Atwood Magazine’s writers dive into Miley Cyrus’ introspective and genre-defying ninth album ‘Something Beautiful’ – a self-described musical remedy for a “sick culture” – exploring her raw vocals, poetic lyricism, and fearless evolution as an artist nearly two decades into her career.

Featured here are Atwood writers Danielle Holian, Josh Weiner, and Lauren Turner!

— —

To start, what is your relationship with Miley Cyrus’ music?

Josh Weiner: Miley and I are about the same age (both born in 1992), and so her career and artistic development have largely coincided with my own upbringing. I knew about her all the way back in her Hannah Montana years – mostly indirectly from my younger sister, who was a fan, though. I think I first actively listened to her on my own around 2013, my senior year of college, when Bangerz and the accompanying hit single “Wrecking Ball” were omnipresent. Since then, I’ve kept an open mind to Cyrus and have mostly enjoyed the music of hers I’ve heard in that time.

Danielle Holian: Miley Cyrus was one of the first singers and songwriters who introduced me to music. I used to study her lyrics when I first began songwriting. I loved the Hannah Montana soundtracks, and when she had her breakout solo records – oh my! The Can’t Be Tamed era really helped me get through my secondary school years.

Lauren Turner: I was a part of the generation who got to experience Hannah Montana on Disney Channel. She is a core memory in my childhood and I have been a fan of hers since I was 7-years-old. In a way, I feel like I have grown up with Cyrus and have seen her through every avenue she has taken.

What are your initial impressions and reactions to Something Beautiful?

Josh: I enjoyed it! I thought it was a thoroughly entertaining and well-produced record. I’m happy to see Miley Cyrus continue to deliver quality tunes after a nearly 20-year run in the music biz.

Danielle: Something Beautiful feels like a homecoming, in a way that Cyrus’ music feels the same, yet more classic.

Lauren: Something Beautiful was such an experience to listen to. It seems like this was Cyrus’ way of showcasing her artistry fully. Her voice has matured like fine wine over the years and her way of approaching music has become more and more true to herself. This album really highlights her vocals and introduces a new sound from her, while still staying true to her pop-infused tracks. It is exactly what the title says it is – something beautiful.

How does this album compare to 2023’s Endless Summer Vacation – what are the most striking similarities or differences?

Josh: I’ll have to go back and listen to Endless Summer Vacation more thoroughly in order to properly respond to this question. Upon reviewing some summaries of both albums, though, it appears that Endless Summer Vacation is categorized as “dance-pop,” while Something Beautiful is seen more as “progressive pop.” The two albums also have different lead producers (Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson vs. Shawn Everett and Maxx Morando) and different driving concepts (ESV is supposed to encapsulate the charms and fun of sunny L.A.— that’s definitely not what came to my mind as I listened to Something Beautiful).

Danielle: Endless Summer Vacation leans into crisp dance-pop and radio-friendly production, with standout tracks like “Flowers” and “Jaded” capturing the glamour and warmth of Los Angeles. It’s a polished, accessible album rooted in themes of empowerment and self-renewal. In contrast, Something Beautiful dives into more experimental territory, embracing progressive pop with atmospheric textures, unpredictable structures, and a tone that’s moodier and more introspective. Where ESV celebrates external transformation, Something Beautiful turns inward, exploring emotional complexity, personal reckoning, and even spiritual vulnerability. Still, both albums spotlight Miley Cyrus’ unmistakable vocal power, raspy, soulful, and emotionally rich. While ESV favors bold, declarative hooks, Something Beautiful allows her to be more subtle and exploratory. Despite their stylistic differences, both records reveal an artist unafraid to evolve and push the boundaries of pop on her own terms.

