Julia Michaels joins forces with Maroon 5 for this song, which she not only cameos on but co-wrote. The "Issues" singer and Adam Levine trade verses about helping one another overcome one of life's challenges, most likely a relationship that has recently ended. Levine croons:

I need some temporary saving
I need some, some uncomplicating
Help me out
'Cause I don't wanna do this on my own
Help me out, out

Michaels responds:

Help me out
'Cause I need something up to calm me down
Help me out, out

Guitarist James Valentine told Billboard:

"In the case of Julia Michaels, she wrote 'Help Me Out,' sent it in [with] her voice is on the demo. She's a f--king amazing singer, and it's like, 'How are we not gonna have her on this record? She sounds amazing!' And it works thematically to have Adam sing a verse and then to have her come in. And it's awesome to have SZA too. She sounds amazing. In the case of Julia and SZA, they're both just in the beginning of what I think are gonna be these epic, long careers. We're so privileged to be here at the beginning."

Major Lazer's Diplo was the unlikely creative matchmaker for this song. It was the dance producer who cold-texted Levine a demo of Michaels performing "Help Me Out."

"I was blown away," the Maroon 5 singer recalled to Billboard. "It was one of the coolest demos I'd ever heard."

After originally being just sung by Michaels, the song became a duet. However, Levine was a apprehensive about hitting the notes that Michaels does in "Help Me Out."

"That's the highest note I think I might've ever hit in my life," he quipped.