Miley Cyrus Balances Romantic Stability and Excitement on Awestruck New Song “Orbit”

Miley Cyrus has defined her new chapter by dropping her last name, now known only as Miley. But the 33-year-old pop star is also madly in love. And on her tender new song “Orbit”, she’s balancing romantic stability with the besotted excitement of a new relationship. It appears on her latest LP, Bass Persuades.

Like Oceans and the Moon

Miley’s longing piano ballad uses a gravity metaphor to describe her devotion. It’s a loss of control, and as with the laws of physics, she’s no match for its force.

Place a marble on the floor,
When you walk in the room, it’ll roll to you.
Pull me up onto your shore,
Like oceans and the moon lose control to you.

The trembling rasp of her voice reveals a desperation behind the lust, want, and life-sustaining rush of emotions she feels for this person.

’Cause when you look at me, it’s primal,
When you wave to me, it’s tidal,
And the gravity is vital, else I’d float away.
And the feeling, I can’t shake it,
And the spell, I just can’t break it,
Yeah, the gravity is vital, else I’d float away.

“Orbit” follows “Let’s Get Married” on the album’s track list, an ode to Miley’s fiancé, the musician Maxx Morando. But it feels more like a prelude. Before the yearning overwhelms them and they say, We need to get married, now!

Oh, my feet are off the ground,
Whenever you’re around,
I wanna orbit you.

Shining on Demand

In the second verse, Miley announces this space-invading promise:

Every star in every sky is shining on demand,
I’m on to you, you.
And I would bend all space and time,
To fall into your hands,
I’m drawn to you,
I belong to you.

“Orbit”, she told Zane Lowe, “It’s such a sonic example, I think, of what my dream relationship, like, looks and sounds like. Part of my relationship is very important that it’s: everyone wants, you know, their fantasy, the kind of, like, a happy ending. But then I also never want to lose the passion—something that’s a little bit dangerous at the same time, you know?”

Photo by Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images