Miley Cyrus Says New Album is Inspired by Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’
Miley Cyrus is working on a new album, and it’s inspired by one of the most iconic rock works of all time: Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
Cyrus discusses the LP in a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, which will be accompanied by ambitious visuals, much like The Wall. The Grammy Award-winning singer told the outlet she first saw the film version of The Wall as a teen with one of her brothers and a friend. They really did up their viewing in style by renting a limo, wearing ’70s-era fur coats, and, of course, smoking weed.
Cyrus said, “My idea was making ‘The Wall,’ but with a better wardrobe and more glamorous and filled with pop culture … It’s a concept album that’s an attempt to medicate somewhat of a sick culture through music.”
There’s no timeline for the release of this project, but Cyrus says she’s been working on it for about a half a year now. Director Panos Cosmatos is involved with this project, and he called it “more experimental than anything she’s ever done.” However, he also noted it’s still very much a pop project.
Of course, Cyrus is no stranger to the rock world. She recorded a cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters,” which was featured on the tribute album The Metallica Blacklist. The backing band on the cover included Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and WATT (aka: producer/musician Andrew Watt.)
Cyrus famously first covered the song during her 2019 set at Glastonbury. Lars Ulrich asked Cyrus in an extensive conversation for Interview Magazine why she included that cover in her set. She explained, “It was about how lyrics are one of the most resonant aspects of a song, and of why an audience connects with a song … When I think about the sentiment behind ‘Nothing Else Matters,’ it aligns completely with my morals and my values.”
Cyrus also released her rock album, Plastic Hearts, in late 2020. It eventually topped the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart that year. Cyrus was the fourth woman to top that chart that year. Previous albums by women that have topped the chart in 2020 include Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Hayley Williams’ Petals for Armor and Alanis Morissette’s Such Pretty Forks in the Road.
Around 2020, Cyrus was embracing more and more rock influences. She covered a number of rock songs that year in various performances including Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe” and The Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane.”
