Rating – 3 3/4 stars out of 5
Endless Summer Vacation was a landmark album with amazing sales in physical and digital media. It was a top 10 album virtually everywhere and almost netted Miley Cyrus a couple of Grammys as well. Unfortunately for Miley, she lost out to the Swifties. But regardless, it was a feather in her cap and it looked like she had really turned a corner with her music and was no longer what some would regard as a “shock” act. With that same fever and excitement, Miley’s new album: Something Beautiful came out in the beginning of June but truth be told, I didn’t realize the album had came out until two weeks later. I hope that’s not a sign of things to come and that this follow-up album is something special. Let’s take a listen.
Something Beautiful is intended as a concept album. It was originally conceived back in late 2024 and inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Wall according to Miley. I can’t stand Pink Floyd, but let’s continue. It’s supposed to be more of a visual performance and focuses on the theme of “healing”. The pop star would then announce the album on March 24th with a plethora of assorted teases the week before. Miley would also go on to create a film based around this concept which premiered on June 6th, 2025 at the Tribeca Festival before showing up in select theaters on the 12th. I did see a listing for a showing around the same time I found about the film, but somehow a married man can’t go by himself to see Miley Cyrus thrashing around on a random Thursday night. Go figure.
Track 1: Prelude (2:36) – Before I get into this prelude, let me say this about preludes as well as interludes and outros. Used correctly, they are awesome and help to introduce albums, songs, and uplift the performance. Used incorrectly, and they are a complete and utter waste of time. The best pop example I can think of is Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson. She has several interludes on her album and they blend into the songs seamlessly. However, that was the finest album of Janet’s career and a shining example of a well executed theme applied to an album release.
This prelude starts strong with powerful sounds and then Miley speaks about following an image from a train and being swallowed into endless distance or something. Just go with it alright? After her breathy speech, the prelude crashes back to the previous combination of sounds to prepare us for Something Beautiful.
Track 2: Something Beautiful (4:32) – This song starts off very light like a simple sonnet with barely any instruments behind Miley’s soothing voice. Then all of the sudden at the one and a half minute mark, it hits this powerful metal/industrial section that unfortunately only lasts about thirty seconds. The first time you hear it, it’s instantly jarring and wakes you up. After three or four listens, quite frankly, I want more of it. The problem is it goes back to the simple sonnet and wilts under its own pressure . The intensity does return a minute later, but it’s about the same length and then finishes with the outro. I mean if Miley wants to do some crazy rock outs, I’m here for it but that felt like let me give you a taste. The problem is if you have listened to the rest of the album, there is nothing further along these lines so it stands out like a sore thumb.
Track 3: End of the World (4:10) – This is the main single that was released with the album. It’s upbeat and feels like something pulled out of the seventies (with references to McCartney) and focusing on a theme of what might be the last time these two people are spending together, complete with a sunset in Malibu. Supposedly it was written for her mother who was going on a vacation to Italy without Miley and emanated out of that. I will talk about this later in the album, but this tune suffered heavily from placement. It should not follow Something Beautiful. It would be better placed in the middle of the album, maybe seven or eighth. To me, the lead single should be Walk of Fame, but again I’m getting ahead of myself.
Track 4: More to Lose (4:36) – From rock to a pop tune to a slow soulful song. Have I mentioned this album has something of an identity crisis? I do love Miley’s voice here, it’s fantastic. But alas, it is a song that belongs as the closer, a powerful end to this album. At the fourth track, to me it is completely forgotten. Again, placement, I’m going to sound like a broken record by the end of this.
Track 5: Interlude 1 (1:15) – Confusing interlude number one. It doesn’t match the next song coming up at all. It seems like it should be something Vegas-y, and Easy Lover is one of my three favorite songs on the album, but it’s a disco tune not a piece of lounge expression. Maybe I’m over-thinking it.
Track 6: Easy Lover (3:07) – Absolutely fun and groove shaking type song. Ryan Tedder of One Republic fame along with Omer Fedi help the writing with this one. It’s written like all of those contemporary male pop songs of the 1980’s and then a disco beat is added. Imagine a tall glass of iced tea (or something harder) with the sunset in the background and a car speeding off into the desert. Think Don Henley, Phil Collins (who actually did a song with Philip Bailey called Easy Lover) or Rod Stewart. That’s exactly what it reminds me of. Actually, I went back and watched the video for this and I was not far off, really I wasn’t.
Track 7: Interlude 2 (1:30) – Let me ask, what the flip is this? It doesn’t match anything, not the previous song, not the one to come. It is the very definition of noise. Can’t I just get Miley talking again? Perhaps we can call this wardrobe change, I don’t know what other purpose it serves. Let’s move on.
