Julia Michaels has become known as something of a girl wonder in the music industry. A singer and songwriter, she has played a massive role behind the scenes of some of the biggest pop hits of the 2010s. Even more shockingly, she was doing this while still a teenager.
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In her early 20s, Michaels was a force behind songs by artists like Selena Gomez, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, and Gwen Stefani. Two of her songs have landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Selena Gomez’s “Lose You To Love Me.” Though firmly rooted in the pop genre, Michaels has proved herself a versatile genre-bender, writing R&B, electronica, and dance tracks.
After many years of songwriting, Michaels appeared as a featured artist on tracks with Clean Bandit, Kygo, James Bay, Justin Bieber, and others. She came to mainstream attention when she released her 2017 smash hit “Issues,” which earned her her fifth Grammy nomination.
Michaels has often teamed up with Justin Tranter, a singer and songwriter. They’ve collaborated on projects for Nick Jonas, Hailee Steinfeld, Gwen Stefani, and many others. Tranter has also helped Michaels write and record her own songs, notably “Uh Huh” and “What a Time,” which featured an appearance from Niall Horan.
In 2021, Michaels released her first full-length studio album, Not In Chronological Order. Amazingly, she has accomplished all of these things well before turning 30. Here are a few songs that hit the charts thanks to Michaels’ contributions behind the scenes.
1. “Nervous” — Shawn Mendes, 2018
Written by Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes, & Julia Michaels
Michaels has teamed up with singer Shawn Mendes several times. But Michaels was a massive fan of Mendes even before they collaborated. She wasn’t shy about her excitement during their first project, “Nervous” (2018). The song was the song of a close professional and personal friendship. Mendes and Michaels also co-wrote his song “Like To Be You.”
“Nervous” was released in May 2018. It was a modest success, peaking at No. 8 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles charts. Mendes would later introduce Michaels to JP Saxe, with whom she wrote and performed “If The World Was Ending.”
You told me to come inside
Caught me staring in your eyes
And I’m not usually like this
But I like what you’re doing to me
2. “Poison” — Rita Ora, 2015
Written by Nolan Lambroza, Julia Michaels, & Kate Nash
“Poison” was a 2015 dance-pop hit from British singer Rita Ora, an emotional ballad about a toxic relationship. Released after a minor career slump for Ora, “Poison” was considered a decisive comeback and was even called one of the best songs of her career.
The song also became a first for Michaels—it was her first track to chart on the UK Singles Chart. Michaels co-wrote the track with record producer Nolan Lambroza and singer Kate Nash. Though it isn’t known how she came to work with Ora, it’s undeniable that her influence helped the singer make her comeback.
Pour something in my cup
Anything and everything just to fill me up
But nothing ever gets me high like this
I pick my poison, and it’s you
3. “Heavy” — Linkin Park ft. Kiiara, 2017
Written by Chester Bennington, Brad Delson, Julia Michaels, Mike Shinoda, & Justin Tranter
Linkin Park’s 2017 song “Heavy” was notable not only for its Gold certification but also for being the band’s final single release before the suicide of frontman Chester Bennington. Bennington reached out to Michaels, wanting to write a song about struggling with the weight of mental issues and how even good days were hard.
“[Bennington] was like, ‘I wanna write a song about how sometimes you get really weighed down by all your problems, and sometimes it’s really hard to get out of that,'” Michaels told Billboard. “I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do that. And we wrote the song in about two hours.”
I don’t like my mind right now
Stacking up problems that are so unnecessary
Wish that I could slow things down
I want to let go, but there’s comfort in the panic
4. “Make Me Feel” — Janelle Monáe, 2018
Written by Robin Fredriksson, Mattias Larsson, Janelle Monáe Robinson, Julia Michaels, & Justin Tranter
Michaels is in her element in many genres, as evidenced by her 2018 collaboration with R&B singer Janelle Monáe. Monáe and Michaels worked with Michaels’ longtime songwriting partner, Justin Tranter, and producers Robin Fredriksson and Mattias Larsson. The result was a funky, sultry R&B track that evoked the style of Prince. “Make Me Feel” reached No. 5 on the Billboard US Dance Club Songs chart.
“Janelle Monáe couldn’t get cooler if you paid her,” Michaels’ songwriting partner, Justin Tranter, told Billboard. “We met in a session, and ‘Make Me Feel ‘was birthed. I think it’s the best-reviewed song I’ve ever been a part of.”
It’s like I’m powerful with a little bit of tender
An emotional, sexual bender
Mess me up, yeah, but no one does it better
There’s nothing better
That’s just the way you make me feel
5. “I Miss You” — Clean Bandit ft. Julia Michaels, 2018
Written by Julia Michaels, Grace Chatto, & Jack Patterson
Michaels collaborated with the British band Clean Bandit on “I Miss You,” providing vocals for the song. She wrote the lyrics about a painful breakup but never expected it to become an official track. But having already teamed up with Jack Patterson of Clean Bandit, Michaels experimented with the lyrics while he provided the melody. She was surprised when he told her they would officially release the song.
“I wrote it at the height of an emotional roller coaster,” Michaels posted on Twitter. “When I was stuck at the top, this flew out of me.”
And I know we’re not supposed to talk
But I’m getting ahead of myself
I get scared when we’re not
‘Cause I’m scared you’re with somebody else
So I guess that it is gone
And I just keep lying to myself
Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
