Dropping Julia's “Secret” Is a Jazz-Pop Daydream of New Love and Vulnerable Confession

With an effortless blend of jazz sophistication and pop allure, Dropping Julia’s latest single “Secret” feels like sneaking away on a late-night walk with someone you’re still getting to know, unsure if it’s love, but completely caught up in the moment. It's the kind of track that invites you to slow down, lean in, and feel something.

Fronted by the poetic and expressive vocals of Jules, Dropping Julia has carved out a uniquely eclectic space in the indie scene—equal parts whimsical, sultry, and soul-baring. Their newest offering is no exception. "Secret” draws from the raw emotional territory the band is known for, while shimmering with the kind of samba and jazz touches that feel like summer heat on skin—intimate, warming, and ever so slightly electric. From the first note, “Secret” sets a mood that’s both playful and deeply personal. A seductive rhythm section lays the foundation—warm basslines, crisp drums, and languid guitar—while keys and saxophone weave in colors that evoke smoky lounges and candle-lit confessionals. Jules’ voice is the emotional center of it all, carrying the story with a vulnerability that feels at once universal and entirely her own.

“Secret” is the first taste of Dropping Julia’s upcoming fourth studio album, set to release on June 6th, and it’s already clear this will be one of their most emotionally rich projects to date. The band will be celebrating the release with two very different Virginia shows: an intimate storytelling-style performance at Possum’s Store in Criglersville on June 7th, and a more high-energy show at Rapture in Charlottesville on June 14th, joined by The Musical Suspects. As a standalone single, “Secret” is a masterclass in restraint and release, confession and seduction—a track that doesn’t just tell a story, but feels like one.

“Secret” explores that intoxicating, uncertain phase of a new connection—do you remember the moment that sparked the idea for the song? Was it drawn from personal experience?

The song was very much drawn from personal experience, and I remember the very moment I began writing the song. I had just started seeing the guy who is actually now my husband! It was maybe 1 month into us spending time together, and it was all very new, exciting, and scary. We both had just gotten out of relationships and didn’t want to move too fast or scare the other one away. We hadn’t talked about whether we were “dating,” “seeing each other,” or something else, but we were both very obviously excited about the other one. I remember I was dog-sitting for a friend of mine, and I woke up in her house on a warm June morning, picked up her guitar, and started singing a melody. I was thinking about him and feeling excited, alive, bashful, and very inspired to say the least. That melody turned into the first two verses of Secret.

This track brings in some samba and jazz influences that feel fresh but familiar. What artists or moods were inspiring you sonically while writing and recording this one?

Amy Winehouse is always a big influence of mine when writing - in her songwriting style, her raw emotion, and her vocal style. I had also recently opened for Raul Malo of The Mavericks when I began writing this song and was listening to a lot of Mavericks, so I would say I was influenced by them and their album, “En Español,” too.

There’s a real emotional arc in this song—how do you approach writing lyrics that feel both poetic and grounded in real feeling?

I’ve always been a romantic person with a lot to say and a lot of emotions - sometimes big emotions. I started writing initially by writing poems and short stories, and sometimes I felt like I was letting out too much emotion and thought and sometimes my point was getting lost in the writing. Songwriting has really helped me to reel in what I am trying to express. I have found it a fun challenge to try to be as poetic and deep as possible in a 3-5 minute song. Most of my songs are about real experiences, so I am inevitably going to be raw and open in the writing, but I try to make every line count and paint a picture of what I was going through at the time, even if it's about just one moment in time. Sometimes, less is more.

You’ve described your performances as vulnerable yet bold. How do you personally navigate sharing these intimate parts of your story with live audiences?

It comes really naturally to me. I don’t really know how else to be, honestly. It makes me feel a great sense of belonging and connection when I can be in front of a live audience, sharing that intimate side of myself and my songwriting, and to see and feel them receiving it and resonating with it.

“Secret” is just a glimpse of what’s coming on the new album—can you tease any themes or surprises fans can expect from the full release?

We definitely tease the samba vibes more in the album at times (especially in our cover of Girl From Ipanema, which will be on the album!). However, the jazz vibes are strong across the entire album. The Dropping Julia boys brought their own influences into the production and the songwriting process, and this album truly is a collaborative product. We have teased jazz in all of our albums in the past, but it is the strongest in Biggest Fan. I have always loved singing old jazz songs and writing jazzy vocal melodies. With the love of jazz and incredible talent and skill from all of the other guys in the band, we were able to create an album of songs that is grounded in jazz but still reaches out to some of the other genres we bring to our music, such as pop, R&B, samba, and funk.