Whether you realize it or not, there’s a near certainty you’ve heard a track by Julia Michaels. Few songwriters have impacted the landscape of pop music quite like Michaels, who’s written with just about every pop superstar in recent years. It would take up the rest of the word count of this review to name them all, but a quick sampling includes the likes of Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa, Janelle Monae and Shawn Mendes.

In 2017, Michaels began releasing her own via hit singles and a handful of EPs. But 2021 brings forth the release of Michaels’ debut album, Not In Chronological Order. On it, Michaels delves into the various stages of her life and career. And as one would expect, the songs and production are both razor sharp and well written.

The album opens with the feisty “All Your Exes,” the first of several pop-rock tunes that border on pop-punk. A lightly distorted guitar rises and falls with the tempo. “I want to live in a world where all your exes are dead,” Michaels proclaims.

The atmospheric, darkly poignant ballad “Love is Weird” channels a little bit of Dua Lipa and a little bit of Billie Eilish. The breezy pop of “Pessimist” is elevated by spacious acoustic strumming and a tight looping drumbeat that moves things forward.

What’s fascinating in listening to Julia Michaels is hearing how her lyrics influence other artists. The material on Not In Chronological Order is also a testament to her versatility as a writer and musician. While her work is based in pop, she works with a wide variety of artists, and that versatility is reflected throughout the course of the album.

“Little Did I Know,” for example, is an honest piano ballad about grappling with love’s uncertainties. The expansive backing harmonies and layers of Michaels’ pained vocals take on almost that of a choir. “Orange Magic” takes on electro-pop fuzz with some ’80s aesthetics. The opening notes of “Lie Like This” bring to mind Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now,” though later shifting to an entirely different direction with a poppy and energetic pace.

Things turn more dramatic and dark on”Wrap Around.” The track builds to a bass-heavy stomp with added synth and orchestral flourish. “I was all about you/ Now you’re all about somebody else,” Michaels sings on the kiss-off cut. It’s musically and lyrically infectious, and one of the album’s best tracks.

The introspective “History” goes in another direction with a calm and serene flow as Michaels reminisces about a new romantic partner. “Do you have a fear of dying with a long list of regrets?/ A million things you never said,” she sings. Beat-heavy “Undertone” offers up some unique and unusual synth flourishes. A peppy loop carries the verse until the beat drops, leading to the musically expansive chorus.

The album concludes with the far more traditional acoustic pop ballad “That’s The Kind of Woman.” Michaels’ vocal delivery is confident, with a hint of a smokey and crackly texture.

While Julia Michaels has been the creative force behind some of our favorite songs in recent years, her solo work also stands on its own and is a testament to a supremely talented singer and songwriter.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.