Miley Cyrus has post-Flowers bloom on new album Something Beautiful: review

Before her ninth studio album, “Something Beautiful,” arrived on Friday, Miley Cyrus had finally got her “Flowers.”Seventeen years after “Meet Miley Cyrus” was coupled with the “Hannah Montana 2” soundtrack to introduce her as a teen-pop princess distinct from her Disney Channel character, the 32-year-old singer had won respect along with her first two Grammys — including the prestigious Record of the Year — for her 2023 smash “Flowers.”So “Something Beautiful” is something of a victory party (in the U.S.A.) for Cyrus.After even getting a co-sign from Beyoncé — their “II Most Wanted” duet, a highlight of “Cowboy Carter,” won Cyrus a third Grammy in February — she has nothing to prove anymore.And there’s a sense of freedom in the ambition on “Something Beautiful.”If it’s not “Endless Summer Vacation” — Cyrus’ excellent 2023 album that gave us “Flowers” — it’s a confident move into a new era where tapping the charts doesn’t matter as much as leveling up the art.She doesn’t need to compete with the Sabrina Carpenters of the world.Taking a cue from Beyoncé — who navigated a similar transition with her 2013 self-titled surprise album — “Something Beautiful” is a visual album that will be accompanied by a short film that will be released on June 6.And there is a cinematic scope to it with a dramatic spoken prelude and two instrumental interludes that are meant to bring a certain gravitas to it all.But while we’ll reserve final judgment until the film, the standalone album doesn’t really need it.

So just indulge Miss Miley — or use that skip button — and enjoy the rest of “Something Beautiful.”Cyrus comes out swinging like a wrecking ball with the title track, which is one of the best things that she has ever recorded.Although it feels like it would have been an epic closer, it immediately sets a high bar for the album as she veers from D’Angelo-esque neo-soul to Pink Floyd-ish pr...