On her ninth studio album, “Something Beautiful,” Miley Cyrus finds herself in a confident state of juxtaposition — between genre, lyrical themes and glossy production. It’s a sonic tapestry where poetic biblical references marry shimmering pop hooks, anchored by the vocal prowess that only Cyrus can deliver.
Setting the Tone Through Juxtaposition
The album opens with “Prelude,” a spoken-word track that channels the intimacy of slam poetry, layered over an ominous, larger-than-life orchestral score. Here, Cyrus rests in the album’s main theme — the nature of life — beautiful, individualistic and fleeting.
The transience continues into the title track. “Something Beautiful” fuses jazz, pop and rock, into one of the album’s defining moments. Its heavy rock chorus hits unexpectedly but lands with precision. Blending biblical and sensual, with lyrics like “water to red wine, kissing to kill time,” it’s a prayer whispered in the eye of a storm — a plea for comfort in chaos.
Then comes “End of the World,” a glam-pop gemstone that echoes ’70s ABBA. It’s a radiant celebration of uncertainty, mixing existential dread with defiant joy, choosing love as if tomorrow doesn’t exist. “Like a comet on the Fourth of July,” Cyrus sings, painting alluring apocalyptic imagery where the ending is equally luminous as it is overwhelming. Where “Something Beautiful” leans on production contrast, “End of the World” lets its lyrics carry the weight of duality.
One of the most dazzling ballads of her career, “More to Lose,” is Cyrus’ self-proclaimed version of “I Will Always Love You,” written by godmother Dolly Parton but popularized by Whitney Houston. It pays homage to the vintage yet immortal influence on the visual album’s sonic production and accompanying fashion. Cyrus belts a quiet heartbreak, describing a love unraveling like “a movie star in a worn-out coat.”
Bookended Pop Perfection
The first of two wordless tracks, “Interlude 1,” is stark and uneasy. Produced by Maxx Morando and Max Taylor-Sheppard, it blankets the album’s opening act in uncomfortability yet confidence in the album’s ability to mature before your eyes, mirroring the trajectory of Cyrus’ own career.
“Easy Lover,” the single that hand-held today’s album release, was written by Cyrus but pitched for Beyoncé’s Grammy award-winning album, “Cowboy Carter.” Delivered as pop perfection, it’s an ode to the magnetic pull of a relationship that no longer serves yet still electrifies the soul. Its emotional tug-of-war is matched by its production sheen.
Acting as an immediate bookend, “Interlude 2” follows as a pivot. Livelier, more dynamic, yet less ominous than its predecessor, it suggests that the album hasn’t peaked yet. Spoiler: It hasn’t.
Glorified Love in the Spotlight
One of the album’s undeniable standouts, “Golden Burning Sun,” is a shimmering plea for love that is rooted in trust and devotion. It feels like a spiritual sequel to both “Prelude” and “End of the World” — a sun-drenched screenshot of perfect happiness. Cyrus places her partner at the center of her universe, yet still urges him to “surrender,” she belts in repeat.
The album’s first feature comes courtesy of Brittany Howard on “Walk of Fame.” A gay glam, Gaga-adjacent pop anthem that dissects the very nature of fame in the sexiest way possible. While fame is usually a celebration of celebrity and achievement, it’s a double-edged metaphor. On one end, it represents glamour and status; on the other, it holds loneliness — a star buried in the pavement.
A Virgin Mary child of the 2015 “Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz” album, “Pretend You’re God” taps into psychedelic pop, with biblical references blurring dream and reality, acknowledging her lover as almost God-like. The song’s undertones elevate the primal and intimate need for comfort in something divine.
Timeless, Fashion-Forward Vulnerability
With archival fashion as the focal point of the album’s visuals, “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved” taps on the second and final feature, Naomi Campbell, who delivers the fiercest part of the track. It’s a bold, defiant and hyper-glamourous celebration of self-worth. Campbell and Cyrus ask, via a fashion-forward dance floor anthem, to not merely be admired — but truly be seen.
Sitting in a seedy nightclub, “Reborn” is a sweaty spiritual banger meant to be heard in a smoke-filled European nightclub. Here, love is both rebirth and salvation. Cyrus again leans on biblical undertones and a yearning for something eternal.
She closes the album with “Give Me Love,” a wink at her country roots with guitar strings that paint a journey through an imagined paradise, melting dream and myth. Direct references to the Garden of Eden symbolize temptation, with a “bare lady” acting almost like a siren inviting both beauty and danger. Its outro is a lush, aching cry for love.
Closing Thoughts on “Something Beautiful“
“Something Beautiful” feels like Miley Cyrus’ most cohesive and introspective album to date. It’s not defined by genre, though it is today’s pop, but more so by vision. Though there is consistency in the unpredictability of what’s to come, that has been a consistent theme in the 20-year journey of Miley Cyrus.