Lauren: I love the way Danielle answered this question and couldn’t agree more. I adore Endless Summer Vacation and would argue it is one of the best albums made and one of my personal favorites. As Danielle said, Endless Summer Vacation was an album about self-renewal and empowerment. In that album, it felt like Cyrus was reintroducing herself. In Something Beautiful, it definitely dives more into what she was bringing up on ESV in an even deeper way and starts to expand on those themes. It seems more like she is letting us into her diary and brain and showing us something more personable. She has said in a handful of interviews that Something Beautiful has been years in the making and an album she has been writing for a long time and coming back to. To me, ESV was to say, “Hey, I’m back and this is me. I’m telling you who I am.” While Something Beautiful says, “Now that I have your attention, here is the way my mind has gorgeously been working all of these years and I’m showing you who I am.”

From country and Americana to pop, rock, and glam, Cyrus has established herself as a musical shapeshifter – not a chameleon blending in, but an artist embracing the full spectrum of sound this world has to offer. Where does Something Beautiful land on her artistic journey?

Josh: I just clicked through a bunch of Wikipedia articles and tried to see if there was another one of Miley Cyrus’ albums that is also described as “progressive pop,” as this one is. What exactly counts as “progressive pop”? I’m not fully equipped to answer. But evidently, Cyrus has come a long way since her Hannah Montana days and tested out a lot of creative styles and personalities the whole while. I applaud her for extending that trend all the way into 2025.

Danielle: Something Beautiful feels like a turning point in Cyrus’ artistic journey. Not just another shift in genre, but a deepening of intention. Unlike some of her past reinventions, which were bold and performative (think the country-pop roots of Younger Now or the glam-rock swagger of Plastic Hearts), this album leans inward. It doesn’t feel like she’s trying on a new costume; it feels like she’s shedding one. Musically, it blends elements of progressive pop, ambient textures, and experimental production, but emotionally, it’s one of her most introspective and subtly radical projects. Rather than chasing commercial appeal, Something Beautiful feels like a commitment to artistic vulnerability. It lands as a moment of clarity in her journey, a quiet, fearless step into complexity rather than spectacle.

Lauren: Exactly what Danielle said, Something Beautiful feels like clarity and a shedding. This is Cyrus’ most honest and raw album yet. Something Beautiful feels like her. I can’t imagine anyone else making this album. As soon as I heard the first song, I thought, “This is exactly where she is supposed to be.” As vague as it is, it just makes sense and it works.

Cyrus teased Something Beautiful with “Something Beautiful,” “Prelude,” “End of the World,” and “More to Lose.” Are these singles faithful representations of the album?

Josh: Sure – I wouldn’t say that the remainder of the album feels out of place alongside these singles or anything. Plus, as I mentioned, Shawn Everett and Tyler Morando (and often both at once) co-produce most of the songs here, which grants the album some crucial tonal consistency from track-to-track.

Danielle: Prior to the album release, I did enjoy and feel that “Something Beautiful,” “Prelude,” “End of the World,” and “More to Lose” are faithful representations of the album. It was a great listen from beginning to end. I do like it when an album’s singles seem somewhat different and introduce what’s to come. Then, listening to the album as a whole is another experience.

Lauren: Yes and no. Honestly, I don’t think any single would have made total sense. This album is designed to be listened to as a whole, and each song is so unique and brings in its own element. But if I had to choose, I would say those four do work the best because they bring in the overall themes and metaphors that this album presents the most.

Cyrus has been quoted describing Something Beautiful as “a concept album that’s an attempt to medicate somewhat of a sick culture through music.” Does this capture the spirit of these songs, and where do you hear or feel it most?

Josh: Interesting statement. I didn’t hear a lot of social commentary on current events throughout the album, so I wouldn’t say Something Beautiful addresses this supposed current “sick culture” directly. But if it’s meant to be an album that makes for a pleasant listening experience, one that can potentially lift people’s spirits in the midst of all that’s going on in this crazy world of ours – then sure, I could back that statement up fundamentally.

