Julia Michaels has officially stepped into her villain era, or perhaps more accurately, her main character era. After more than a decade of penning bangers for everyone else in the industry, the multi-platinum, GRAMMY®-nominated artist has taken the reins of her career, her creativity, and her sound with the upcoming release of her new EP Second Self, out May 23 via her own unapologetically named label, GFY Records.
It’s not just a project. It’s a statement. A flex. A reclamation. And, oh yeah, it slaps.
Second Self Is Here To Break Rules, Not Records (But She’ll Probably Do Both)
Packed with six tight, razor-sharp tracks, “Heaven II,” “Scissors,” “Try Your Luck,” “F.O.O.L.,” “GFY,” and “Time” — Second Self sounds like liberation with a killer hook. It’s Julia Michaels completely unfiltered: defiant, emotionally raw, surgically witty, and sonically unbothered by what anyone expects of her.
For the first time in her wildly influential career, she’s in full control. She’s not just writing the songs. She’s releasing them, marketing them, and owning the masters.
“I’ve spent so much of my life helping other people tell their stories,” Michaels says. “This time, it’s just me. These songs are mine. This project is mine. And that’s the most liberating feeling I’ve ever had.”
Second Self is both personal manifesto and emotional exposé. It’s heartbreak with bite. Femininity with teeth. Pop music with a brain and a backbone. And for Michaels, who has built her reputation on being pop’s emotional translator, it’s also a long-overdue declaration of self-worth.
Julia Michaels
You Know Her Pen Game, Even If You Pretend You Don’t
Let’s be clear: Julia Michaels isn’t starting a career. She’s redefining one. This is the same woman who has stealthily shaped modern pop from the shadows with writing credits on 25 Billboard Hot 100 entries, including 14 Top 40s and two No. 1s, Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me.”
Her collaborators? Just a casual list of icons: Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Britney Spears, P!NK, Niall Horan, Janelle Monáe, The Chicks, Keith Urban, Hailee Steinfeld, and more. If your favorite pop star had a hit in the last ten years, chances are Michaels was behind it.
But even with a résumé that most songwriters would kill for, Michaels wanted more: ownership, autonomy, and a platform that didn’t involve playing polite in industry rooms full of men who think they invented vulnerability.
From “Issues” to Icon Status: A Solo Career That Slaps
In 2017, Michaels changed the trajectory of her career with her debut solo single “Issues,” a gut-punch of a song that went 5x Platinum and earned her two GRAMMY® nominations, including Song of the Year. Suddenly, the songwriter behind the stars became one herself, and she had something real to say.
Since then, she’s dropped a series of critically adored projects, including the Nervous System EP, Inner Monologue Part 1 & 2, and 2021’s debut full-length album Not In Chronological Order. Her music has always teetered between the deeply personal and the painfully relatable the kind of lyrics you cry to in the car and quote on your Finsta.
She’s toured with the biggest names in the business (Maroon 5, P!NK, Shawn Mendes, Niall Horan, Keith Urban), headlined her own Inner Monologue tour, and become a late-night TV regular with performances on The Tonight Show, Ellen, The Voice, and The Late Show.
From Mouse Ears to Mic Drops: Michaels’ Disney Era and Beyond
Even as her solo career soared, Michaels continued to rack up writing credits, including a high-profile pivot in 2023 when she wrote all the lyrics for Disney’s animated feature WISH, starring Oscar winner Ariana DeBose. That gig made her the youngest lyricist in Disney history to write an entire animated film, proving once again that Michaels is fluent in fairytales and f-bombs.
Her breakthrough single “Issues” also passed 1 billion streams on Spotify, putting her in the pop elite where she belongs.
She’s Not Just Telling Her Story. She’s Writing Her Future.
With Second Self, Michaels is more than just the artist on the cover. She’s the executive, the strategist, the label head. GFY Records isn’t just a name. It’s a warning and a wink. She’s not asking for permission anymore.
The new EP isn’t about starting over. It’s about stepping into the spotlight on her own terms. With biting lyrics, bold themes, and production that demands attention, Second Self is Julia Michaels doing what she’s always done, but louder, sharper, and 100% for herself.
Catch the Wave or Get Out of the Way
Michaels recently previewed this new era with a fierce live debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing with fellow boundary-breaker Maren Morris. It was bold, electric, and a warning shot. Pop’s most prolific pen is now holding the mic, the label contract, and the creative vision. And she’s not letting go.
So buckle up. Second Self drops May 23. Julia Michaels is no longer behind the scenes. She’s the whole damn show.
