Miley Cyrus is back and ready to begin a whole new era. ‘Midnight Sky’ is the singer-songwriter’s first release since 2019’s transcendent and reflective single ‘Slip Away’, and the rebellious ‘She Is Coming’ EP. Taking a different tone and vision, this track oozes a lush nostalgic touch while implementing her 70’s and 80’s rock-n-roll influences.
Reflecting on her public divorce with Liam Hemsworth, and the world’s eager eye on what she was going to do next, she found the confidence within herself to live in the moment and embrace the empowerment her music has always embodied.
“Yeah it’s been a long night and the mirror’s telling me to go home, but it’s been a long time since I felt this good on my own” she sings during the opening moments of the song before later confessing “I was born to run, I don’t belong to anyone. Oh no, I don’t need to be loved by you” during the chorus. But the lyric that has already got the world talking is “see my lips on her mouth, everybody’s talking now, baby” which notes the infamous relationship she had with Kaitlynn Carter post divorce.
Soaked in a disco-pop synths, the song oozes this pulsating rhythm during the chorus that takes you back to her Mark Ronson collaboration ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’. But then when the chorus comes in she transforms it into this retro rock song that channels Blondie, Pat Benatar and Fleetwood Mac. The melody in the hook is reminiscent to Stevie Nicks’ ‘Edge Of Seventeen’ and it’s very touching and fitting aesthetically.
‘Midnight Sky’ is a very strong representation of where Miley is at in her life right now. Feeling empowered and confident within her own body and mind, she has brought all of those things to the forefront and given us a full blown nostalgic listen.