Shoutout to the songwriters using their talent to craft their own hits and share their own stories. Throughout my journey of becoming a music enthusiast I’ve become enamored with the people behind the scenes of my favorite music. From songwriters to producers, hell even engineers, there are so many contributions when it comes to creating a song and I’m happy that those credits in an albumbooklet are continuing to get more love, especially when they decide to do their own projects. Julia Michaels is the latest songwriter set to take the Billboard charts by storm. If Michaels name isn’t ringing any bells, her writing credits will definitely be recognizable. Alongside her writing partner Justin Tranter, Julia penned some of the biggest songs of 2016 including Selena Gomez’s “Hands To Myself”, Fifth Harmony’s “All In My Head (Flex)” and Nick Jonas’s “Close”.

Her debut single “Issues” dropped over the weekend and like the hits she’s penned, the mid tempo track has “play me until there’s nothing else in your head” written all over it. Produced by Benny Blanco and Stargate, “Issues” has Michaels sharing her deepest feelings when it comes to a love that’s far from perfect. “I’m jealous / I’m overzealous / When I’m down / I get real down / When I’m high / I don’t come down,” Julia confesses on the honest track driven by a steady snap filled beat.

The lyrics were the first thing that attracted me to this song because I love when artists can paint intricate pictures with their words. But like most ear worms with each listen I appreciated something new from Julia’s calm bop. From Michaels impassioned voice to the minimal production that lets her voice take center stage, it took no time to fall in love with this song. I’m so excited to hear the other thoughts and feelings Julia is willing to share on her solo material. 2017 is starting off with all the right notes.
What do you think of “Issues”? Let me know in the comments!