Danielle: Yes, that quote absolutely captures the spirit of Something Beautiful. The album feels like both a diagnosis and a balm. Miley isn’t preaching or offering easy solutions, but she’s holding a mirror up to the chaos, confusion, and overstimulation of modern life. You can really feel this in tracks that favor mood and atmosphere over traditional structure, where the music itself becomes almost medicinal. Songs like “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved,” “End Of The World,” “Easy Lover,” and “Give Me Love” embody this best: they blur the lines between seduction, satire, and self-reflection, creating a kind of sonic therapy session. There’s a sense throughout the album that she’s trying to soothe not just herself, but the listener too, offering space to feel, to pause, and to process. It’s not healing in a conventional pop sense; it’s more like emotional acupuncture.

Lauren: I’d say that quote works for Something Beautiful. When viewing it from a music perspective, it is so different from the “normality” of pop music we are receiving nowadays. She is breaking the structure and like Danielle said, bringing in this sense of calm where listeners can actually feel, pause and process. Additionally, something that stuck out to me was how she reversed metaphors and pop-culture sayings within her songs. For example, artists usually sing about the idea of the world ending by asking questions such as, what would you do? How would you feel? Where and how would you want to spend it? However, in Cyrus’ version, “End of the World,” she flips the question. The world is ending and she poses questions through her creative lyricism of, if you could live one more day, how would you do it? It challenges the idea and concept that tomorrow isn’t promised, which she states bluntly in the song. By doing this, it emphasizes the point to chase after the now and actually live your life to your fullest. It hints at the question of why would you wait for the world to end to actually do what you want? It tells society to wake up and get out of the mindset we have been used to. Your world is always ending, go after your wildest dreams and be you.

Which song(s) stand out for you on the album, and why?

Josh: I thought the track list was pretty consistent. One track that stood out for me was “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved,” featuring Naomi Campbell, simply because I knew Naomi Campbell was a model but wasn’t aware that she sang as well. But sing she does (or at least seductively whisper), and the character that the two of them create on this track together (“She has the perfect scent, she speaks the perfect French, she can dance the night away and still, she’ll never break a sweat”) is alluring and well-crafted.

Danielle: I found the tracklist to be impressively compatible, but one song that truly caught my attention was “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved,” featuring Naomi Campbell. I’d always known Naomi as a supermodel, so hearing her lend her voice, more like a seductive whisper than traditional singing, was completely unexpected. The chemistry between her and Miley is magnetic, and together they craft a character who’s effortlessly captivating. It’s hypnotic, cinematic, and strangely irresistible, one of those moments where style and storytelling collide in the best way. Overall, the songs that stand out are the ones where she lets discomfort or ambiguity linger. She’s not chasing a hit; she’s living inside the music, and that makes Something Beautiful feel daring and deeply personal.

Lauren: Just like my fellow writers, I really liked “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved.” Cyrus and Campbell create poetry in that track. It’s a pop-infused, dance anthem. However, I really loved “Golden Burning Sun” and “Pretend You’re God.” Both those tracks took me on a journey. The synthy beats in tandem with her voice worked so well on both. To me, those felt like the most her and where we got to see her voice shine the most as well as her artistry.

Do you have any favorite lyrics so far? Which lines stand out?

Josh: Given that Miley Cyrus’ goal on this album was to “medicate a sick culture through music,” the altruistic and empowering chorus of “Reborn” seems to be a solid example of a line that pulls that off decently well: “Let’s be reborn, give me all your love. Can never get enough. We’re so powerful. Letting go and nature taking all control.” I’ll go with that as one of my favorite lyrics of the album after having just completed two start-to-end listens of it.

