AristaThe COVID-19 pandemic has unexpectedly given a boost to “If the World Was Ending,” a duet by real-life couple Julia Michaels and JP Saxe. Julia, an artist who’s also written smash hits for the likes of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, first met JP, a Canadian singer/songwriter, thanks to Julia’s pal, Shawn Mendes — and that led to the song.
“Fun fact: Shawn actually showed me JP’s music, and that’s how we ended up meeting,” Julia tells ABC Audio from home, where she and JP are quarantining together. Of course, the couple says when they first wrote the song — about a guy who wonders if his ex would come over if the world was ending — a global pandemic wasn’t exactly what they had in mind.
“We wrote it around the time the earthquakes were happening in L.A.,” Julia explains. “JP was on the freeway, so he didn’t even feel it. I was actually at a Shawn Mendes concert…which was really scary.”
When the coronavirus crisis happened, fans noticed how suddenly relevant the song had become.
“We got a lot of messages asking if we had some sort of insider info,” JP laughs. “We did not! We had no idea!”
But JP and Julia are more than happy that people are connecting with “If the World Was Ending.”
“There was a video made with these nurses and their signs asking us all to stay home because they couldn’t,” JP notes. “It’s really it’s an honor for us to see the song accompanying a message that is so meaningful…that’s really special for us.”
And while two singer/songwriters social-distancing together may seem like a recipe for even more great songs, JP says, “Both of us are prioritizing just leaning into being in love. That’s the best feeling in the world.” Aww.
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