Maren Morris offered the story behind her newest duet in a video on TikTok.
The Grammy Award-winning artist teamed up with one of her previous collaborators, Julia Michaels, to release “Cut!,” which arrived on June 21.
“I wrote my song ‘Cut’ with Julia Michaels, and it just felt really natural to have her be on the song with me. So, she was kind enough to jump on it,” Morris said on TikTok. “I’ve written with her for years, so to be on something with her as artists as well as the writers of it just feels so special. And we’ve both been through it, so I think that we both relate to this song incredibly deeply. I just — I love Julia so much. (I’m) so excited to have her on this project.”
“‘Cut!’ is about me holding myself together through the day, looking well-rested, not a hair out of place, not canceling any plans with friends because that’s how well I want you to think I’m doing,” Morris previously said in a statement. “Perhaps those things are all true, but at night I let the mask slip and let myself scream or fall apart to let the steam out of the kettle.
“It’s a cathartic release that doesn’t require secrecy, but there are worldly expectations to keep it together despite your feelings. This song gives me permission to fall apart.”
The song sees Morris and Michaels declare that they “need a moment to just let my tears fall where they want. Honestly, f***. I’ve held it in long enough. I gave it all that I got. I’m screaming, ‘cut!,’” they sing on the collaboration. It’s one of 5 tracks set to appear on Morris’ upcoming EP, Intermission, which arrives on August 2. The 5-track EP follows Morris’ reimagined version of Billy Idol’s “Dancing with Myself” and her 2-track collection, The Bridge, featuring “The Tree” and “Get The Hell Out Of Here.”