Julia Carin Michaels (née Cavazos) is an American singer and songwriter, known for her hit singles "Issues" and "Heaven". For Disney, she co-wrote the theme song of the Disney Channel television series Austin & Ally with Joleen Belle and Mike McGarity, and the songs in the 2023 animated feature film Wish with Benjamin Rice. Michaels has also co-written songs for other artists, such as Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran, and Shawn Mendes.
Early life and career[]
Julia Michaels was born in Davenport, Iowa on November 13, 1993. She moved to Santa Clarita, California, with her family when she was five. She has an older sister, Jaden, who is also a songwriter. As a child, Michaels learned to play piano and guitar and started writing songs at 12.
She then attended high school online and graduated at 16. Michaels began her career as a songwriter for other artists, signing a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music at 19. She has co-written songs for many popular artists, like Demi Lovato, Fifth Harmony, Hailee Steinfeld, Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, and Gwen Stefani. Michaels also collaborated with frequent writing partner Justin Tranter, former lead singer of the band Semi Precious Weapons.
Solo career[]
In 2017, Michaels released her debut solo single, "Issues", which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards. She also released her first EP, Nervous System, which included the singles "Uh Huh" and "Worst in Me". She received two more Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Song Written for Visual Media for "Heaven", featured on the film Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack. In 2018, Michaels collaborated with artists, such as Lauv, Clean Bandit, Noah Kahan, and Niall Horan. She appeared on the soundtrack to the Walt Disney Animation Studios film Ralph Breaks the Internet later that same year, where she performed "In This Place", a pop rendition of the film's musical number "A Place Called Slaughter Race".
Michaels also released another EP, Inner Monologue Part 1, which included the singles "Anxiety" featuring Selena Gomez and "What a Time" featuring Niall Horan. She followed it up with Inner Monologue Part 2 in 2019, which featured the singles "Hurt Again" and "If You Need Me". In 2020, Michaels released her first full-length album, Not in Chronological Order, which debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and received positive reviews from critics. The album included the singles "Lie Like This", "All Your Exes", and "Little Did I Know". She also collaborated with JP Saxe on the song "If the World Was Ending", which became a viral hit during the COVID-19 pandemic and earned them a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year.
Personal life[]
She was in a relationship with Lauv from 2018 to 2019 and JP Saxe from 2019 to 2021. Michaels is currently single and lives in Los Angeles, California. She also suffers from anxiety and has spoken openly about her mental health struggles. Michaels is an advocate for animal rights and veganism and supports several charities, such as PETA, The Humane Society, and The Trevor Project.
Disney filmography[]
| Year | Production | Role | Subsidiary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-2016 | Austin & Ally | Co-songwriter of "Can't Do It Without You" with Joleen Bell and Mike McGarity | Disney Channel |
| 2018 | Ralph Breaks the Internet | Performer of "In This Place" | Walt Disney Animation Studios |
| 2023 | Wish | Co-songwriter with Benjamin Rice and JP Saxe ("This Wish")/Performer of "A Wish Worth Making" |