Miley Cyrus promised a lot for her ninth studio album. Promoted not only as a visual concept record but as one filled with “healing sound properties” — not to mention a companion film inspired by Alan Parker’s adaptation of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ — the bar for the star’s next era was certainly raised high.
On many counts, ‘Something Beautiful’ delivers on those expectations. A bold, stylish exploration of pop’s outer edges, its 10 tracks blend high-concept ambition with sleek, genre-hopping production, bound by a trio of innovative interludes.
Co-produced with Shawn Everett and featuring a star-studded cast of collaborators including Brittany Howard, Danielle Haim, and Flea, it’s a bold venture that attempts to reshape the mould of what a pop album can be.
The existential spoken-word opener Prelude sets the record’s tone before the title track explores the idea of capturing beauty in passing moments.
It starts out as a smoky soul ballad before erupting into a psychedelic crescendo in first of a few nods to that side of Cyrus' sound, which is perhaps still best showcased on ‘Dead Petz’, her 2015 collaboration with The Flaming Lips.
It’s a space in which she still shines, her signature distorted rasp cutting through the absurdity beautifully, while elsewhere the lead single End of the World delivers a dose of disco-inflected apocalyptic escapism and the stunning ballad More to Lose spotlights the record’s cinematic intention, arriving steeped in reflection and lush instrumentation.
Originally written for Beyoncé, Easy Lover finds new life with Howard’s electric guitar work, its initial ‘Cowboy Carter’ country swagger still evident. The Alabama Shakes architect also lends her talents to dancefloor-filling electro-pop jam Walk of Fame and the duo gel perfectly.
But not all of the experiments land. Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved features a jarring spoken cameo from Naomi Campbell, interrupting an otherwise enjoyable ‘80s synth-pop inspired track, and there are certainly moments that play out as more perplexing than profound.
Even then, the ambition is undeniable. While it may lack an immediate chart-topping hit such as 2023’s Flowers, the strength of ‘Something Beautiful’ lies in its cohesive vision and polished execution. A testament to Cyrus’ evolution, it is about a pop star growing into a multifaceted artist while delivering musical complexity with style and grace.
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