Bobi Andonov released his second EP, SAINT, this week, and it’s a record that places the Australian-born, LA-based singer-songwriter at centre stage.
Andonov crafted the songs on the EP, which he describes as a “defining moment,” at his family home during the Melbourne mid-winter last year, before returning to LA to work with producer Dylan Bauld (Halsey, Lights) and R&B legend Sam Watters (Whitney Houston, Bebe Rexha).
There are no guest spots on SAINT, but that doesn’t mean Andonov is averse to collaborations; he has a big one to his name that not enough people know about, in fact.
As discovered by TikToker @popsamcam, Andonov worked with Doja Cat in 2021 on “Offering”, but their collaborative track never got an official release. Noting it was one of his favourite unreleased Doja Cat tracks, @popsamcam praised “Offering” for capturing “some of the softest points” of the US rapper’s delivery.
So, why did the collaboration never see the light of day? Speaking to Rolling Stone AU/NZ, Andonov revealed just how close it came to getting an official release.
“‘Offering’ wasn’t originally meant to be a collaboration. It was supposed to be a standalone single for my first EP. I wrote the track while living in LA with a few writer friends, but we always felt something was missing from the song. I had the idea of adding a verse from another artist, and we considered a few at the time, but nothing felt right. I flew to the UK to shoot the video, which I think the production company actually ended up sharing online somewhere,” he says.
“My manager flicked it to Doja’s producer to see if he’d be interested in sending it to her. The producer loved the track, and so did Doja. The turnaround was quick; we received a verse within a week or two. She even wanted to redo it, showing a genuine passion for the track, which was exciting. I loved that she wanted to make it even better.”
When Andonov received Doja’s official take, his team loved it. “I shared it with my friends in Aus, and they loved it too. We received the official go-ahead, but for various reasons, it was never released. Who knows, maybe it’ll still drop officially down the line,” he adds.
You can listen to the leaked YouTube version of “Offering” below.
Andonov’s second EP definitely got an official release, at least, and he explores themes of personal growth, adolescence, relationships, and heartbreak on SAINT.
