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MILEY CYRYUS: Something Beautiful (Columbia)
Verdict: There’s nothing memorable
[THREE STARS]
The new Miley Cyrus album comes with a lofty billing.
The former Disney child star says that Something Beautiful – accompanied by a promotional feature film due on June 6 – is a concept release exploring themes of healing, transformation and finding beauty in darkness.
It’s ‘an attempt to medicate somewhat of a sick culture through music,’ she tells us.
She came in like a wrecking ball… is she now giving us what Spinal Tap might describe as her free-form jazz odyssey?
The answer is: not quite.
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ADRIAN THRILLS reviews Miley Cyrus: Something Beautiful – She came in like a wrecking ball… is she now giving us what Spinal Tap might describe as her free-form jazz odyssey?
There are moments here where she tests the limits of what might be expected from a mainstream pop star
There are moments here where she tests the limits of what might be expected from a mainstream pop star.
Something Beautiful, supposedly inspired by Pink Floyd’s 1979 rock opera The Wall, begins with an overture in which she intones a few spoken words about trains and passing landscapes.
Elsewhere, there are two instrumental interludes and a second spoken contribution, this time from Naomi Campbell.
Despite those minor surprises, it’s hard to discern much of an underlying concept here.
Lyrically, there are songs – the funky Easy Lover and trip-hop ballad Pretend You’re God – that appear to allude to an ongoing, if uncertain, romance.
On Give Me Love, the 32-year-old singer addresses the perils of showbiz fame. ‘Behind the curtains, terror awaits,’ she sings.
But, essentially, Something Beautiful is a pop album with a few additional whistles and bells.
And, on that score, it’s an uneven affair that skips haphazardly between genres. There are some strong moments – plus a fair amount of filler.
Something Beautiful, supposedly inspired by Pink Floyd’s 1979 rock opera The Wall, begins with an overture in which she intones a few spoken words about trains and passing landscapes
Despite Miley’s grandiose aspirations, there’s nothing here as memorable as 2013’s Wrecking Ball, 2020’s Midnight Sky or 2023’s Flowers – pop hits that admittedly set a very high bar – although you could never accuse her of lacking ambition (pictured in her music video Wrecking Ball)
Many of the highlights appear early on. On heartache ballad More To Lose, Miley sings with an impressive, Stevie Nicks-like huskiness.
End Of The World, with a piano riff that nods to Abba’s Dancing Queen, is the big pop moment on a record not exactly packed with bangers.
The title track starts as a mellow soul number before bombastic guitars come in to lend it an overwrought feel.
The second half, which pivots towards electronic dance music, feels more generic.
Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved and Walk Of Fame, the latter with an energetic cameo from Brittany Howard, of the Alabama Shakes, are 1980s dance pastiches.
The idyllic love song Golden Burning Sun looks to the strain of 1970s soft-rock that turned Harry Styles into a superstar.
Despite Miley’s grandiose aspirations, there’s nothing here as memorable as 2013’s Wrecking Ball, 2020’s Midnight Sky or 2023’s Flowers – pop hits that admittedly set a very high bar – although you could never accuse her of lacking ambition.
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