Julia Michaels’ new mantra
The singer says “Uh huh” to a hot romance
The songwriting duo of Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter have composed some of the biggest pop hits in recent memory, working with artists from Gwen Stefani and Justin Bieber to DNCE and Britney Spears. While Tranter had already made a name for himself as the frontman for the cult Glam-Punk band, Semi Precious Weapons, the 23-year-old Michaels is finally ready to cut loose with a solo career of her own.
The new single from the undisputed pop princess of the 21st century excels at showcasing the stripped down production and focus on vocal power that made Michaels and Tranter such sought-after composers in the first place. The verses of “Uh Huh” move forward solely on the strength of Michaels‘s bouncy vocals and an elementary acoustic guitar part, and the choruses explode with an understated drum groove and a deliciously fuzzy bass line for texture. The whole song is assembled as if to say “Julia Michaels is a star.”
The music video is a blast, with Michaels and a cute boy engaged in some clever reversal of traditional gender roles. It’s sexy without being gratuitous, playful without being innocuous, and provocative without being desperate. Directed by well-known music video guru Emil Nava, it’s a lot like the song it accompanies: sweet, groovy, catchy, and instantly memorable.
“Uh Huh” is the second single from Michaels’s recently released EP, Nervous System – following her earlier 2017 track, Issues. It’s just a matter of time before she releases a full album of sure-fire radio hits. Until then, we’ll be waiting patiently, mulling over our own Issues, so to speak.
