May 2024.

Fans have already been blessed with several single releases from the album within the last few months, including ‘Pink Roses,’ ‘Singing in the Rain,’ and ‘Devil Eyes.’ Each song has brought fans further into the ‘Natasha Jane Julian Universe,’ where dreamy, hypnotic soundscapes form the architecture, and sensual, passionate lyrics and vocals are ever-present.

‘Take Me To Paradise’ is the fourth single to be released from Natasha’s upcoming album, yet another clear-sighted success for her.

Beyond being another masterclass in constructing a trip-hop/pop anthem, ‘Take Me To Paradise’ is also deep, subtle, and surprisingly inventive – in ways that only become apparent after repeated listening. The song takes listeners on a love and loss journey, marked symbolically by ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ weather; Natasha speaks of “the summer that you met me,” where she was “in a trance and daze,” before reflecting bitterly on how she was later left  “freezing in your goddamn rain.” We get a surprisingly potent sense of what it’s like to pine for the idea of paradise, with Natasha asking in the chorus: “Will it be like I dreamed about? Will it be like the movies? Will I feel like a queen?” But, importantly, Natasha avoids making the song sickly sweet – by always maintaining a dazzling, dizzying soundscape and solid and commanding vocals.

‘Take Me To Paradise’ is the latest triumph from Natasha Jane Julian ahead of her debut album release later this year.