Ones2Watch Home

Photo: Nathan Hagel

Odds are you know Julian Perez, or juju<3, from his staggeringly viral song, “Wasted Summers,” famously featuring the vocals of his younger sister, Lailah. The 18-year-old artist reached the top spot on the Spotify Viral 50 U.S. Chart, alongside a multitude of other accolades, and the song currently sits at over 104 million streams on Spotify. Though viral moments can be a precarious launch for a music career, juju<3’s latest single, “Girls Like You,” maintains the youthful, bright sound listeners have come to love but dives deeper into the artist’s charm. 

“Girls Like You” builds in layers, starting with a retro-meets-surf-rock guitar that strums with a distant, filtered sound. Drums saunter onto the track one piece at a time, swelling into a full kit groove. The star is the synth melody that takes the place of a guitar solo; it’s equal parts dreamy and bold. With a subtle hint of a modern '80s influence, the easy synth sound paints juju<3’s characteristically sunny nonchalance. 

Contrastingly, juju’s vocals sit forward right from the start—the undeniable focal point of “Girls Like You.” His vocal performance guides the dynamic storyline throughout the song, portraying emotions before the lyrics can even set in. The chorus is a great example of this, wherein juju<3 kicks it off with an almost-yelled sound as he sings, “It’s so obvious / Look at what you did.” He infuses each word with indignation as he adopts a bold, choppy tone. Then, the following line, “I see through girls like you,” is sung in the direct inverse, soft and lullaby-esque.

With a simple twist of the vocal presence, juju<3 is able to communicate both the surface-level frustration within “Girls Like You” while also revealing the emotional vulnerability he’s leading with. The love he has for the song’s subject persists, even while his anger is fresh. 

Listen to Girls Like You below: