Miley Cyrus’s “Something Beautiful” signals a dip in artistic momentum

While the title of Miley Cyrus’s new album may sound like a Disney movie soundtrack, its songs sound quite the opposite. Grown apart from her old music, she’s begun exploring electronic tempos and lyrical ambiguity, leaving her messages up to interpretation. Dropping this album just last month, she reminds us yet again of her relevance in the music industry. In this phase of her creativity, Cyrus dramatizes a fictional reality that occurs in a parallel universe.  

The young pioneer for bold 2010s pop has always produced iconic hits for every occasion—whether you’re partying, crying, or just singing along. The breakthroughs of Miley’s career may be Wrecking Ball and Party in the USA, but true fans have heard her fluctuating 2010s pop. Her albums illustrate a timeline of growth, capturing her journey from edgy teenage years to her first experience with love. From soft acoustic guitar to energetic rock, she has done it all.  

Miley Cyrus’s ninth studio album, Something Beautiful, possesses the depth of her previous album meaning and vocal-wise. It holds sentimental value like her others but has a renewed introspection that sets it aside from generic pop. Being her latest album since 2023, fans have anticipated its arrival since Flowers peaked and won 2 Grammys.   

The prelude frames the album as some dystopian fantasy accompanied by chinking beats and morphing sounds, while Miley describes the “lucid” experience of being overwhelmed by what seems like loss or loneliness. As her filtered voice surfaces through an orchestra of instruments, she recounts sensations of emptiness, invisibility, and describes the transience of the world and its beauty. It effectively sets the stage for her songs and leads to the grandeur and annihilation that follows.  

While this album offers mostly rhythmic tempos, it leans towards soulful ballads at times. Miley’s voice is dependably raw and raspy, which carries the lyrics through the range of backing tracks and embodies the emotions she conveys. She sings about sensitive emotions like love, vulnerability, and insecurity, but often starts her songs with a bang.  

End of the World sets the mood with the sky falling on the Fourth of July, instantly immersing the listener in an apocalyptic yet cinematic universe. This metaphor depicts how she confronts deaths end with a loved one, bringing out her spontaneous and almost wild side. Her carefree personality contrasts with those of her significant other, and she pleads he fulfills her dying wishes to ease the solemnity. Despite the heaviness of the story she’s telling, the harmonizing chorus brings out an optimistic undertone, making it easy on the ears. 

Cyrus also explores themes of devotion and desire in Something Beautiful, using metaphors to convey the intensity and passion of her relationship. When she sings the line “Tell me somethin’ beautiful, yeah, about this world / When I’m in your palm, I’m like a pearl,” it sounds like she finds solace in this relationship. She seeks reassurance that the world is still good and expresses her craving for love. The chorus intensifies as she’s consumed by obsession and overwhelming pleasure, pouring her emotions into the snappy lyrics. The outro takes a darker turn with “Eat my heart, break my soul,” suggesting a willingness to offer herself to feel loved, even at the cost of personal well-being. 

On the surface, this album appears profound, but some lyrics are obscure and nonsensical, leaving the listener guessing what the artist is trying to say. It’s also unclear who Cyrus is addressing, as it feels like she’s using her songs to resolve unspoken conversations, excluding the audience and limiting content relatability. Specific songs could suggest a celebration of the artist’s career based on their grandiose, while others plainly bait the listener with lust. While some lyrics are high strung, ones like “And get higher than these mountains/Close your eyes, can’t you see it now?” are not artful and suggest intoxication and extreme paranoia instead.  

The style of the album lacks homogeneity and the album is scattered, but the theme came across as desperation during difficult times, which Miley blamed on world-ending destruction.  

Although this album might be disappointing compared to her previous work, some might love her eclectic approach. As Cyrus veers off the path of catchy pop, she stays true to her signature rasp and classic contemporariness. Even if her new music is criticized as “misleading” or “shallow,” it’s her undeniable energy that holds the work together —and may be the only thing that does.

Image Credit: YouTube