Miley Cyrus - Something Beautiful 

Never one to shy away from transformation (she did first find fame leading a double life, after all), Miley Cyrus has, over the course of eight studio albums, proved herself to be quite the chameleon. We’ve seen her inhabit the role of pop disruptor (‘Bangerz’), psych oddball (‘Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz’), rock chick (‘Plastic Hearts’), and perennial country girl (Beyoncé collab ‘II MOST WANTED’), while her last outing - 2023’s ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ - bore the record-breaking smash single ‘Flowers’. It’s unsurprising, then, that her ninth full-length sees her shapeshift once again - this time, into a high-camp diva who, for the most part, delivers.

Billed as a “one of a kind pop opera”, ‘Something Beautiful’ straddles the worlds of music, film, and fashion as an admirably ambitious visual album. Segmented by a prelude and two interludes, it makes pains to orchestrate an atmosphere of anticipation and spectacle - promises which are indeed made good by the ‘80s-indebted Euro-pop of ‘End Of The World’, the high-stakes drama of power ballad ‘More To Lose’, or the groove- infused stomp of ‘70s centrepiece ‘Easy Lover’ - all of which confirm that Miley’s distinctively gritty vocal is still one of the best in modern pop. 

In the record’s second half, these knowing nods coalesce with varying degrees of success. ‘Walk Of Fame’ is an undeniable, four-to-the-floor banger, its thumping club beats and ‘Smalltown Boy’-style wailing (courtesy of  Brittany Howard) instantly evoking the sweaty, glitter-covered euphoria of a packed gay club. ‘Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved’, however, pushes this formula too far into cliche: its lyrics feel like a laboured emulation of ‘yass queen’ sass (“I match my bag to my new dress / I’m still looking like a 10 / While my hair is a mess”) while the Naomi Campbell feature seems to be more in aid of a cultural ‘moment’ than any benefit to the song.

But, as someone who could easily choose to just rehash tried and tested commercial winners for the rest of time, Miley’s commitment to new horizons can’t really be faulted, and ‘Something Beautiful’ does indeed add yet another string to the star’s already considerable musical bow.