Miley Cyrus unveiled the first song and visual from her forthcoming album “Something Beautiful” on Monday, March 31, with the release of the cinematic “Prelude.”
As its title suggests, “Prelude” introduces the themes of Cyrus’ album, set to be released on May 30. The visual features bright images of shadows dancing over flowers, accompanied by an intensifying orchestral soundscape. In a spoken-word format, Cyrus reflects on existential themes.
“Like when following an image from a train, your eyes can’t keep the passing landscapes from being swallowed into endless distance,” she narrates. “Like when holding a fistful of ashes, your hands can’t save the things that have already been dissolved into air.”
The visual concludes with Cyrus staring at the camera, wearing a crystal Thierry Mugler headpiece featured on the album cover. “The beauty one finds alone is a prayer that longs to be shared,” she tells viewers as the music crescendos.
“Something Beautiful” will include 13 new songs, each with accompanying visuals shot by cinematographer Benoît Debie. Last week, Cyrus teased the project in a trailer, describing it as a “one of a kind pop opera” and a “unique visual experience fueled by fantasy.”
This marks Cyrus’ first album since 2023’s “Endless Summer Vacation,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and included the eight-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Flowers.” The song earned Cyrus her first Grammy Awards for record of the year and best pop solo performance in 2024.
Cyrus has previously indicated that her upcoming album would serve as a visual album. In a November interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she cited inspiration from Pink Floyd’s “The Wall,” aiming for a version with “better wardrobe and more glamorous and filled with pop culture.” She emphasized that “the visual component of [my album] is driving the sound.”
“It was important for me that every song has these healing sound properties,” she explained. “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.”
