Miley Cyrus Gifts the World "Something Beautiful"

Written by Meg Clemmensen

Graphic by Rebekah Witt

Miley Cyrus has been making headlines since 2006—and she’s only 32 years old. The longevity of her career is an ode to her hard work, her charming personality, and, of course, her one-of-a-kind talent. Two decades and nine records into creating music, Cyrus is at the top of her game, putting forth what is arguably her boldest discography instalment yet, even more so than 2015’s psychedelic pop record Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz. Something Beautiful takes listeners on an immersive journey through glam, high fashion, and self-confidence with thirteen passion-packed musical installments. The truth is, Cyrus has been working on this record for years, even before the smash hit “Flowers” and the accompanying Endless Summer Vacation album ever saw the light of day. The multi-hyphenate has spent an endless number of hours polishing and perfecting every detail of Something Beautiful because not only is this a cohesive piece of music, but it is accompanied by a film. The release date is yet to be announced, but it has shown in theatres across North America for one night only on June 12. Cyrus has yet to take a break since this record saw the light of day, and I am beyond excited to see everything else she has in store for her fans. In the meantime, I just can’t take these songs off repeat.

Given the nature of Something Beautiful as a consecutive, orchestral record with a visual element, it made the most sense to introduce the world she’d created by starting at the very beginning. “Prelude,” a spoken word track possessing a grand cinematic atmosphere, is fans’ first taste of the record, which directly segues into the electrifying title track released on the same day. A very bold creative choice, as something like “Prelude” doesn’t stand a chance commercially, but Miley Cyrus’ name has never once been synonymous with working inside the box. “Something Beautiful” isn’t one of my top picks, but it is a massive standout in its own right. It’s a glamorous, rock and roll moment veiled as a piano ballad, until the guitar explodes at about a minute and a half into the track. Compared to the album’s other tracks, “Something Beautiful” is a rather weak lyrical entry, but its composition more than makes up for this. While slightly reminiscent of Plastic Hearts’ style, for the most part, this track features a side of Cyrus that we’ve never seen before. Every time I listen, I begin to notice more hidden background noises, such as a beyond impressive metalcore-style scream amidst the second chorus. The rising energy reaches a climax with its outro, as Cyrus begs her lover, “Eat my heart, break my soul, take my parts, let me go.” All the while, these two tracks, released two months prior to the full Something Beautiful album, are accompanied by their high-stakes music videos, featuring Miley Cyrus in glamourous outfits, bringing to life the vision in her mind. “Prelude” is simplistic, prominently featuring the words of Cyrus’ poetry, and the singer herself standing under a spotlight in the same outfit as she is wearing on the album’s front cover. “Something Beautiful” has a lot more going on with costume changes, sparkling lights, and a full band. Cyrus is absolutely belting her heart out on this one; it’s not that we didn’t all know she was capable of mastering multitudes of genres, but everything about this song and video is so purely, raw rock, in a way that even Plastic Hearts didn’t quite manage.

Sticking true to her dedication of unveiling the album in order, so as to not disillusion the concept, the next (and first official) single to emerge was “End of the World.” Here, we have the safest, most radio-friendly sound explored on the record. Despite this, it’s still a delightfully catchy tune with highly memorable lyrics, my personal favourite being “Let’s spend the dollars you’ve been saving on a Mercedes Benz / And throw a party like McCartney with some help from our friends.” This specific line feels like a full circle moment, given Cyrus’ involvement in The Flaming Lips’ 2014 The Beatles tribute record, With A Little Help From My Fwends, which the singer also has a commemorative tattoo for. “End of the World” has an explosively eccentric sound to it that doesn’t quite match any of her other work, which is probably why I was unable to stop listening to this on loop for the first week after its release. The most interesting thing about this track is that its original composition is vastly different from the end result. In a video that has emerged of Cyrus singing the completed track for the first time at a private event, it is a soft and emotional piano ballad. Somewhere along the line, the singer decided to crank it up about ten times to make it the track we know today. While the lyrics suggest that Cyrus is singing to a romantic partner, she has disclosed an entirely different muse for “End of the World”: her mom. The pair is very close, so when her mother decided to go on a vacation outside of the country, the singer began to dwell on the omission of her presence and made some art out of the feeling.

The fourth and final track released prior to the complete record is “More to Lose.” This mellow track is easily my least favourite and the most out of place on the album, all the while still beautiful. It reminisces on Cyrus’ longtime on-and-off relationship with Liam Hemsworth, which is known to the general public all too well. The pair have had their fair share of very widely broadcast trials and triumphs, but ultimately, their romance ended for good one decade after their first meeting. In “More to Lose,” Cyrus taps into some very complex emotions about being in love with someone, even though you’re well aware it isn’t beneficial. She admits that she knew the relationship would boil down to an ultimatum, but it doesn’t make the result any less painful. This song’s accompanying music video is shot entirely in grayscale, and similar to “Prelude,” it features a stunning Miley Cyrus up close and personal in the Mugler outfit from the album’s official artwork. After the first chorus, we get to see her in a new dress with a new hairdo, belting her heart out and orchestrating her emotions by the command of hand movements. Her dramatic gestures convey an underlying anger, served alongside self-confidence. The final chorus is the song’s most impactful moment, with a hard-hitting repetition that is pitched upwards and belted. At this point in the song’s video, we see an overlay of Cyrus in three different outfits, the two previous contenders, as well as a third piece - that, given by its Spotify canvas, serves as the main look for the following video for “Interlude 1.” Cyrus is a phenomenal ballad artist. Unfortunately, I felt this one just fell a little short of other moments in her discography. The music is done phenomenally, but this one just doesn’t stick with me like the remainder of the record.

What shocked me the most about the Something Beautiful tracklist was “Easy Lover” being sandwiched by an interlude on each end. This creative decision still intrigues me, as, typically speaking, breaks like this would be scattered throughout a record. I have a feeling that this will all become more apparent in the upcoming visual component, but in the meantime, I greatly enjoy the transitions. These instrumental breaks, while seemingly rather unimportant, still add to the complexity of the album and complement the boasting of its impressive production style. “Interlude 2,” in particular, has a beat that turns heads and makes one wish Cyrus had further explored this sound on a full-length track. “Easy Lover” serves as the album’s most recent single, with the music video premiere coinciding with the full release. This cinematic power jam provides a delightful moment in the record, blending elements of pop, country, and rock with an irresistibly groovy hook. Cyrus originally wrote this song for Beyoncé to use on her COWBOY CARTER album, but the pair decided on their duet, “II MOST WANTED,” instead. Cyrus held onto “Easy Lover,” reworked it, and birthed it how we know it today. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood while listening to this song. It absolutely demands to be sung and danced along to; as a matter of fact, a signature dance has been assigned to the chorus, which Cyrus posted to TikTok as well as featuring at the end of the music video. This song’s video is my favourite of all we’ve seen so far, as well as being a highly anticipated release from fans. Several months prior, footage emerged of Cyrus strutting in a stunning aqua blue bralette and matching fuzzy leggings, and everyone was obsessed. Finally, we know what song this teaser was paired with, and it does not disappoint. Cyrus looks drop-dead gorgeous in the “Easy Lover” music video, which features her preparation routine inside a dressing room, a brisk walk, and some flirtation through a hectic behind-the-scenes set, and finally, her moment in the limelight backed by a squad of fellow dancers. She wasn’t joking when she claimed this era was all about fashion—every piece we see Cyrus wear during this video is a flattering designer do-up. I don’t think there’s much of anything that Miley Cyrus could look bad in, but you sure won’t find anything less than perfection when it comes to appearance in “Easy Lover.”

Now, we move into an utterly insane track run. While the singles are truly great, the second half of the album is jam-packed with jaw-dropping melodies. Cyrus has always been quite unafraid of the unexplored, experimenting with new sounds and genres, and making each one of them uniquely hers. But something about Something Beautiful is so sophisticated and polished in a way that none of her other work can be compared to. The final six songs are all phenomenal, but the next four in particular had my jaw on the floor for at least the first ten listens. “Golden Burning Sun,” a finalized version of a fan-favourite demo from the Endless Summer Vacation era, follows “Interlude 2” as the album’s eighth track. During her press tour for this record, she has revealed both that this would have been her alternate pick for the first single, as well as that it was the first song she ever wrote for her current partner, Maxx Morando. It is much softer and more laid-back than anything else on this album, the sweetness and adoration dripping out of the lyrics and the tune. Cyrus sings about getting lost in a moment and romanticizing her day-to-day life with this person, begging them to “surrender” to the vision. Considering Morando helped write and produce this album, as well as walking alongside Cyrus at plenty of red carpets, I’d think it’s safe to say that he feels the same way. So many of Cyrus’ past love songs have been laced with edginess or since-soured memories, so it feels like a breath of fresh air to hear such a hopeful, dreamy song about her pure happiness.

“Walk of Fame (feat. Brittany Howard)” follows on the tracklist, and its very abrupt introduction puts an end to the trance that “Golden Burning Sun” induces and lets us know that we’re back to dance territory. This is, in my opinion, very easily the best song on Something Beautiful and among the best in Cyrus’ category. Brittany Howard, lead singer of Alabama Shakes, brings heavenly vocals to the intro, outro, and scattered ad-libs throughout the track. Mixed with Miley Cyrus’ vocals and a stunning backbeat, this becomes a recipe for success. Cementing her status among the greats when it comes to pop divas, Cyrus delves into the glamour, trauma, and immortality that comes with stardom. It mirrors the singer’s experiences being extremely famous and scrutinized since the age of thirteen. Many have also made lyrical connections to stories belonging to the likes of Britney Spears (especially the song “Lucky”) and Amy Winehouse, spurring a surge of TikTok edits to honour these artists. Many also believe Howard’s intro to be an interpolation of queer anthem “Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat, which tracks with Cyrus’ claim that this is her gayest album yet. Lastly, the lyrics to “Walk of Fame” have some pretty undeniable parallels to 2010’s “Liberty Walk” off the Can’t Be Tamed album. I can’t quite put into words how many emotions I felt when I listened to this track for the first time, but it’s simply a requirement to do so for yourself.

