Hello, my name is Zack, and I’m addicted to Miley Cyrus’ new album, Something Beautiful.
It’s a special feeling when you find new music that just clicks with you. For me, it’s rare that I become instantly hooked by a record on the first listen, but when I do, I know it’s going to stick with me for a while.
I’m excited to report that that’s what we have here with Miley’s newest release. It is such a carefully crafted album that I notice new qualities almost every time through and end up picking a different favorite song with each additional listen. Add in the extra boost that summertime brings, where you can blast some tunes with the windows down on a bright sunny day, and all of sudden you’re in complete obsession territory.
The Importance of the Album
Call me old-fashioned, but I love an album. I find it much more interesting when you can dive into a cohesive set of songs packaged up neatly and intentionally by an artist. I’m not a music streamer, which I know is a bit out of the ordinary these days. I’ve always preferred to actually purchase music, or really any physical media for that matter. There’s something satisfying about owning a CD or vinyl record and listening to it as intended, that you just can’t achieve by making playlists on Spotify that live in “the cloud.” Even when I do want to make a party playlist with a mix of songs, I’ll buy them on iTunes, which might make me the last person on Earth who can say that (if you’ve got any unused gift cards lying around, send them my way). Of course, not every album is going to be a perfect blend of tracks that fit together with purpose, but for me the ones that do really stand apart.
In this case, Something Beautiful hits the mark and then some. Miley’s ninth(!) studio album feels like her most album-y album yet in all the best ways. From the interludes to the horn sections that find their way into nearly every tune, to the heavier lyrical themes around self-worth, this collection is thematic and thrilling from start to finish.
My History With Miley
Having grown up in an era when Miley’s music was truly ubiquitous, I’ve always had an awareness and general appreciation of her talent. Despite her relatively inconsistent discography, the thing that has set her apart has been a voice and sound so unique and powerful that it truly cannot be duplicated.
For a while, I thought she had perfected her style on 2020’s Plastic Hearts. The guitar-heavy rock-pop album fit her raspy, gritty register like a glove. And with legendary features like Billy Idol, Stevie Nicks, and Joan Jett feeling right at home beside her, it seemed like this might be a lane she could be comfortable in for a long time.
Her follow-up, Endless Summer Vacation — notable for getting Cyrus her first-ever Grammy win for “Flowers” — was a solid continuation of the Plastic Hearts momentum, with a first half that kept leaning into the rock and roll vibe. The back half of that record didn’t quite land for me, however, as she mixed in some dance pop that felt like taking two steps forward and one step back.
How She Got Here
It turns out that Endless Summer Vacation could serve as a turning point in Miley’s career. She mentioned in an interview with Zane Lowe that despite trying to pretend for years that a Grammy win wouldn’t mean anything to her, it definitely did. Now that she received a bit of external validation of her value as an artist, Cyrus says she feels freer than ever to experiment and make music that’s meaningful to just her.
Maybe that means I’m more like Miley than I ever knew, because Something Beautiful sure speaks to me too. Whereas Miley is usually bold and brash (no, not like that), her humility is on full display here in songs like “Pretend You’re God” (Do you still love me? I got to know / Nevermind, just keep it quiet if you don’t), “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved” (Aren’t I pretty enough for more than fun in the dark?), and my personal favorite, at least for now, “Walk of Fame” (Every night looking for a place to hide / And you could be that somewhere, is that all right?). There’s also a tenderness and sense of wonder in “Give Me Love” (Imagine a place at the dawn of creation / A cityscape we paint in the dark) that was missing in previous releases.
The sound here is fully realized and mature in a way that feels like a completely new development from her. So far, I’ve barely mentioned the instrumentation across the 52-minute runtime, which includes horns, strings, funky bass lines, and so much more that enhances Miley’s flawless vocals at every turn. More than anything, though, there’s a focused energy that radiates throughout the album. In a lot of ways, it’s weird, but not chaotic like she has been at times in the past.
Why It’s a Binge
Ultimately, that intentional strangeness is what keeps bringing me back. Starting from the top, the spoken-word “Prelude” gives way to radio hits, club beats, haunting imagery, and several sprawling (five-plus-minute-long) songs that end in a place completely different from where they began. Miley somehow manages to stay on theme while keeping every twist and turn fresh and unique. Therein lies the excitement I feel for Something Beautiful; everything here is done with purpose, and it’s practically impossible to start the album without finishing it. That’s what makes it truly binge-worthy.
The care that went into this record is deeply evident from the jump, and it brings a profoundness to the listening experience I didn’t expect when I first hit play. Since this isn’t a real review, I’m allowed to get a little carried away: It’s a true 10/10 for me.
P.S. You should listen to the album in order, but if you want the top five radio-ready hits, here they are:
- Easy Lover
- Walk of Fame
- End of the World
- Give Me Love
- Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved
What are your thoughts on the latest Miley Cyrus album? Let us know in the comments!
Zack has been hooked on games ever since his older brother taught him where to find the secret warp whistles in Mario Bros. 3. He has never felt more joy than when Yoshi congratulated him on getting 120 stars in Mario 64 or more sadness than when he played Kingdom Hearts 3 after waiting 14 years for it. Zack mails a letter to Nintendo every day asking them to bring back Chibi Robo and will gladly tell you all about why it’s one of the greatest games of all time. He was hoping that writing for the site would help him get through his backlog, but it actually just made it worse now that he’s hearing about so many more great hidden gems. Oops…
