Songfacts®:

• "Prelude" is a spoken-word piece layered over an evolving electronic instrumental. Miley Cyrus explores themes of beauty's fleeting and intangible nature with poetic imagery.
• The song is the opening salvo of Cyrus' ninth album, Something Beautiful, which is centered around healing. As indicated by its title, "Prelude" finds the pop star setting up the themes of the LP. A musical film of the same name accompanies the album, where Cyrus dives deeper into the concept of emotional recovery and self-reflection.
• Cyrus wrote the song with Maxx Morando (her musician boyfriend), Cole Haden (frontman of the rock band Model/Actriz), and songwriter/producers Jonathan Rado, Michael Pollack, and Shawn Everett. All of them, except Haden, also have production credits.
• Miley Cyrus, Jacob Bixenman and Brendan Walter directed the video. Cyrus rocks a glittery 1997 Thierry Mugler couture, as seen on the album artwork, shot by renowned fashion photographer Glen Luchford.
  Model and photographer Jacob Bixenman has been Cyrus' regular visual collaborator since 2022. He shot the visuals for Miley's "Flowers," "River," "Jaded" and "Used To Be Young."
  
  Brendan Walter has directed music videos, taken photos and designed album covers for various artists, including Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco and Green Day.