“Pretend You’re God” is a slowed-tempo utter delight. The vocal arrangement through this song is flawless, as Cyrus vocalized her insecurities in a relationship but ultimately begs her partner not to tell her if they’re not in love anymore, but simply give her the feeling of love she needs in that moment. As the song progresses, the lyrics repeat before fading into a bridge filled with Cyrus simply showing off what it is she does best: sing phenomenally. It is followed by an outro in which the singer says she is “haunted” and belts to her heart’s content. “Pretend You’re God” contains some of the most impressive vocal deliveries of her career, and it is yet another track that I just wish I could hear for the first time again. It is seductive, sexy, and thrilling through and through. Next, we have “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved (feat. Naomi Campbell),” kicking off with a horn playing something of a funk melody, indicating that we’re about to get back on our feet and dance. The glamour of all the other tracks pales in comparison to the dish we’re served here, and honestly, it makes sense - what else can you expect when a professional supermodel and an unreal force of a woman who is basically also a model join forces? The duo creates a self-confident jam in which Cyrus begs her lover to love her harder and stop holding out on her, all the while, both she and Campbell sing about all of her best features that this lover is missing out on. This evolves into a wonderful breakdown, in which Campbell and Cyrus essentially just face off as two gorgeous ladies who know their worth; Campbell repeatedly tells us to “pose” as the music approaches its finale. This is another certified gay anthem, and given the clips I have seen, it’s the song I’m most excited to see come to life in the Something Beautiful film. With the recent release of this track onto a vinyl single and the signing that the pair did together in London, it’s safe to say this might be the next song sent to the radio, and all I can do is hope the general public will appreciate it as much as I do.

Fan-favorite “Reborn” is the second-to-last song on the record. It follows “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved” and quickly changes the tone, with an introductory sample of a Gregorian chant recorded in a church. While this song is too repetitive to be her lyrical masterpiece, the arrangement and production really allow it to shine. Cyrus uses spoken word poetry as both the intro and outro for this song. While slightly reworded, both basically say the same thing, “If I break away any bodies between us/Would you promise that I’m enough if I give you all of my love?” Publicly, Cyrus comes off as a very outgoing and confident woman who rarely doubts herself. But in these lyrics, we see a real sense of vulnerability. The brief clip we have seen from this song’s video is of the singer kissing her boyfriend, Maxx Morando, in the rain. Given this, I’d say it’s safe to assume this song is about navigating the start of their relationship, with Cyrus admitting she is in love and hoping Morando can feel the same and accept her for who she is. Cyrus sheds her old skin and wills herself to make changes for the sake of her and her partner’s happiness. With an incredibly danceable chorus and a moody undertone, “Reborn” is a recipe for a perfect edgy pop song crowd-pleaser. Contrary to the maximalist production style but minimal lyrical work of “Reborn,” “Give Me Love” is laid-back but contains some of the album’s most beautiful lyrics. This closing track, aside from Plastic Hearts’ “Golden G String,” is the singer’s best conclusion to a record yet. Her extensive catalogue offers many options to choose from, but it seems she’s just been getting better at mastering this formula with every release. On “Give Me Love,” Cyrus gets existentially pensive, thinking about the workings of the universe as a whole, as well as where her place in it lies. The song was inspired by a Bosch painting that Cyrus bought, some lyrics being derived straight from the stories told within the art and some extracted and reworked. A soft, acoustic melody leads listeners into and throughout the track, with a few extra touches to push it over the edge in artistry. There is a little whistle in the second verse, as Cyrus mentions the St. John Cathedral and a fountain with swans, that scratches an itch in my brain just right. But the most beautiful moment in the song is the final verse right at the end, where everything turns back to the singer’s own life. She references “End of the World” as she depicts a situation in which she is saying her ‘goodbyes to the earthly delights while [her] perfect Eden goes down in flames.’ I don’t think there could be a more touching way to end this album if she tried.

From the day she announced Something Beautiful, Cyrus has called this her one-of-a-kind pop opera, thirteen tracks intertwining marvelously in what will surely go down as her magnum opus. Cyrus has released a lot of brilliant music, but nothing quite like this. Something Beautiful is a testament to all of her years in the industry and the teachings they have brought her, to her two decades of growth as a person and as an artist, to all of her wildest fantasies translating onto paper and into music. To anyone who has called themselves a Miley Cyrus fan through any phase of her career, or anyone who has overlooked her work in the past, this record is a must-listen. Something Beautiful, the album, is out now wherever you listen to music. Something Beautiful, the film, will be out soon, breathing new life into some already vividly bold, colorful, lively music.