GRAMMY® and Emmy® Award-winning singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Emily Bear has released her new single, God Forbid A Girl Gets Used To This, marking her first solo artist release in almost a decade and her debut on Sony Music Masterworks.
Emily Bear
The track introduces an exciting new chapter for the 25-year-old American musician, who has spent much of the past decade composing for stage and screen while collaborating with some of the biggest names in music. Blending upbeat jazz and soul influences with candid, emotionally revealing songwriting, the single offers a more personal insight into an artist now stepping forward to tell her own stories.
Produced by Bear alongside Julian Dobson, whose credits include work with Mark Ronson and RAYE, God Forbid A Girl Gets Used To This explores the uneasy relationship between happiness and the fear of losing it. Built around the poignant refrain “I got trouble with happiness”, the song captures the anxiety that can accompany finding genuine love, questioning why something beautiful can sometimes feel too good to be true.
Rather than presenting love as an uncomplicated source of confidence, Bear examines the vulnerability of allowing herself to believe that happiness might last. The result is an intimate, relatable song that pairs sophisticated musical arrangements with the uncertainties of modern relationships. “We hear all these stories about how love makes you fearless, love conquers all, and repeat stories of people doing these wildly heroic things in the name of it,” Bear explains.
“But no one really talks about what happens when you finally experience that fated feeling. Suddenly, there’s something you’re terrified to lose. And instead of becoming fearless, there’s a large part of you that becomes the most cowardly version of yourself, bracing for it to disappear simply because you don’t believe you deserve something this beautiful.
“This song lives somewhere in that fear, and in the vulnerability of letting yourself start to believe that maybe a good thing can just be a good thing.”
For Bear, releasing the track also represents a significant personal milestone after years spent bringing other people’s creative visions to life. “I’m equal parts thrilled and terrified to start putting these songs out into the world, play them live, and let them belong to people other than me,” she says. “So, very appropriately and painfully on the nose, God Forbid A Girl Gets Used To This :)”
The single arrives following two sold-out performances at the newly opened Blue Note London, offering audiences an early opportunity to experience this new musical direction. Bear is currently recording her forthcoming debut album at Mark Ronson’s studio in New York, with God Forbid A Girl Gets Used To This serving as the first taste of the upcoming collection. She is also due to appear on BBC’s Later… with Jools Holland next month.
Bear’s musical foundations stretch back to early childhood. She began classical piano training at four and made her professional debut at five, quickly establishing herself as an exceptional young talent. At eight, she came under the mentorship of legendary producer, composer and musician Quincy Jones, whose guidance helped broaden her musical perspective and encouraged her to explore jazz alongside her classical training.
Jones introduced her to landmark recordings and compositions, including Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue and Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé, while her subsequent experiences performing alongside established artists helped shape her approach to writing, arranging and performing.
Although her background spans classical composition, jazz, pop and musical theatre, Bear’s musical heart is particularly drawn to the sounds of 1970s soul and jazz. The work of Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock and Minnie Riperton remains a major influence, alongside the direct, emotionally resonant songwriting of Carole King. These varied inspirations come together in her new single, where intricate musicianship meets an accessible pop sensibility and deeply personal lyrics.
Her achievements already encompass some remarkable milestones. Bear won a GRAMMY® Award in 2022 for Best Musical Theatre Album for The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, on which she served as composer and sole producer. She also received an Emmy® Award for Best Original Score and was recognised by the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Her work in film includes Moana 2, for which she became the youngest composer to write the soundtrack for a Disney animated feature film. She has also performed on major international stages, including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and the Montreux Jazz Festival, and featured as a pianist on Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour. Her accomplishments have also earned her a place on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.
Emily Bear
Beyond her solo work, Bear continues to contribute to major screen projects. She is one of nine composers working on Behemoth!, the forthcoming Searchlight Pictures drama from writer and director Tony Gilroy, starring Pedro Pascal, alongside established film composers including Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard and Michael Giacchino.
With God Forbid A Girl Gets Used To This, Bear brings together the musical sophistication developed throughout her career with a newfound willingness to place her own experiences at the centre of her work. The single marks the beginning of a more personal creative chapter, as she prepares to share an album that promises to reveal the artist behind the celebrated composer.
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