Juliet Ilaya, professionally known as JULI BEE, moves through house, Amapiano and jazz on the four-track Velvet EP.
Stream and Listen to Velvet EP by Juli Bee
House music has become increasingly difficult to ignore over the last few years, and on Velvet, JULI BEE makes her own entry into that growing space.
The 4-track EP moves through house, Amapiano and jazz without losing the dance-floor pulse connecting all three.
“House” opens exactly where its title suggests. Heavy bass, percussion, piano and drums are assembled into a track that understands the simple appeal of good house music: rhythm first. Everything fits neatly together, from the bass-line to the repeating drum pattern, and the result is almost impossible to listen to completely still. At some point, your head starts moving. Your feet probably follow.
“Juliet” is slightly more relaxed. It is still house, but its personality comes from the bass keys on the piano and the bass guitar that arrives around the hook. The track stays fast enough to move to, yet it feels less urgent than “House.” That contrast gives it a laid-back quality without actually slowing the project down.
“Southy” is where Velvet becomes more interesting. Within its opening seconds, the Amapiano influence is obvious, but it sits comfortably inside the house production. The fusion feels natural rather than forced, and the trumpets become the star of the track. There is so much personality already inside the instrumental that adding a full vocal performance might actually water it down.
Sometimes the instruments have said enough.
Then “Vibey” closes the EP by leaning heavily into jazz.
JULI BEE's sequencing works particularly well here. The track has the happiness and improvisational character of jazz, but the beat underneath it remains unmistakably house. It keeps you moving while sounding warmer and looser than the songs before it. It really is a vibe.
Across four tracks, Velvet does not treat house as a single sound. JULI BEE moves around its edges, bringing in Amapiano and jazz while keeping the energy intact.
The result is an EP that knows exactly what it wants from you.
Stay on your feet and groove.
Check latest Naija music of 2026 here and Get Fresh updates as they drop via X and Facebook
