Following the release of
Endless Summer Vacation
,
Miley Cyrus
hit a new peak of success. That album's single "Flowers" became one of her biggest hits and won two Grammy Awards, which she followed with another Grammy for her
Beyoncé
collaboration "II Most Wanted." All of this reinforced her reputation as an artist making consistently strong, commercially appealing music. However, her willingness to surprise her audience is also an asset, as on
Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz
. On
Something Beautiful
, she balances her mainstream popularity and her experimental streak with even more finesse. It certainly feels more ambitious than anything she's done in a while; this is the kind of album that has not just a prelude but interludes that span loungey trip-hop, fuzzed-out rock, and string-laden breakbeats. It also has a strong emotional arc. As
Cyrus
goes through hell to get to heaven, she makes songs for when the world feels like it's ending -- and maybe actually is: On "Golden Burning Sun," the synth-led breakdown sounds like a rapture. She's at her boldest on the title track. "Something Beautiful"'s poised, soulful verses and squalling free jazz choruses show off her chops equally well, providing a statement of purpose that couldn't be further from a predictable follow-up to "Flowers." The rest of the album doesn't match this audacity, but even
's most accessible songs have a spark that
sometimes lacked. "Easy Lover" gives the maturity
displayed on
Vacation
a sultry, assertive twist, and the beaming "End of the World" -- which she crafted with
Alvvays
'
Molly Rankin
and
Alec O'Hanley
Foxygen
's
Jonathan Rado
-- proves she's still as savvy at borrowing from indie music as she was during the
Dead Petz
days. While
namechecked
Pink Floyd
as a conceptual inspiration ahead of the album's release,
often comes closer to
Madonna
's ambitious world-building. This is particularly true on dance-based tracks like "Every Girl You've Ever Loved," which, with its spoken-word monologue by
Naomi Campbell
and "pose/pose/pose" refrain, echoes "Vogue" and the voguing culture that inspired
. "Reborn"'s atmospheric pulse feels akin to both
Erotica
Ray of Light
, but
' longing for ego death and the song's transporting sound design are all her own. When the album closes with the grandiose yet vulnerable pastoral psychedelia of "Give Me Love," it's enough to make listeners wonder what they just experienced -- a goal that isn't even on the radar of the average pop star.
' restless creativity and expert craft is a formidable combination, and at its best,
has a fearlessness and sensuality that could be the beginning of something exciting for her music. ~ Heather Phares