Julia Michaels On Writing Music For Disney's Latest Film 'Wish,' & More | Billboard News
Julia Michaels On Writing Music For Disney’s Latest Film ‘Wish,’ & More
In a recent interview with Billboard News, Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Julia Michaels discussed her experience writing music for Disney’s latest film ‘Wish.’ Michaels shared that it was an honor to be the youngest female songwriter to write songs for a Disney movie. She expressed her deep connection to Disney’s music and how she grew up listening to and watching Disney films, which made this accomplishment even more meaningful to her.
Despite feeling intimidated at first, Michaels credited the support around her and the collaborative environment she was in while working on the film. She mentioned the validation she felt when she saw the emotional reactions of the movie’s directors and producers to her music. Michaels also emphasized the impact her music will have on young audiences, stating that there will be “Littles” all over the world who will grow up with these songs just as she did with Disney’s music.
As a songwriter and an artist, Michaels discussed the differences between writing for herself and writing for a film. She highlighted the vulnerability and unapologetic nature of her personal music, while also acknowledging the act of service involved in crafting music for a movie. Michaels also reflected on the impact of her upbringing and how her journey from writing songs in her bedroom to being recognized on a global stage has been deeply surreal.
The conversation with Michaels delved into the emotional aspect as well, with her discussing her anxiety and the power it holds in speaking for those who may feel uncomfortable in certain situations. She reflected on her journey and how her mother played a significant role in recognizing her potential as a songwriter and artist.
Overall, Julia Michaels’ interview with Billboard News provided insight into her groundbreaking work on Disney’s ‘Wish,’ her personal growth as an artist, and her inspiring journey from a teenager writing songs in her room to becoming a celebrated songwriter and performer on a global scale.
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There’s going to be Littles all over the world that are going to feel connected to these songs and they’re going to grow up with these songs like I grew up with my Disney songs hi I’m Julie Michaels and this is billboard news hey everybody I’m Ria nipos with
Billboard news and I’m so happy to be here with Grammy nominated singer songwriter Julia Michael hello miss you yeah miss you yeah I got issues one of them is how about I need you if your desires have strs Fe them K them some so wish yes
What a beautiful story and you got to write the music for it and you’re the youngest female songwriter to write songs for a Disney movie that’s what I’ve been told what what was that like here hearing about that history making accomplishment overall just was such an
Honor I mean I’ve I grew up listening to Disney and watching Disney Alan M and the Lopez’s and Howard Ashman and just the greats and to be able to you know following their their footsteps is uh beautiful terrifying beautiful obviously I’m guessing it was pretty intimidating
Writing for like a Disney film 100% but like how did you I guess work through that where you were like like okay I can do this I’m set in they asked me you know like and I’m ready to take this on I have to credit a lot of it just being
The support around me um I I made this film with Ben rice who produced um the songside I also was in a room every week with the same people making this movie the directors the writers the producers and we would talk about all the songs and talk about all the characters and
What we want them to be like and sound like and feel like and you know any time I would go to show them anything I’d be terrible right cuz it’s so vulnerable so vable like you don’t know if they’re going to like it or not and I always
Felt very validated when I would see Jennifer Lee cry or she would laugh or something like oh my God I can breathe yeah we have incredible music by Julia Michaels bringing this really fresh Edge and approach I mean she’s worked with Justin Bieber du alipa Selena Gomez so I
I think it just really came down to trusting uh the process and trusting in the people that I made yeah the movie with the first time I saw wish as a movie with all the songs in it I was like oh my gosh like this is going to
Live longer than me yeah this is this exists now and there’s going to be Littles all over the world that are going to feel connected to these songs and they’re going to grow up with these songs like I grew up with my Disney songs and just wrapping my head around
That has been so deeply surreal you’re songwriter obviously and you’re also your own artist you put out your own music as well and now you foray into film and so what are some of I guess the key differences as you navigate okay this is for me okay I’m going to write
For a movie okay I’m going to write with another artist like how do you shift your mindset when I write for myself it’s it’s just very Unapologetic you know I I it’s it’s just coming from my for me and my psyche and my thoughts and feelings and I can say whatever the I
Want in whatever way I Wantu when I write with other people it’s their thoughts and feelings and of course you can’t help but put a little little bit of yourself and everything you do but you know it’s it’s very catered to them it is it is entirely an act of service for them
Down for wish specifically i’ never done anything like this before so I I really didn’t know what to expect but it was so beautiful and just so expansive in in terms of what you can do and how you can do it and you know this was so different
Because they don’t have thoughts and feelings right you have to make their thoughts and feelings that’s so true I never thought of it that way that’s so true yeah and there was there was definitely a point when we were doing a song for the film called knowing what I
Know now there’s one thing he can’t keep down it’s us and the strength we found it’s to L knowing what we know now Queen Amaya comes in she has this this sort of self Revelation right moment and we were like okay what should we say like what what would she say and
