Julia Michaels doesn’t need giant scissors to cut off this relationship. On Friday, the songwriter joined forces with Maren Morris for “Scissors,” a track about being quite willing to cut things off with an ex. The song’s story might end in a split, but Michaels and Morris’ musical relationship is kismet.
“‘Scissors’ is a funny way of saying that I’m unbothered. My skin is thick,” Michaels tells Rolling Stone. “I’m not pressed if someone wants to leave. Half the time I don’t want them to stay either.”
“It’s about being nonchalant when a relationship fizzles, because, let’s be honest, most of them do,” adds Morris. “Not everything ends in heartbreak, but sometimes apathy and a lightheartedness, which sorely needs representation in breakup songs!”
Both stars have had public splits in the last couple of years: Morris filed for divorce from Ryan Hurd in 2023 after five years of marriage, while Michaels split with her boyfriend of four years, JP Saxe, in 2022.
“If you wanna cut ties, I’ll get the scissors,” Michaels and Maren repeat as they sing to the ex they’re ready to let go. In the accompanying video, which also dropped Friday, Morris watches Michaels’ revenge from her home, surrounded by black cats, as the stars pair up to get even with her partner. In one scene, Michaels grabs a small pair of scissors, alluding to cutting off Michaels’ man’s appendage.
“Scissors” marks the second time that Michaels and Morris team up after connecting on a similarly titled song, “Cut,” which dropped last June. Michaels says the similar titles were “completely unintentional” since they “were written separately.”
“It was just a wonderful and silly coincidence when these duets came together,” says Michaels, as Morris adds, “They were separate entities, but it felt like cosmic divinity that the titles mirrored each other.”
Michaels says she’s always loved Maren’s voice and felt the two sounded “magical” when they sang together. Morris called Michaels a “world-class” songwriter.
“I was so honored when she asked me to sing ‘Cut’ with her and had no idea what she was going to say when I asked her about ‘Scissors,’ and when she said yes, I was so flattered and honored,” Michaels said. “I adore her, her sense of humor and her just as a person.”
“She’s so brilliant when I bring an idea in and elevating it,” adds Morris. “We just giggle and sing melodies all day to each other. We always choose the lyric that makes us laugh.”
Michaels released a handful of singles in 2024, including the solo track “Heaven II.” She also teamed up with Josh Ross on “Want This Beer” and dueted with Joe Jonas on Alan Walker’s “Thick of it All.” Her last album, Not in Chronological Order, dropped in 2021.
Meanwhile, Morris released her Intermission EP last year and sang “Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot, which was nominated for a Golden Globe last week. She also collaborated with Mt. Joy on “Highway Queen” and dropped the solo single “People Still Show Up” in October.
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