Julia Michaels is the breakthrough story of 2017 that I couldn’t be happier and more excited about. She is the name behind some of your favourite pop songs of the past couple of years from the likes of Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Britney Spears. Her debut single “Issues” rocketed up the charts worldwide with it’s raw vulnerability and catchy hook while her second single “Uh Huh” showcased a fiery side of her. Her debut EP “Nervous System” is fronted by these two tracks as well as introduces five brand new ones. What is quickly made apparent is that her songwriting is next level and that there is a reason why she is the go to name in pop at the moment. “Worst In Me” is immediately one of the most honest tracks. It looks at a break up and questioning who was really in fault for the division and realising that it was the worst in both of you that made it possible. “But maybe it’s the worst in me that’s bringing out the worst in you. I know we could fix these kinks but the worst in me doesn’t want to work on things. But the best in me wants to love you but the worst in me doesn’t want to”. The self sabotage song is met with incredible production that starts off as a simple ballad and turns into a mid tempo stomper. “Make It Up To You” is a quirky guitar and drum box track that honestly doesn’t sound like anything else and will immediately stand out. “Just Do It” is a break up pop ballad that looks at her asking her lover to… well just do it and stop leading her on. This is a song that grows on you after a couple of listens. “Pink” is probably the most interesting song on the EP and will have you surprised and intrigued by the lyrical content. “There’s no innuendos, it’s exactly what you think. Believe me when I tell you that he loves the color pink”. It shows a more playful side of her that we briefly saw in “Uh-Huh” but haven’t seen again until now. Closing the EP is the beautiful ballad “Don’t Wanna Think” which is a heartbreaking break up track about not knowing what to do next when it’s all over. “I know that when I wake up there’s gonna be seven texts and three calls to you and I’m not gonna know what to do. I’ll make up some excuse about how that was meant for someone else when the truth is I’m not over you”. All of the tracks are incredibly well produced and further explore the pop sound that she has already introduced. Her vocals are raw, intimate and fiery which gives the listener a diverse experience. I feel like this EP has kind of just dropped without much warning and I hope people don’t therefore forget to listen because this really is an impressive collection of tracks.
You can catch Julia Michaels in Australia and New Zealand when she joins Shawn Mendes on his Illuminate Tour. Check out the dates;
Saturday 25 November – Spark Arena – Auckland
Wednesday 29 November – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Friday 1 December – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Sunday 3 December – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Wednesday 6 December – Perth Arena