From co-writing massive pop hits for Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran and Sabrina Carpenter to carving out her own lane as a performer, Julia Michaels has found her sweet spot in music-making — one fueled by lyrical and emotional honesty.

Now, she’s taking her artistry to greater — if not, freer — heights with new music released under her own label, GFY Records. Her newest single out is No Heartbreak Killed Me Yet.

Speaking from her home in the U.S., the multiple Diamond and Platinum-certified, Grammy-nominated artist recently sat down for an exclusive Zoom interview with The Philippine STAR to talk about this creative independence.

When asked what inspired her to set up her own label, she said, “I really wanted to put out music, but I didn’t want to be beholden to somebody. After being on a label for so long, I didn’t want to report to anybody, and I didn’t want the opinion of 99, 60-year-old men, you know what I mean?

“I had all these songs that I really loved, and I was like, ‘Alright, I’m just gonna start my own label.’ Luckily, I have this incredible team that believes in it, and it’s been really fun. I’m so grateful every day.”

Here are more excerpts from the one-on-one wherein she also talked about how songwriting healed her after heartbreak and the possibility of finally meeting her Filipino fans in person.

How do you feel knowing that the Philippines is one of your top streaming markets globally and second in Southeast Asia?

“That’s so beautiful — for a country I’ve never been to, for them to be such die-hard streamers is incredible. Thank you so, so, so much!”

Do you get messages from your Filipino fans?

“I don’t get a lot of messages from my Filipino fans. I think if I was on Twitter, I probably would get a lot more. But I know we’ve been talking about a way to come and see everybody. Touring as an independent artist can be kind of expensive, so figuring out how to get people around the world is gonna be a unique thing. But they’re definitely always at the forefront of my mind. I really am just so grateful that after all this time, they have been so unconditional.”

If you had the chance to visit the Philippines, what would you like to do — concert, collaborate or just explore?

“I mean, I love to (do a concert) tour. Obviously, I’d like to be able to give my Filipino fans a really amazing show. I’ve heard the fans there are just exceptional, so I’d love to have a night with everybody. And yeah, I would love to just explore and have a few days there and just take it all in and see what it’s like.”

You’ve written for some of today’s biggest artists. How do you decide when a song is meant for you versus someone else?

“Typically, if I write a song with somebody else, it’s for them. I don’t typically take songs that I write with an artist. I typically carve out time for myself to write for my project. I do my best to try and balance both. It’s not always the easiest, but I absolutely love and enjoy writing with other artists and also getting to have an outlet for myself.”

What’s it like hearing your words or melodies take on new life in the voices of other artists?

“A lot of the times when I write with them, it’s more their thoughts and feelings. Getting to be part of that experience is really beautiful — being in a room where someone doesn’t really know you, but a lot of trust has to happen for them to tell you things about their life or what they’re going through. You never really know where a song’s gonna take you or what two hours in a small studio will give. To see so many fans all over the world sing a song that came from such a raw, intimate moment — it’s so cool. It’s not lost on me just how incredible that is.”

Can you share the story behind your latest song, No Heartbreak Killed Me Yet?

“I wrote about just kind of being resilient after heartbreak. I think sometimes we don’t look at the bigger picture when we’re in it, and when we’re out of it, we realize maybe that relationship wasn’t the best thing for me. I don’t think heartbreak always has to be sad. Sometimesm it’s really, really good — and it’s good for you to leave. So, I wanted to write that song.”

Is songwriting a therapeutic process for you?

“Definitely. I start to feel a little anxious when I don’t write songs because it is such an outlet for me to talk about my feelings. I liken it maybe to an actor — they’re on stage and have a reason to cry, but they kind of bottle it up until they have the right moment to let it out. I feel a little like that when I have the space to have those conversations with myself or self-reflect. It’s usually in the studio when I can do that.”

This song is released under your own label, GFY Records. How has releasing music independently changed your approach to your career and craft?

“Oh my God, it’s changed a lot of things. It’s really changed me in terms of self-confidence — feeling much more free and empowered. It’s really lovely that I get to say what I want, how I want to and create visually in a way that I’ve always wanted to. I get to do it all on my own terms, and that’s really special.”

Do you see yourself using GFY Records to champion other artists in the future, especially outside the U.S.?

“I would love to do that, but just in full transparency, I am funding my own label, so I would need other funding to support other artists. But I would love to. There are so many talented artists in the world, and I’ve always loved helping develop artists and sounds, and being one of the first to believe in somebody — I think that’s so fun. I wouldn’t put it past me in the future, but I would definitely need some help.”

From Issues to No Heartbreak Killed Me Yet, how has your emotional storytelling evolved? (To recall, Issues was her first breakout hit, earning Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Best New Artist back in 2018.)

“I think it’s evolved as I’ve evolved as a human. The more that I become self-aware, the more therapy I do, the more that I learn about myself — my music changes with me. I wrote Issues when I was 23. I’m now 31, so who I was at 23 is not who I am at 31. How I wrote songs at 23 is not how I write songs at 31. They’re definitely more thoughtful and more evolved.”

There’s a resurgence of singer-songwriters in the Philippines. What advice would you give to these emerging artists?

“When I was coming up, it was much different than how it is now — I didn’t have TikTok or much social media then. I would say, like, utilize that as much as you possibly can. And just be your authentic self. I think people can really sniff out inauthenticity. Write the songs that you wanna hear on the radio, or that you wanna hear on a streaming platform. Just be true to yourself. It sounds cheesy and corny, but that’s how people win, I think.”