After the debut of her ninth studio album, “Something Beautiful,” May 30, Miley Cyrus released a deluxe album featuring two new tracks on Friday.
The soundscape of “Something Beautiful (Deluxe)” is reminiscent of glam rock act Pink Floyd and the hit-making band Fleetwood Mac, one of which found its way onto the deluxe edition.
“Secrets” features performances by the drummer and guitarist of Fleetwood Mac, Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham. Their touch blankets over the track from the snare drum and guitar to the vocal production.
Miley Cyrus’ vocals lay overtop a bass line mixed with a relaxed drum kit, utilizing offbeats in each phrase to move the track forward. Lying under this are Buckingham’s guitar interjections, both nostalgic and avant-garde, similar to riffs off Fleetwood Mac’s 1987 album “Tango in the Night.”
Singing above the production, Miley Cyrus creates an intimate relationship with the sounds around her voice. This contrasts many songs on the standard album released in May, often distorting her voice to match the overdrive effects on the guitars.
The song was a birthday gift to Miley Cyrus’ father, Billy Ray Cyrus, who took to Instagram to showcase the song before its announcement. He refers to “Secrets” as “the gift of music” in his caption.
The singer writes of the relationship she has with her father, proclaiming herself as a safe space for her family members’ “Secrets” and whatever else troubles them. Throughout the chorus and post-chorus background vocals echo the phrase, “I wanna be the one (I wanna be the one) / Anywhere you run (Anywhere you go) / You know I’ll follow.”
Miley Cyrus’ career is rooted in the early support she received from her country-singing father, taking the stage with him from a young age to eventually starring in “Hannah Montana” together. The personal connection Miley Cyrus pours into this track is heard through her vocals, as the song continues to build alongside its emotional grip on listeners.
“Secrets” resembles a lost track off the 1977 Fleetwood Mac album “Rumors,” sonically similar to “Dreams” and “Oh Daddy.” Miley Cyrus even references a song off “Rumors,” titled “Songbird,” singing, “I won’t ever break my promise / Like a songbird in the silence.”
“Secrets” is not just an homage to the influential musicians that have shaped Miley Cyrus’ identity, but it also cements her trajectory as a timeless artist — one to be looked back upon as “Something Beautiful.”