We’re like wait she’s not real but then they become real to you there’s Oscar buuz surrounding that how would that feel to be nominated for an Oscar that’d be crazy I haven’t fully processed that that could be a scenario right but I I mean I think I think obviously
Being nominated for a Grammy as a songwriter is is an incredible thing right but being nominated as a song writer for an Oscar is just next yeah that’s peace yeah you’re like it’s probably one of those things I mean speaking of I always think about when big moments happen in
My life like what would I tell my inner child like if I could go back in time and be like o don’t do that to me I’ll cry okay cuz I was about to get there I’m like where what would you say like could you imagine going back and being
Like you there’s Oscar buuz surrounding us right now like I would fre out little me wouldn’t even understand that oh go I I come from a very chaotic broken family like I didn’t come from money I didn’t come from anything I I spent my teenage years writing songs in
My bedroom as a place of just safety and to for self love you know just to comfort myself so I think little me 13-year-old me 16y old me wouldn’t even know where to start yeah no and I mean I think that’s so special and not make you
Emotional but I’m like cuz I be like there’s such an inspiration for probably people who are in your situation I had a conversation recently uh doing a round table of sorts with people and I’m not good at those things I just I’m shaky I’m nervous I just I have a lot of
Anxiety and someone at the table was like you know sit in your power you’re powerful sit in your power and I was like that’s beautiful for you I was like but also there are 13-year-old people in their bedroom afraid of themselves right now and like someone’s got to speak up
For them too that’s me and I know that that this sounds weird to say but like your weirdly your anxiety is your power because you’re speaking on like a very very insanely common Human Experience where it does give power to people that might feel uncomfortable in a situation
Speaking up and being who they are where it’s like two things can be true you’re absolutely right two things can be true and there are so many people out there that are afraid to try because they are not confident people and like if I if I
Didn’t you know I would still be there you know I it’s it’s a choice to get up and try and try you were saying that you would write songs in your room as a teenager at what point did you have that realization it’s like wo this can
Actually be a career for me that’s actually my mom’s doing oh wow uh so uh my sister also used to sing demos around the city and I would just go with to just hang out right and my mom bless her heart was like a little bit of a
Momer and uh I remember I I went to she believed in you she did believe in me when I didn’t believe in myself you know we need those people in our lives and um I remember I went to uh This Woman’s house her name was Jolene Bell and uh my
Mom instantly was like you should sing for her oh my God so I actually I sang a song by this artist named Juliet Sims um and uh this songwriter was like do you write songs and I was like I I like to pretend I again yeah and she was like we
Should write together sometime oh and just completely took a chance on me and uh that really started everything for me I was 15 years old both of us will be thinking about how different we are from scared little kid working with Sabrina yeah oh my gosh
She came into a new side of her and you do that with a lot of artists all the artists that you write with we’re talking like dual Lipa pink all of them I feel like you open up a new side of these artists that people haven’t seen
Before how do you what happens when you get in the studio where you create such a safe space for people to just be like I want to write about this and then just allow for the creativity to flow well I I definitely can’t take credit for anybody’s I think you are a big
Contributor though thank you no I I just think that I think that it’s important to give people space to be able to be themselves to talk about things freely and know that everything that happens in the room stays in the room you know like anything they want to talk about is
Going to stay there unless they want it in a song right that’s up to them that’s their prerogative you know I’m just I’m just happy to be there most days and um and and get to work with amazing artists that have a point of view and have a
Vision and and want me along for the ride it’s true but it’s just like yeah and I think it kind of goes back to it again songwriting music is so vulnerable so it is beautiful that you create a safe space for those artists I think
Like at least once a week I’ll I’ll go in the studio and I’ll sit on the couch and I’ll take my shoes off and I’ll sit crisscross applesauce on the couch and I’ll look around I’ll look at the producer I’m with or the songwriters I’m
With or the artists that I get to write with that day and I’m just like wow this is our job we get to just create all the time like we get to take something from nothing and make it something beautiful that people get to hold and listen to
And cry to and dance to there is truly nothing more special to me than that and moving forward you have an exciting year you’re working on wish yes potentially Oscars you’re constantly working on your own music yeah what are you looking forward to I guess like exploring and
Introducing as we go into the new year that’s a good question I try not to put myself too far on the in the future yeah because I get overwhelmed I feel that too you um but I’ve been riding with a lot of people again which has been really good for the
Soul yeah and working on stuff for myself and I don’t know we’ll see love that I’m just happy to be here alive and healthy I’m here I’m happy you’re here too thank you so much for joining us today thanks for having me everyone go watch wish
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Video “Julia Michaels On Writing Music For Disney's Latest Film 'Wish,' & More | Billboard News” was uploaded on 01/20/2024 to Youtube Channel Billboard