- Words Notion Staff
Natasha Jane Julian uses typically evocative imagery to describe a relationship at its lowest point on her new track ‘Did I Forget’.
Few artists are as good at interrogating those problematic parts of a relationship as Natasha Jane Jullian, whose track ‘Did I Forget’ feels like an insight into a break-up right as it happens. The track comes from Natasha’s recently released debut album, Beauty That Lies.
Natasha Jane Julian’s new track, ‘Did I Forget’, shows how artists can interrogate a relationship’s failures.
‘Did I Forget’ is one of the central songs on Natasha’s debut album, Beauty That Lies, which was shared with the world on May 10th. The album release was long-awaited, as Natasha has been someone that many in the music industry have been keeping their eyes on for many years. Her 2020 EP, Angel, was a masterful work of trip-hop and off-centre pop music, while her cover of ‘Summertime Sadness’ helped her gain some commercial attention.
The artist had been quietly working towards the release of her debut LP for many years, and she began heightening expectations after releasing acclaimed album singles such as ‘Take Me To Paradise’ and ‘Devil Eyes’ at the start of this year.
Following the album’s release, fans quickly highlighted several of their favourite songs, with ‘Did I Forget’ being seen as a central track.
The song tackles relationship failure and the questions left for us when things don’t work out. Its imagery is incredibly evocative—highly typical for an artist like Natasha Jane Julian. It begins with a beautifully rhetorical question about the hardship of sustaining something drowning in failure: “Why does it feel like a ball and chain dragging on the bottom of the ocean floor?”
The song is sparse and atmospheric in its production, which feels appropriate considering the lyrics are deliberately messy and complex. The singer describes herself as a “saint” for lasting as long as she did in a bad relationship, but she admits that sainthood may have hardened her heart to the point where she’s forced to ask in earnest, “Did I forget how to cry?”
The song feels like a companion track to Natasha’s previous single, ‘Take Me To Paradise,’ which also deals with a relationship’s bittersweet, complicated ending. In both songs, Natasha is clear-sighted in handling these issues, even though they have caused her much pain and heartbreak. She has previously called her music “confessional art-pop” for the “thoughtful listener,” this idea shines through on multiple songs on her debut album. Natasha isn’t afraid of writing a break-up song that is complex and contradictory – she isn’t scared of being seen as both a sinner and a saint – because she knows her listeners will understand that complexity. That’s what makes the music great.
Beauty That Lies is out now and is streaming across major music platforms. Find out more here.