One of pop music’s most prolific songwriters Julia Michaels has returned with her new EP “Second Self.” The six-track EP is Michaels’ first independent release under her own label GFY Records after departing from Republic in late 2024.
Michaels has written music for some of pop’s biggest stars including Olivia Rodrigo, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. Most recently, Michaels had five songwriting credits on Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024 album “Short n’ Sweet,” including “Taste” and “Bed Chem.”
On “Second Self,” Michaels showcases her ever-present catchy songwriting abilities while bringing a newfound sense of self-awareness and honesty.
The EP begins on an anthemic highnote with “Heaven II.” The track acts as a more personal and relevant version of her song “Heaven,” which featured on the “Fifty Shades Freed Soundtrack” in 2018. On “Heaven II,” Michaels uses lively wordplay and infectious melodies to engage listeners into her admiration of her partner.
The uplifting sentiments of the song are tied together gracefully with a warm ambient production style that is complimented by a captivating bridge.
“[Heaven II] means so much to me because it’s my first song that I’m releasing as an independent artist. It’s taken so much to get to this point. A big thank you to everyone that stuck by me through all of this and believed in me enough for me to want to believe in myself enough to keep making songs that I love”
On “Scissors,” Michaels tags in frequent collaborator and country popstar Maren Morris. The tune sees Michaels unapologetically thrilled to “cut ties” with an ex after the relationship seems to be coming to an end.
The track succeeds by expressing nonchalant lyrics that build through a catchy chorus and post-chorus. When Morris begins the second verse, she fails to make distance, sonically, from Michaels as their voices sound nearly identical. Her inclusion is engaging but unnecessary.
“Try Your Luck” is a snappy earworm that finds Michaels inviting potential partners to “give it a shot” at being with her. With flashy horns sprinkled throughout the song, Michaels uses an upbeat instrumental to compliment her optimistic lyrics.
The track is partnered with a fitting music video where men audition to be with Michaels while they showcase varying talents including ventriloquism, skateboarding and breakdancing.
Michaels comes to terms with falling out of love on “F.O.O.L.” The song is more laid back than the neighboring tracks, which work in her favor. The instrumental sounds dated but is saved by Michaels’ compelling vocal range that steals the show.
“GFY” is easily the most impactful and fully fledged out track on the EP. This is the first time on the project where Michaels expresses pain from a past relationship that still pulls at her heart.
The ascending and descending harmonies throughout create an up-and-down feeling that reflect the dreadful lyrics. Despite the serious nature, Michaels find comedic relief during lyrics such as, “I wanna be the bigger person/but I’m only 5’4” and “benefit of the doubt, shmenefit of the smout,” which reminds the audience of the playful lyrics that she wrote with Sabrina Carpenter on “Short n’ Sweet.”
The project ends on a low note with “Time.” The songwriting on the track becomes redundant after Michaels endlessly abuses the “time” rhyme pattern while the surrounding lyrics are underdeveloped. Her singing abilities shine through the lackluster lyrics and an intriguing filter is used on her voice during the chorus.
“Second Self” proves that Julia Micheals is just as vocally and lyrically talented as some of the biggest pop stars of today. The project comes up short when the production doesn’t match the emotional intensity of Michaels’ writing and singing. The only thing that is stopping Micheals from being a pop superstar is her own willingness to build a persona that audiences can attach to and idolize.
