Review: Mike Posner "Is It Just Me?"

Michael Robert Henrion Posner, known professionally as Mike Posner, is heavily involved in the music industry. Posner first broke out onto the scene as a record producer, working with Big Sean, who was a fellow Michigan native. Since then, he's served as a songwriter and producer for some of the biggest names in music, including Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, and Labrinth. On top of his expansion as a producer, Posner also has worked over the course of his career to expand his artistic resume from just record producer to include singer/songwriter, poet, and rapper.

His discography is massive, composed of four studio albums, two extended plays, four mixtapes, two poetry albums, and 26 singles, on eight of which he is a featured artist. His most popular song, "I Took A Pill in Ibiza", even scored a GRAMMY nomination at the 2017 ceremony. Posner also had some other standout hits such as "Please Don't Go" and "Cooler Than Me", both of which both peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard 200 charts.

Aside from his personal endeavors, he was also in the musical duo Mansionz with Matthew Tyler Musto, known under the artistic pseudonym Blackbear. Best known for their single "Rich White Girls", Mansionz released two studio albums, both self titled. While in his personal music Posner focused on a more pop and dance/electronic vibe, Mansionz took more of the hip hop route, displaying Posner's genre defying talent.

"is it just me?" is the second single off Posner's anticipated fifth studio album, The Beginning, which will release on February 21st, 2025. It comes after the album's lead single "Beautiful Day", which already has an instrumental version, acoustic version, and two remixes. It was written by Posner, Musto, and three other frequent collaborators of theirs: Jake Torrey, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, and Tor Erik Hermansen. The song deals with feeling intense emotions for someone and expressing it to them, then overthinking if they feel the same way. Posner is wondering if he's alone in the way that he's feeling, and if the person who he is singing about reciprocates the romantic feelings he has.

The most prominent aspect of this song instrumentally is the drum and bass line, both acting as a driving force for the track. They interweave nicely and accomplish the same goal while still acting on their own and being distinguishable. Contrastingly, the addition of dreamy synths adds a sort of iconic glimmering sound that most Posner tracks possess.

While you can't go wrong with a simple backing track, I believe this instrumental somewhat pales in comparison to some of Posner's more iconic tracks, such as "Please Don't Go" and "I Took A Pill in Ibiza", both of which pack a bit more of a punch when isolated from the vocals. However, to his credit, often his singles are later remixed and released, so the more toned down instrumental may service DJs to take more creative freedom when remixing this single. Plus, a more stripped down track allows us to hear Posner's unique vocals in a new, refreshing way.

Diving into the lyricism, I am a big fan. It’s clear that Posner wasn’t aiming for a deeply heartfelt love ballad, but the fun and upbeat nature of the song doesn't sacrifice the storyline. Instead, the lyrics embrace a more lighthearted, carefree energy. He incorporates a lot of cheeky comments about his lover, aligning with the track’s overall playful vibe, and uses descriptive comparisons to fully exemplify the feelings his partner invokes in him. As an artist who doesn't shy away from mentioning drug use in his songs, the lyrics "every time I touch your lips, I feel like I'm on a trip," and "every time I got you close,I feel like I took a dose," exemplify the exhilaration he feels when he is in this relationship.

"Every time I touch your lips, I feel like I'm on a trip"

Similarly, the line "take you back to Michigan, meet the family" is a nice nod to Posner’s roots, making it clear he’s singing from his own perspective. By mixing in mentions of his hometown and past drug use, the song feels more personal and real. It also makes the repeated line, "Is it just me," hit harder, adding to the rawness of what he’s saying.

Overall, this track is a solid listen, and encouraged me to reintroduce myself to Mike Posner's discography. If this single is any indication of the kind of music on his new album, The Beginning is going to be an album you should keep your eye out for.

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