After years of shaping stories through composition, production, and performance, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning musician Emily Bear is stepping back into the spotlight with a deeply personal new release. Her latest single, “God Forbid a Girl Gets Used to This,” is out now through Sony Music Masterworks, marking her first solo release in eight years and the beginning of a new creative era with the label.
Produced alongside Julian Dobson, whose credits include Mark Ronson and RAYE, the track pairs an infectious, upbeat sound with an emotional core that feels far more complicated than its bright exterior might suggest. At the heart of the song is the uncomfortable realization that happiness can be just as frightening as heartbreak, particularly when life finally begins to feel the way you’ve always hoped it would.
Rather than focusing on the familiar idea of love as something that conquers every fear, Bear explores what happens when the stakes suddenly feel much higher. When something genuinely good enters your life, the possibility of losing it can become difficult to ignore. The song captures that instinct to brace yourself for disappointment before it has even arrived, questioning why accepting happiness can sometimes feel harder than surviving pain.
Bear describes the track as an exploration of the vulnerability that comes with finding something beautiful and struggling to believe it can last. For her, the song reflects the tension between wanting to embrace a good thing and fearing that it will disappear the moment you begin to trust it. Beneath its playful title and energetic production lies a more intimate question: what happens when you finally have something worth holding onto, but you’re still learning how to believe you deserve it?
The release also signals a personal turning point for Bear, who is preparing to share a new collection of music after spending much of the past several years bringing other people’s stories to life. Stepping forward as a solo artist again means allowing listeners into a side of her creativity that has largely remained her own. With new music ready to be heard, she is embracing both the excitement and uncertainty of letting those deeply personal experiences take on a life beyond her.
At just 25, Bear has already built an extraordinary career across multiple corners of the music industry. Her work spans classical, jazz, pop, film, television, and musical theater, establishing her as a versatile composer and producer capable of moving between vastly different creative worlds.
Among her notable achievements, Bear composed the soundtrack for Disney’s worldwide box-office success Moana 2, becoming the youngest composer to score a Disney animated feature film. She also earned a Grammy for her work as composer and sole producer on The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album, making history as the youngest artist to win in the Best Musical Theatre Album category. Her accomplishments further include an Emmy Award for Best Original Score and recognition from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Throughout her career, Bear has performed at renowned venues and events, including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Montreux Jazz Festival. She was also the featured pianist on Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour and earned a place on Forbes’ prestigious 30 Under 30 list. Early in her career, she received mentorship and production support from the legendary Quincy Jones, further shaping her development as a multifaceted musician.
Her work continues to expand into film scoring. Bear is currently among nine composers contributing to the score for Tony Gilroy’s upcoming Searchlight Pictures drama Behemoth!, alongside acclaimed composers Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, and Michael Giacchino. The film stars Pedro Pascal. Fans will have the opportunity to experience Bear’s music live when she takes the stage at Blue Note Los Angeles on November 10 and 11. The performances arrive as she begins introducing audiences to this next chapter of her artistry.
With “God Forbid a Girl Gets Used to This,” Bear offers more than a return to solo releases. She introduces a new body of work rooted in the complicated emotions that accompany personal growth, love, and the courage it takes to let good things happen without waiting for them to fall apart. For an artist accustomed to telling stories through other people’s experiences, this release marks an opportunity to put her own feelings at the center.
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