In Something Beautiful, Miley Cyrus doesn’t just follow up Endless Summer Vacation — she redefines her place in the pop pantheon. Out May 30 via Columbia Records, the 13-track concept album nods to Pink Floyd’s The Wall in structure, but it’s more than homage. Cyrus uses this framework to interrogate pop culture, identity, and emotional exhaustion with a level of self-awareness that avoids the pitfalls of overstatement.
The promotional rollout, including a cinematic trailer and a Spotify listening session, hinted at a project deeply personal yet constructed for widescreen consumption. At the event, Cyrus called it her “gayest” project to date — a term that’s both cultural and sonic. There’s glam, vulnerability, theatricality, and not-so-subtle political messaging embedded in her choices.
Musically, the record leans into textured pop with glam rock ornamentation. Tracks like “Golden Burning Sun” and “More To Lose” flirt with the dramatic without tipping into melodrama. The inclusion of Brittany Howard on “Walk of Fame” adds tonal grit and gravitas, while Naomi Campbell’s feature on “Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved” blurs the line between spoken-word performance and high-fashion manifesto — a smart alignment with the album’s pop culture critique.
Cyrus’ own description — “The Wall with a better wardrobe” — isn’t just a quip. Something Beautiful plays like an installation piece, complete with preludes, interludes, and a sense of unraveling narrative. Songs fade into one another like emotional episodes rather than isolated singles. “Pretend You’re God” stands out in its restraint — Cyrus resists vocal theatrics in favor of subdued tension, allowing the lyrics to provoke.
If this is Cyrus’ “best” album, as she told Harper’s Bazaar, it’s because she no longer seems interested in proving anything. Something Beautiful isn’t built for charts alone — it’s crafted for those who still believe in the album as a cohesive art form. Whether or not that lands with the mainstream, it solidifies her as a pop artist willing to take genuine risks.
