Everyone gets tattoos for different reasons. Some people get them to remember a special time in their life, or in memory of a person [1], or to celebrate their interests. For Julia Michaels, it's all of the above. The singer-songwriter has more than 30 pieces of body art [2] and each one has a special meaning to her.
Most of Michaels's tattoos are on her arms but she has a few on her hands, as well as her back and neck. She's been growing her collection for over 10 years now and loves to add on to it in bulk by getting a few new designs at once. Many designs have to do with music, like a piano and vintage microphone on her forearm and a music note on her finger, but she also has ink with a funny story behind it, like a bad breakup and an even worse tattoo experience (more on that later).
Michaels also has a few tattoos to serve as little reminders to love herself and to speak up when needed [3] and has even gotten ink with a few of the people closest to her like her best friend Selena Gomez [4] and her dad.
In an interview with us [5], Michaels shared more about some of her most meaningful tattoos and we rounded them up, along with a few others, ahead.
Julia Michaels's Piano Arm Tattoo
In 2012, Michaels got a pink piano tattooed on her left inner forearm to represent her music career.
Julia Michaels's Microphone Arm Tattoo
In 2012, Michaels got a vintage microphone tattooed on her outer forearm with a rose below it.
Julia Michaels's Typewriter Arm Tattoo
In 2014, Michaels got a vintage typewriter tattooed on her upper right arm.
Julia Michaels's "Colourful Artichoke" Arm Tattoo
Michaels's funniest tattoo story has to do with the ink she calls the "colourful artichoke" on her arm. "I got this lotus flower after a breakup, but I didn't do my research and I just went and did it," Michaels told POPSUGAR. "When I left, it came out looking like a very colourful artichoke and then I went to my other tattoo artist and I had him put a big X on it and around it, it says 'bad idea' because he was and it was." She got it in 2015.
Julia Michaels's Rose Hand Tattoo
Also in 2015, Michaels got a geomatic rose tattoo on the back of her right hand.
Julia Michaels's Perception and Lightblub Arm Tattoo
On Michaels's right arm, a design that looks like two triangles and three circles can be seen right above her rose hand tattoo. It's the symbol for perception. She told POPSUGAR, "It looks fully formed, but it isn't, and I've always found it really interesting how the brain can perceive something as whole, even though it's not."
Above her perception symbol is a lightbulb with a solar system in it. She told 92.3 AMP Radio [7] in an interview it was to represent thoughts and the sub-conscious mind. She got both of the tattoos in March of 2017.
Julia Michaels's "Speak Up" Neck Tattoo
Below Michaels's neck are the words "speak up" tattooed and a long line that runs down her chest. "My favourite one is the one on my throat that says 'speak up,' because I don't very often and I need reminders sometimes to be bold and be brave," she told POPSUGAR. She got it in 2017.
Julia Michaels's "Kiss Here" Back Tattoo
In the middle of Michaels's back are the words "Kiss here." She got the tattoo in August of 2017 — right around the time she released her debut song "Issues."
Julia Michaels's Golden Snitch Arm Tattoo
As a self-proclaimed Harry Potter [8] fan, Michaels got a golden snitch tattooed on her right arm with her dad in December of 2017.
Julia Michaels's Scorpion Wrist Tattoo
On the inside of Michaels's right wrist is a small scorpion tattoo. She got it in February 2018 to represent her Zodiac sign.
Julia Michaels's Gemstone Arm Tattoos
Scattered throughout Michaels's arms are four gemstone tattoos, with the most visible one being the heart-shaped pink stone on her right shoulder. They are for her fans, who she calls her "little gems." She got them in July of 2018.
Julia Michaels's Snake Arm Tattoo
In July of 2018, Michaels got a small snake tattooed on the inside of her right arm. She showed off the ink on her Instagram Story [9] and said "a baby pink snake for this slytherin," to celebrate her love for Harry Potter [10].
Julia Michaels's Bird Tattoo Tattoo
During that same summer month in 2018, Michaels added this bird in flight on her left arm, just above her elbow. She's never talked about its exact meaning.