On ‘Something Beautiful’, Miley Cyrus Is At Her Most Ambitious – Review

Miley Cyrus has always been somewhat of a sonic chameleon.

Since breaking out of her ‘Hannah Montana’ persona during the latter end of her Disney years, the 32-year-old musician has never been shy to play around with a wide range of musical genres over time. Whether it’s her infamous electro-pop stint with Bangerz, the country-pop leanings of Younger Now, the experimental (and equally) polarizing departures of Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz and SHE IS COMING, the rock-heavy scope of Plastic Hearts, or the prismatic-pop sheen of Endless Summer Vacation, it’s clear that Cyrus has always fully committed to the bit with each and every one of her eras. Never does she go half-assed with anything she’s put out, even when it does seem like it.

One would assume that Cyrus has already found an effective formula for success as a pop star following the groundbreaking reception of Endless Summer Vacation and its chart-topping, Grammy-winning lead single “Flowers,” yet her latest record –– titled Something Beautiful –– couldn’t be any more different than what you’d expect. Unlike the commercial and radio-friendly sensibilities of its predecessor, Cyrus’ new album takes a bold, if ambitious, step forward in pushing the boundaries of her capabilities as a musician, once again refreshing our memories (and expectations) as to what we can expect from an artist of her caliber.

Something Beautiful is anything but safe, for there is no clear singular hit off the record. Instead, this 13-track album asks you (the listener) to be patient and to take your time with it, in order to immerse yourself in a more cohesive listening experience when the record is played from start to finish. It’s a big ask from a modern audience that often chases two-minute, TikTok-ready hits, especially in comparison to the album’s average runtime of at least four minutes per track.

Fortunately, such extended runtimes work to the benefit of Cyrus’ intentions with the record. The lengthy runtime of nearly every track is what allows the lush and layered production to particularly shine through even on its first listen — highlighting the touch of esteemed (and equally varied) collaborators such as Ryan Tedder, Michael Pollack, Omer Fedi, Andrew Wyatt, Emilie Haynie, Molly Rankin, Ryan Beatty, BJ Burton, and even her real-life partner, Maxx Morando. The resulting work is unlike anything we’ve heard from Cyrus’ colorful discography thus far, as it merges the variety of influences that each of her co-producers and co-writers bring to the table, topped off by a special finish from Cyrus that makes all of it still harmonious with one another.

There’s a good bit of jazz, funk, soul, experimental rock, and even synthwave sprinkled here and there (especially when noting the spectacular saxophone solos scattered throughout the record) added to the pop aspects of the album, yet all of it feels very much at home with Cyrus’ intentions. Her singular vision throughout the record is what aligns all of these sounds to meld into one clear-cut project, without making any aspect of it feel tacky or executed for the sake of novelty. All of it is uncompromising in nature, allowing it to feel both cinematic and larger than life as its own musical universe that we’ve yet to fully unpack.

Powerhouse ballads like “End of the World” and “More To Lose” retain the same aching spirit as some of Cyrus’ biggest hits, albeit with a more polished sheen that gives it a more mature feel than what we’re used to from her. On the other hand, tracks like “Easy Lover” and “Golden Burning Sun” are what deliver the groovy, ’70s-inspired style of composition that makes it stand out from what we’re used to from most modern-day pop music.

However, the album’s best parts could arguably be attributed to the majority of its latter half — wherein Cyrus gets a little more daring and experimental. Its title track starts as a slow and jazzy hymn, before erupting into an explosive electric guitar solo and rapturous brass segment that is avant-garde in execution. “Reborn” is a transcendental dance.-pop gem that honors ’90s club music in all the best ways, while “Walk of Fame,” which features the ferocious Brittany Howard in an eclectic guest feature, is perfectly paired with disco synths and a sashay-like rhythm that wants you to get up and strut down an imaginary runway.

And with regards to runways, Cyrus enlists the help of English supermodel Naomi Campbell for the album’s standout track, “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved.” The trance-like nature of this five-minute single is fueled by swirling saxophone solos, orchestral violin work, and impactful spoken word poetry. In all of Cyrus’ eighteen years as a solo artist, this song is undoubtedly a career highlight that single-handedly demonstrates just how much she has grown as a recording artist.

But Something Beautiful is also a whole lot more than what its production entails. The album’s lyrical emphasis on themes of growth, healing, rebirth, and destruction is steadily incepted from its hypnotic opener “Prelude,” unraveling even further as each track goes by. Though perhaps the aid of its forthcoming visual accompaniment would help in fleshing out its intended messaging, what the sonic elements convey on their own is more than effective already. Because, as it stands, the pop icon’s signature (and consistently impressive) raspy vocals are what give the necessary edge to every song, allowing it to feel boundless in its intention.

Though Something Beautiful may not reach the commercial wonders of its predecessor, it’s evident that Cyrus has found comfort (and reassurance) in pushing the boundaries of what she’s capable of as an artist. What she’s accomplished on this record could be noted as a new artistic peak for the beloved pop sensation, allowing her to embrace a more stylized and cohesive musical vision that is vastly different from the safer and more confined nature of her other bodies of work.

It’s refreshing to see just how big of a swing Cyrus takes on Something Beautiful, given how much she’s willing to forgo commercial relevance to evolve as a serious musician. And while it’s still unclear whether or not the general public will fully accept this conceptual new direction of hers, this album is a future cult classic in the making for many of her fans and music aficionados. Because from my perspective, this grandiose pop opera isn’t merely her most ambitious effort to date, but her magnum opus as a world-building artist.

Listen to Miley Cyrus’s Something Beautiful in its entirety below: