Something Beautiful

Album: Something Beautiful (2025)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Something Beautiful" is the title track of Miley Cyrus' ninth album. It is, as the name suggests, a song about finding beauty – in this instance, an intimate romantic connection.
  • The song was likely inspired by Cyrus' relationship with Maxx Morando, the drummer for the Los Angeles-based rock band Liily. Morando, who previously played for The Regrettes, has been a steady presence in Cyrus's life since late 2021, both romantically and musically. He co-wrote multiple tracks on Something Beautiful, and Cyrus has spoken about him as a significant creative influence.
  • Joining Cyrus and Morando on songwriting duties are Max Taylor-Sheppard, Michael Pollack, and Ryan Beatty.

    Max Taylor-Sheppard, a multi-instrumentalist, has worked with Cyrus before, co-writing "Violet Chemistry" from Endless Summer Vacation.

    New York-based songwriter Michael Pollack helped craft Cyrus's mammoth hit "Flowers," a song that was impossible to escape for an entire year.

    Ryan Beatty co-wrote four tracks for Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé's genre-expanding country epic. His contributions include "Bodyguard" and "Protector," two songs that sound like they could either be heartfelt ballads or high-end security firms.
  • On the production side, Cyrus, Morando, Taylor-Sheppard, and Pollack were joined by Jonathan Rado and Shawn Everett, known for their work on The Killers' albums Imploding the Mirage and Pressure Machine.
  • Directed by Cyrus alongside Jacob Bixenman and Brendan Walter, the video uses symbolic imagery (sparks fly during the chorus) and dramatic lighting to ratchet up the emotional intensity.
  • Released on March 31, 2025, the song is part of a grander artistic vision: a visual album described as a "pop opera" inspired by Pink Floyd's The Wall. Cyrus explained to Rolling Stone that she approached the project with "a heart-first attachment," aiming to create her own version of Pink Floyd's masterpiece, but crucially "with a better wardrobe and more glamorous and filled with pop culture."

    She added: "The songs, whether they're about destruction or heartbreak or death, they're presented in a way that is beautiful, because the nastiest times of our life do have a point of beauty."
  • Miley Cyrus described Something Beautiful in a Spotify fan Q&A as spiritually connected to her experimental 2015 album Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz - but not as a "sister album." Instead, she calls it a full-body "yes" experience, saying that Something Beautiful is one of the few projects where she felt emotionally aligned with every single lyric.
  • The first chord Max Taylor-Sheppard played during a writing session directly inspired the title "Something Beautiful."

    "As soon as he played the first chord, I just said, 'Tell me something beautiful tonight.' It was so easy, but I have no idea where it came from," Cyrus told Apple Music. "The chord he played was so beautiful that what needed to be said had to be beautiful."
  • Miley Cyrus released the musical film Something Beautiful as a visual companion to her 2025 album of the same name. Written and directed by Cyrus, Jacob Bixenman and Brendan Walter, it draws inspiration from old European cinema and classic showgirls. Miley described wanting the film to feel both modern and timeless. She created characters in the style of a '60s European film star, a motorcycle rebel, and a theatrical showgirl - all as a tribute to iconic women in film and music.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Taylor Dayne

Taylor DayneSongwriter Interviews

Taylor talks about "The Machine" - the hits, the videos and Clive Davis.

Queen

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler talks about their first album since 1991 and explains what's really going on in "Pretty In Pink."

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Tim Butler of The Psychedelic Furs

Tim Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Tim and his brother Richard are the Furs' foundation; Tim explains how they write and tells the story of "Pretty In Pink."