Danielle: I love these lyrics from “Give Me Love,” “I imagine a place at the dawn of creation / A cityscape we paint in the dark / There’s a castle between this obscene blue horizon / Where golden apples hang in the trees, and a bare lady sings / Behind the curtain, Heaven awaits,” because they transport me to a place that feels both ancient and otherworldly, a vision at the dawn of creation. I imagine standing in a city we paint together in the dark, where everything is new, mysterious, and full of possibility. The image of a castle on an obscene blue horizon feels surreal and symbolic, like something out of a myth. I’m captivated by the golden apples hanging from the trees and the bare lady singing—it all feels rich with meaning, like a dream that’s both sensual and spiritual. And behind the curtain, the idea that Heaven awaits gives me this sense of wonder and longing, like there’s something beautiful just beyond reach. It’s haunting and hopeful at the same time, and that’s what makes it stick with me.

Lauren: I have always had a soft spot for Cyrus’ quick one-liners such as, “And throw a party like McCartney with some help from our friends.” To hint at The Beatles in “End of the World,” is just fun and kind of melts my music heart. But there are two other lines I really loved in this album. One is from “More to Lose,” she sings, “The TV’s on but I don’t know/ My tears are streaming like our favorite show tonight, tonight/ Memories fade like denim jeans/ I try to chase when you’re running through my mind.” She then ends the song by singing, “I knew someday that one would have to choose/ I knew someday you’d do what I couldn’t do/ I just thought we had more to lose.” Something about this captures heartbreak and utter defeat so well. It just cuts the heart so deep. The other line that sticks out to me is in “Golden Burning Sun,” she says, “There were fireflies and summer air/ Bare skin and knotted hair/ Burning sun up in the sky/ I didn’t notice/ So lost when I’m in this moment/ I’m just so lost in this moment.” This line just keeps playing into that theme of being in the moment, which is such a good theme to return to throughout the album and draw attention to. It adds in this sense of humanity and what makes it so beautiful.

With nine albums to her name and almost 20 years in the public spotlight, Miley Cyrus is, without a doubt, an American cultural icon. What do you think she represents in the culture today, with the recent release of this album?

Josh: The album is further proof that Miley Cyrus is capable of impressive longevity and consistency, and that she is the relatively rare example of a child star who can hold her ground years later as an adult singer. All of this was already true before Something Beautiful came out, but to the extent that a single album can reinforce all of these impressions, this one does that.

Danielle: I feel this is her most honest self to date. I feel her true artistic self among the tracks. I was truly impressed from the first listen. I love how she’s able to reinvent herself through each release while staying true to her roots.

Lauren: Miley Cyrus is the epitome and combination of the sayings, “Follow your passions” and “Be you.” Everything she releases is so perfectly her and captures where she is at in her story of life. I think she represents a beautiful resilience. No matter where life takes her, no matter how hard it gets, she continues to do what is right to her. She pushes and challenges the norms. She stays true to herself and defends herself and her art. It is and always has been inspiring. I believe that is why the world continues to love her. She’s real in a world that can sometimes be fake.

Where do you feel Something Beautiful sits in the pantheon of Miley Cyrus’ discography?

Josh: I haven’t listened to all nine of her albums, so I have some catching up to do before I can properly answer this question. But I know that Miley Cyrus has been praised for her artistic maturation and evolving sound, so my guess is that by the time I catch up, I’ll rank Something Beautiful in the upper half of her discography, higher than her earlier works and up there with some of her well-regarded recent albums, such as Plastic Hearts and Endless Summer Vacation.

Danielle: That’s a hard question! It depends on the day… if I’m feeling something loving, sentimental, and homely, it’s definitely one of my top favourite Miley Cyrus albums. It’s a stand-out record. And truly an exceptional release to date.

Lauren: It is for sure a stand out album in her discography and sits as one of my favorites. I said it earlier and I’m gonna say it again, Something Beautiful just feels like Miley Cyrus in her purest form. Because of that, I think it deserves a high rank.

— —

:: stream/purchase Something Beautiful here ::

:: connect with Miley Cyrus here ::

— —

“Something Beautiful” – Miley Cyrus

— — — —

Connect to Miley Cyrus on
Facebook, 𝕏, TikTok, Instagram

Discover new music on Atwood Magazine

 © Glen Luchford

Something Beautiful

an album by Miley Cyrus