Track 8: Golden Burning Sun (4:54) – Slow and soulful strikes again before moving into a peaceful tone with a tiny beat. This one had writing help from Bibi Bourelly and Tobias Jesso Jr which you might remember from the Thousand Miles song on Endless Summer Vacation. The “surrender” chorus immediately reminds me of the famous Cheap Trick song but that’s only because I would rather be listening to that tune. The song is a composition of serenity but it hurts the next song, let’s elaborate in a minute.
Track 9: Walk of Fame (6:00) – Brittany Howard lends her chops for this amazing song. Seriously it’s the best tune on this album by a darn mile. It’s energetic, it’s passionate, it is six minutes that uses every second with absolutely nothing wasted. It constantly changes and morphs, gaining more energy to a powerful finale. And just when you think it’s over at the 5 minute mark, it re-assembles itself for one dramatic ending sequence. Brittany escalates to another octave and finishes with a flourish on a remarkable song.
Of course this begs the question, why the heck is this the 9th track? Please think about how many 9th tracks are actually successful and good songs. It’s not many, the only one that comes to mind immediately is Just Like Heaven by The Cure. It’s horrible placement (that word again) behind Golden Burning Sun and will cause people to forget it even exists. Why? Albums have ebb and flow, and the assumption is that after 2 or 3 hits, the rest of the album can often be filler (except for the really great ones). Instead you have an absolute banger song with Walk of Fame and you stick it at the bottom like winter clothes in a summer pile. It might be a fantastic jacket, but most likely you aren’t going to go look for it when it is a hundred degrees outside.
Track 10: Pretend You’re God (4:39) – Ever had the feeling that you have heard a certain set of lyrics before and you have never heard the song? That’s exactly what I am having with this one. A Google search only let me down about fifteen rabbit holes. Maybe Land of Confusion by Genesis, maybe a Britney Spears song? It will probably hit me six months from now what I am confusing it with. A good song nevertheless, but it is really hard to follow Walk of Fame and still sound like a great track.
Track 11: Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved (5:18) – Now be honest, did your 2025 music bingo card had a Miley Cyrus with Naomi Campbell duet? I highly doubt it. It starts off fantastic with an infectious beat. The song should end in the 3 to 4 minute range. Unfortunately, about 3:15 on ruins the whole tune and turns it into some weird runway outro. I’ve had enough “posing” and it goes on for about two minutes. The only way this works musically is if it is the last song on the album (maybe more so than More to Lose) but once again bad placement puts it somewhere else. I guess it does serve one purpose if you are watching the video though, if you know, ya know.
Track 12: Reborn (5:43) – This track hits different, very house, very trance. 2am in a club you aren’t sure the name of in the darkness to a tune that never seems to properly end surrounded by sweat and smoke. Sorry I got lost in my analogies. I do like it, but I’m not exactly sure what to do with it and seems like it’s on a completely different album (or maybe there should have been more songs like it).
Track 13: Give Me Love (3:51) – I need this song to give me something, and love unfortunately is not it. Way overly redundant and is not memorable in the slightest. I have always said, end the album on a high note, not a low one. Powerful, uplifting, even sadness, but not painful and slow. Let’s close this out.
One consistent thing I have mentioned about half a dozen times is placement. Something Beautiful is a concept album after all and like many great ones, a story is told from start to finish and the listener should be able to point out key moments in song like the chapters of a book. The album is all over the place from songs that don’t belong next to each other to unnatural segues to confusing changes in tone or theme. Operation: Mindcrime by Queensryche is one of the greatest concept albums of all time but whether you like it or you don’t, it follows a story from beginning to end.
Running away from the concept for a minute, there are some great songs on this album including Walk of Fame, Easy Lover, and Something Beautiful. There are also some strong second tier songs that already are singles in End of the World and Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved. However, in what may be a very telling situation, it doesn’t look like the radio has moved on from her last album as tunes like Flowers or Jaded are still consistently played across many SiriusXM channels. If the radio decides to play a tune from the current album, it’s not consistent either, I’ve heard End of The World, Pretend You’re God, Easy Lover, Golden Burning Sun, and Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved (but sadly not Walk of Fame or Something Beautiful).
The album is a mess quite frankly, and the identity is lost. Most people will pick their favorites and moving on from this album. Plastic Hearts was better, Endless Summer Vacation was leaps and bounds. Recommended for the songs mentioned, but please don’t try to listen from beginning to end, it does not work. Enjoy.
