In 2017, she decided to try singing her own songs and released her debut single Issues. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Chart, was certified triple-platinum and got her 2 Grammy Award nominations. After releasing her debut album "Nervous System" in 2017, Julia was the opening act for the European dates of Niall Horan’s Flicker World Tour in 2018.
She has also collaborated on songs with various major artists, such as Niall Horan, Noah Kahan, James Bay, Justin Bieber, 5 Seconds of Summer, LANY, Trippie Redd, LAUV, Kygo, RL Grime, Maroon 5, Shawn Mendes, Rita Ora, Clean Bandit, Keith Urban, Jordan Davis, JP Saxe and Selena Gomez.
Closet
Julia Michaels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Picture of you in my pocket
It's all I really have left of you
And it's not enough to keep me goin'
This emptiness is always showin'
But it's all I really have left of you
But I don't understand why it has to be this way, no
But it's just too hard for me, oh
And I don't understand why it has to be this way
So come back home, mmm
Lock the door, me in the closet
Tears are shootin' out like rockets
Cold and dark, twisted solitude
I see memories through my fingers
Now you and I, just like strangers
So what part of me is part of you? Oooh
And I don't understand why it has to be this way, no
I'm reaching for the door
But it's just too hard on me, oh
And I don't understand why it has to be this way
So come back home
And how can I breathe
When there's no air comin' through
And what do I have
When there's nothing left to do
I don't understand why it has to be this way, no
I'm reaching for the door
But it's just too hard on me, oh
And I don't understand why it has to be this way
So come back home
So come back
The song "Closet" by Julia Michaels is a powerful ballad about the pain and loneliness that comes with a broken heart. The lyrics describe the feeling of being trapped in a closet, symbolizing the overwhelming weight of grief and despair. The singer has a picture of the person they love in their pocket, but it's not enough to ease the emptiness they feel. The chorus repeats the theme of not understanding why their love had to leave and expressing the desire for them to come back home.
The second verse is just as poignant, describing the tears of the singer as "shooting out like rockets" and the solitude they feel as "cold and twisted." The mention of memories through their fingers is a reference to the fleeting nature of nostalgia, which is all they have yet feels so distant. The chorus repeats once more, with the singer questioning how they can continue breathing without the love they once had.
The song concludes with a final plea for their love to come back home, giving one last chance at fixing the broken pieces of their heart. Julia Michaels delivers a raw and emotional performance, capturing the despair and longing that many can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Lock the door, me in the closet
Julia Michaels feels trapped and isolated in a dark space with no escape, representing her feelings of being stuck and unable to move on.
Picture of you in my pocket
The only thing Julia Michaels has left of her former love is a small image, a reminder of what she has lost and is missing.
It's all I really have left of you
And it's not enough to keep me goin'
Even with the small memory she clings to, Julia Michaels cannot continue on with just that. Her emotional dependency on her past love has left her feeling emptier than ever before.
This emptiness is always showin'
But it's all I really have left of you
Julia Michaels is torn between wanting to let go of her former love and feeling like she cannot because the loss is too great. Despite her efforts to maintain composure, her sadness is evident.
But I don't understand why it has to be this way, no
I'm reaching for the door
But it's just too hard for me, oh
And I don't understand why it has to be this way
So come back home, mmm
In this chorus, Julia Michaels reflects on her confusion and desperation for her love to come back to her. She cannot make sense of why things turned out the way they did and wishes to return to a state of familiarity and comfort.
Tears are shootin' out like rockets
Cold and dark, twisted solitude
Julia Michaels is overcome with sadness and feels alone in her grief. She can hardly contain the tears streaming down her face and is filled with a sense of despair and hopelessness.
I see memories through my fingers
Now you and I, just like strangers
So what part of me is part of you? Oooh
Julia Michaels reflects on what has become of the love she and her former partner once shared. The notion that they are strangers now is unsettling and she wonders what part of herself was intertwined with her past love.
And how can I breathe
When there's no air comin' through
And what do I have
When there's nothing left to do
Julia Michaels feels suffocated by the loss of her former love and has trouble finding meaning in her life. She is lost without her partner and cannot move forward without them.
