Mastermind Behind Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” Talks About New Music & Songwriting

Behind musical hits from various artists, such as Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Tate McRae, is an Iowa-born singer and songwriter. Julia Michaels made a stop at “The Jennifer Hudson Show” on May 23 and gave a glimpse as to how she began to fall in love with music and songwriting.

“I’ve always been a writer,” Michaels said at the show. “Ever since I was a kid. I remember writing poetry all the time. I always had the alphabet… written above, like pieces of paper, so I could find rhymes for different things when I was a kid. And from there, my mom got me a piano when I was 12.”

The “Issues” singer shared her mother and her were driving after school when they saw a man who was selling a baby grand piano on the street. Michaels’ mother stopped and told the man she would love to get the piano for her daughter. She told the man selling the piano she would leave her wedding ring as collateral and come back. Michaels said her mother was divorced and didn’t care for the ring.

“We, like, stole this piano,” Michaels recalled. “Sorry to this guy…and I basically taught myself how to play the piano and put my poems to songs and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

“Second Self” Hits Music Streaming Services

Michaels released her new EP “Second Self” on May 23. Her new musical body of work is made up of six tracks.

Michaels also shared with Hudson what the album means to her as an independent artist.

“I feel like this is sort of like me 2.0,” she said. “I’m an independent artist now. I started my own label and this is an album about love, about heartbreak, about sex. Just really me doing everything on my own terms, how I want to do it.”

“Second Self” features one collaborative track, “Scissors”, with Maren Morris. On Jan. 10, the song’s official music video was released.

Fans shared their love for the song in the comments section.

“I can’t stop listening to this, her voice is incredible!” one fan wrote.

Wedding Plans in Motion

In April of this year, Michaels took to her instagram to share she is now a fiancé.

“Yes to you forever and always,” she wrote in the caption. “Thank you for being the most incredible man I’ve ever met. I can’t wait to marry you.”