Julianna Joy - Garden of Eden (2022)

Teen-pop heartbreak is huge these days (when hasn’t it been?), but so much of it feels only for teens, as inscrutable to adults as their own teen music was to their adults when they were teens. But there are those who rise above the pack, such as Julianna Joy with the sweet heartbreak of Garden of Eden EP.

Now, this is an electro-pop record is about teen girl romantic letdowns, but transcends what could be limitations. “Teenage Boys” is a killer kiss-off to said age/gender as only their female counterpart could do. Opener “Modern” truly is that, heartfelt emotion with great keys. There’s even a song about “Prescriptions”, because that’s as much a part of today’s youth as anything.

With only seven songs on the EP, Garden of Eden is more of a sweet glimpse into Julianna Joy than the full-fledged big pop breakthrough. But she only just turned twenty, and there is much more to come.