I don't understand why it has to be this way, no
I'm reaching for the door
But it's just too hard on me, oh
And I don't understand why it has to be this way
So come back home
So come back
In this final iteration of the chorus, Julia Michaels pleads for her love to come back to her, as she cannot bear the pain of being without them. She is desperate and solely focused on the hope that her love will return to her and make everything right again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Anthony George Anderson, Julia Carin Cavazos, Joleen Belle, Steven Andrew Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ArticOwl22
Yeah
Remember when I used to be happy for you?
You could go out with your female friends and I'd be totally fine
Remember when you used to be happy for me?
You celebrate all my success without crossing a line
Now, it's like we're scared of getting good
'Cause we know the truth is that we could
Yeah, we know that we might actually work
And the truth is that we could
But maybe it's the worst in me
That's bringing out the worst in you
I know we can fix these kinks
But the worst in me doesn't want to work on things
But the best of me wants to love you
But the worst in me doesn't want to
Ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah
It's almost like I've gotten so used to resentment
That every annoying little thing you say has lost its effect
It's almost like it's made you a little bit bitter
When I don't always react the way you expect
It's like we're scared of getting good
'Cause we know the truth is that we could
Yeah, we know that we might actually work
And the truth is that we could
But maybe it's the worst in me
That's bringing out the worst in you
I know we can fix these kinks
But the worst in me doesn't want to work on things
But the best of me wants to love you
But the worst in me doesn't want to
I won't hurt you again
If you won't, if you won't
But, baby, I won't lose you again
If you won't, if you won't
Remember when I used to be happy for you?
But maybe it's the worst in me (worst in me)
That's bringing out the worst in you
I know we can fix these kinks
But the worst in me doesn't want to work on things
But the best of me wants to love you, I really want to
But the worst in me doesn't want to
Ah ah ah ah ah (Really doesn't want to)
Ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah (The worst in me doesn't want to)
Ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah (Oh)
Ah ah ah ah ah (The worst in me doesn't want to)
@bhavanasawant4087
[Verse 1]
Yeah
Remember when I used to be happy for you
You could go out with your female friends and I'd be totally fine
Remember when you used to be happy, for me
You'd celebrate all my success without crossing a line
[Pre-Chorus]
Now it's like we're scared of getting good
'Cause we know the truth is that we could
Yeah we know that we might actually work
And the truth is that we could
[Chorus]
But maybe it's the worst in me
That's bringing out the worst in you
I know we could fix these kinks
But the worst in me doesn't want to
Work on things
But the best in me wants to love you
But the worst in me doesn't want to
[Verse 2]
It's almost like I've gotten so used to resentment
But every annoying little thing you say has lost it's effect
It's almost like it's made you a little bit bitter
When I don't always react the way you expect
[Pre-Chorus]
It's like we're scared of getting good
'Cause we know the truth is that we could
Yeah we know that we might actually work
And the truth is that we could
[Chorus]
But maybe it's the worst in me
Bringing out the worst in you
I know we could fix these kinks
But the worst in me doesn't want to
Work on things
But the best in me wants to love you
But the worst in me doesn't want to
[Bridge]
I won't hurt you again if you won't, if you won't
And baby I won't lose you again if you won't, if you won't
Remember when I use to be happy for you
[Chorus]
But maybe it's the worst in me
That's bringing out the worst in you
I know we could fix these kinks
But the worst in me doesn't want to
Work on things
But the best in me wants to love you
But the worst in me doesn't want to
@LeendaDProductions
ahh I love her voice so much
@ElfBlonde03
ahh i love your videos!
@ramesharora5375
LeendaDProductions meh too!!
@happyedge281
LeendaDProductions it is so pretty. I hope my voice can get there someday
@kelleshiabryan9938
LeendaDProductions fffgfugogvgvc has
@DVKPVLOGS
SAME LEENDA
@alessiajean1739
I saw her live and she started crying bc of how overwhelmed she was about this song. Here u can also see the emotion in the lyrics and performance and im sure that a lot of people can relate to this song and the emotion she puts into it makes it 300000 times more real and I LOVE IT
@AngelEyesOOO1
Alessia Jean i can relate for sure...I sent this song to my ex husband when we were still together. No idea if he actually listened to it. But yea..
@danaprovenzano3961
вєeP bEέp when you’re connecting so much to a song and how much it applies to someone and they just don’t get it lol
@WhiteThunder14
Saw her last weekend and this hasn’t changed. This song still upsets her. She’s such a beautiful soul.