Denise Julia asserts her position as one of the most important voices in Filipino R&B with the release of her new EP Sweet Nothings (Chapter 2) via Sony Music Entertainment.
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The 9-track release brings a new level of sophistication to her songcraft, touching on the familiar themes of her 2023 EP, while navigating wisdom and emotional honesty that go beyond her years.
“The stories are more real, the production has these rich new textures, and overall, it’s way more intimate,” Denise says. “This chapter is me opening up more about who I am, especially after coming out earlier this year. I think my writing’s gotten a little more reckless and freer—I’m just saying what I want to say without holding back."
Sweet Nothings (Chapter 2) embodies every aspect of Denise Julia: the real person stepping out of the limelight and online fanfare, stripped to the core with nothing but life lessons and bittersweet endings. Here, she candidly expresses the feelings of being vulnerable and in love, and putting on a brave face even when confronted by the difficult times.
Denise Julia's songwriting, characterized by unsparing confessionals that explore her sexuality and the messy nature of adolescent life choices, shines brighter this time around—proof that there's a silver lining in openness. In Sweet Nothings (Chapter 2), the R&B/soul vixen doesn’t pretend to have it all figured out, but she knows that through her storytelling, she would inspire more women and queer folks to go with their gut feel and embrace the love and respect they truly deserve.
“I wanted to capture those bittersweet moments of love and self-discovery—the real stuff we don’t always put into words,” DJ adds. “My inspiration was a mix of personal experiences, growing into myself, and just the feelings people keep bottled up but wish they could say out loud."
Denise Julia’s latest EP draws a lot from classic R&B but doesn’t shy away from embracing its modern edge. Whether it’s a sensual bop straight from the Aaliyah/Brandy playbook or a confessional ballad that reveals moments of unfiltered fragility, the 'B.A.D.' hitmaker knows when to lurch forward or snap back with her chameleonic but sultry singing style. For this EP, she hones her contemporary R&B sound with touches of soul and pop, going for something that is both nostalgic and fresh.
Some of the highlights include the focus track 'sweet nothings', a collaboration with Jay R, the R&B King of the Philippines. Propelling the narrative forward with transcendent moments of harmony and sensual bliss, the song tackles the honeymoon-phase feeling in a relationship where everything feels so good that you don’t want to let go.
According to the "Patron Saint of Situationships", as the fans often call her, working with Jay R was a dream come true. “He understands R&B on such a deep level, and having his influence really elevated the song. I feel like if you told young Denise that she would collaborate with the King of R&B in the future, she would have never believed you, so this is such a monumental thing for me. He’s the best at what he does, and I hope to take what I’ve learned from working with him into my own craft.”
Other notable collaborations in the EP were the DENȲ-assisted 'don’t matter', which showcases the duo’s effortlessly sultry side while maintaining their individuality throughout the process, and 'twin flames', which features Vietnamese-American artist thuy. Denise Julia considers both artists an inspiration, with each adding their own flavor to the material.
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