The 10 Best Songs About Sex, According to Julia Michaels

“It’s about love. Sex. Infatuation. Longing. Desire. Freedom. And my hot ass boyfriend.” For Julia Michaels, her new single is as simple as that.

On Friday, Nov. 6, the famed singer-songwriter entered an edgy new era with the release of her lust-laden latest single “Heaven II” — her first as an independent artist. “I think historically I’m known for writing songs that lean on the sadder side of my vulnerability,” Michaels tells NYLON. “But sex and being sexual is just as vulnerable and not really a part of me that I feel like I get the opportunity to share... or maybe feel scared to share because of what I feel like I’m known for. It felt like freedom to me to write a song like this and put it out. In so many ways right now I feel liberated and I wanted to commemorate this moment with a song like this about this.”

The inspiration for the song, Michaels says, comes from the feeling of infatuation. “I wrote this song when I was in the new phase of a relationship; this time when you just can’t keep your hands off of each other,” she says. “You want to see them every day and be close to them in so many different capacities. Nothing is sexier than when your partner constantly makes you feel sexy. And wanting to reciprocate that feeling.” (For the record, she adds, “we’re still together and are still like this.”)

With the track, Michaels joins an exclusive club of songwriters who can write about sex and actually still make it sound sexy. That art, she notes, is all subjective. “I can listen to certain country songs like ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ and listen to ‘WAP’ next and feel equally sexy. I think it all boils down to how you want to express yourself both sonically and lyrically.”

In honor of the new single, here, Michaels picks her top tk songs about sex, exclusively for NYLON.

“Tear You Apart” — She Wants Revenge

“‘Tear You Apart’ might be the sexiest song of all time. Prove me wrong. I’ll wait.”

“Poster Of A Girl” — Metric

“Planez” - Jeremih

“Birthday Cake” — Rihanna

“I was going to put ‘What’s My Name’ here, but I decided on ‘Birthday Cake’ because it’s a a super short song, but such a hot vibe all around. Rihanna is the queen of sex. Period.”

“Agora Hills” — Doja Cat

“Slow Motion” — Juvenile

“This is always my go-to party song. I love how smooth and sexy it is.”

“Criminal” — Fiona Apple

“I’m A Slave 4 U” — Britney Spears

“I grew up on Britney. When the video came out, I was really young but I thought she was so pretty and cool and I wanted to learn all the dance moves. Britney IS sexy.”

“Night Moves” — Bob Seger

“I’ve always found this song to be sexy. Talking about getting all hot and heavy in a car in the middle of the night... Bob Seger’s sexy tone does something to me.”

“Positions” — Ariana Grande

“Little Red Corvette” — Prince

“I had a hard time choosing between this and ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover.’ Ultimately, this feels more dark and mysterious.”