Julia Michaels and Selena Gomez Collaborate on New Single Called 'Anxiety'

If you’ve ever felt misunderstood because of your anxiety, “Issues” singer Julia Michaels and Selena Gomez can relate.

The duo teamed up to produce a surprise single, “Anxiety,” which dropped today on Spotify. “Anxiety” is the first song on Michaels’ new album, “Inner Monologue Part 1,” and focuses on how living with anxiety impacts relationships. In the chorus, Michaels sings:

But all my friends, they don’t know what it’s like, what it’s like
They don’t understand why I can’t sleep through the night
I’ve been told that I could take something to fix it
Damn, I wish it, I wish it was that simple, ah
All my friends they don’t know what it’s like, what it’s like

Both Gomez and Michaels have been open about their struggles with anxiety.

“[Anxiety is] something we both struggle with,” Michaels said in an interview with Billboard. “It’s something we’ve always talked about. It’s something that’s very relatable to both of us.”

In October of last year, Gomez was reportedly admitted to a psychiatric hospital for mental health treatment.

As the song’s lyrics suggest, it’s difficult to feel misunderstood when you’re struggling with a mental illness, but it’s an all-too-common experience. Mighty contributor Erin Noonan wrote about feeling this way in her piece, “The Things People Don’t Understand About Living With Depression and Anxiety.” She said:

Having depression and anxiety is more than just being sad and nervous. It tries to take control of your life and can make the smallest tasks seem impossible. What most people don’t understand is it isn’t something you can just “get over.”

If you live with anxiety, you’re not alone. Michaels hopes the song encourages more open conversations about mental health.

“We also liked the idea of doing a song together where we’re talking about our relationship with anxiety,” Michaels told Billboard. “We’re saying, ‘Hey, we have anxiety, but we’re OK with it.’”

If you are struggling with anxiety and need support, contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.