More To Lose

Album: Something Beautiful (2025)
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Songfacts®:

  • "More to Lose" is a raw, emotionally charged piano ballad about the curious human habit of clinging to relationships long past their expiration date.
  • Cyrus delivers a single-take, unpolished vocal. "I add my harmonies, ad-libs at the end, but it's really a song that's more of a story and I never want that to be interrupted or overthought or chasing perfection," she said. "I never wanted 'More to Lose' to feel perfect. I wanted it to sound meaningful and emotional."
  • Cyrus wrote "More To Lose" with New York songwriter Autumn Rowe (Leona Lewis' "Collide," Karmin's "Hello") and her go-to songwriting partner Michael Pollack.
  • Cyrus and Pollack co-produced the track with The Killers collaborators Jonathan Rado and Shawn Everett, along with BJ Burton, known for his work with Bon Iver.
  • Session and touring musician Nelson Devereaux played the sax solo on the bridge. He previously played on several tracks on Bon Iver's album 22, A Million. Given that both BJ Burton and Nelson Devereaux have worked with Bon Iver and are connected through overlapping musical circles, particularly in the Minneapolis and indie music scenes, it's likely that Burton facilitated Devereaux's involvement.
  • Cyrus gave the song its live debut on May 3, 2025, during a private, intimate show at Casa Cipriani in New York City. The audience comprised Miley's fans, friends, and loved ones.
  • Many fans have pegged the song as a veiled reference to Cyrus' marriage and breakup with actor Liam Hemsworth. Lines like "a movie star in a worn-out coat" practically come with their own paparazzi. Cyrus hasn't confirmed this outright, but then again, she said when introducing the track from the Casa Cipriani stage she had "a couple of exes" in the audience.
  • Cyrus released "More To Lose" on May 9, 2025, as the fourth single from Something Beautiful, a concept album that explores destruction, heartbreak, and the complex ways beauty can emerge from life's darkest moments. The record is structured as a concept piece, with each track contributing to a cohesive story arc.

    "More To Lose" is positioned as a moment of emotional climax or reckoning within that arc-a place where the pain of loss is fully acknowledged before the journey toward acceptance and transformation can continue.
  • Cyrus co-directed the black-and-white video with Jacob Bixenman and Brendan Walter, who worked on all the album's visuals. The clip finds the singer emoting in several different outfits, including the sparkly number from the album cover.

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