State Champ Radio Pop
Page: 373
It’s raining in Baltimore, but everything else is the same for Taylor Swift, who spent another Sunday happily supporting boyfriend Travis Kelce as the Kansas City Chiefs played the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Stadium on Jan. 28. The Chiefs won, securing their spot in the 2024 Super Bowl.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Swift and Kelce kissed on the field in celebration of the Chiefs’ triumph.
No stranger to making it through a rain show, Swift smartly wore her hair in its natural state. She arrived in casual, probably air-dried, debut-era curls, and had friends Cara Delevingne and Keleigh Teller by her side.
Cameras also showed Swift celebrating when Kelce scored a touchdown, giving a 10 for Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, and basically having a great time as she watched the game from a suite.
At one point, the pop icon didn’t seem to know why the camera was on her — and then realized a promo for the Grammy Awards was playing. “Oh, the Grammys,” she seemed to say to Teller.
Last weekend, Swift cheered on Travis alongside his family, including Jason and Kylie Kelce, at the Chiefs-Bills game.
“Tay said she absolutely loved you,” Travis revealed to his older brother, Jason, during the latest episode of their podcast, New Heights.
The Philadelphia Eagles center had his own moment in the spotlight at that game when he went viral for taking off his shirt, guzzling beer, passionately cheering on his brother and jumping out of the suite into the stands.
“[Your] best first impression is the worst impression ever,” Travis joked.
“I’m not going to lie, I gave Kylie a heads-up,” Jason recalled. “The moment we get into the suite, I said, ‘I’m taking my shirt off and jumping out of that suite.’ And she said, ‘Jason, don’t you dare.’”
“She was already telling me to be on my best behavior ’cause we were meeting Taylor, so she’s like, ‘Do not. Be on your best behavior. I was like, ‘Kylie, the first day I met you I was blackout drunk and fell asleep at the bar. This is part of the charm. This is part of the Jason Kelce charm. I wanna make my best first impression.’”
Check out clips of Swift at the Chiefs-Ravens game below.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1751749455211286674
Justin Timberlake‘s “Selfish” has topped this week’s new music poll.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Jan. 26) on Billboard, choosing the 42-year-old pop star and actor’s first solo release in more than five years as their favorite new music release of the past week.
“Selfish” brought in almost 77% of the vote, beating out new music by Megan Thee Stallion (“Hiss”), Lil Nas X (“Where Do We Go Now?”), Ice Spice (“Think U the S— (Fart)”), Morgan Wallen (“Spin You Around (1/24)”), and others.
JT debuted the silky, R&B-leaning track live at his free hometown concert in Memphis on Jan. 19, pulling back the curtain on the first track from his forthcoming sixth solo album, Everything I Thought It Was. “Selfish” is the first taste of the follow-up to his 2018 solo album, Man of the Woods, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. EITIW is slated for release on March 15.
“So if i get jealous, I can’t help it/ I want every bit of you, I guess I’m selfish,” Timberlake sings in his signature falsetto on the smoothed-out chorus. “It’s bad for my mental, but I can’t fight it/ When you’re out lookin’ like you do/ But you can’t hide it, no,” he adds.
“Selfish” was co-written with Louis Bell (Taylor Swift), Cirkut (Maroon 5), Theron Thomas and Amy Allen.
“I worked for a long time on this album and I ended up with 100 songs,” JT said during a recent interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1. “So narrowing them down to 18 was a thing, and then, yeah, I’m really excited about this album. I think every artist probably says this, but it is my best work.”
Timberlake also performed “Selfish” during his Saturday Night Live appearance on Jan. 27, followed by the debut of another new song, the gospel-flavored “Sanctified,” featuring Houston rapper Tobe Nwigwe.
Trailing behind “Selfish” on the poll is the “other” category, which brought in 12% of the vote. And placing third was Megan Thee Stallion’s fiery new single “Hiss,” which pulled in 5% of the vote.
See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.
Justin Timberlake delivered a pair of new songs from his upcoming album during his return to Saturday Night Live on Jan. 27.
The 42-year-old pop star and actor served as musical guest for the fifth time as a solo artist, showing off his soulful vocals alongside host Dakota Johnson on the latest episode of the long-running NBC sketch comedy show.
After making a cameo in his Social Network co-star’s monologue, JT opened with his just-released single “Selfish,” which will appear on his upcoming sixth solo album, Everything I Thought It Was. The singer unveiled the song earlier this month at his hometown concert in Memphis.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“So if I get jealous, I can’t help it/ I want every bit of you, I guess I’m selfish,” Timberlake sings on the silky-smooth R&B song. “It’s bad for my mental, but I can’t fight it.”
For his second song, with an introduction from longtime pal and sketch partner-in-crime Jimmy Fallon, the superstar debuted the brand new gospel-flavored tracked “Sanctified,” featuring Houston rapper Tobe Nwigwe. The energetic performance included a full band and backup dancers.
EITIW is scheduled to drop on March 15. The forthcoming set follows 2018’s Man of the Woods, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Later in the episode, Timberlake joined SNL alum Fallon for another hilarious edition of “The Barry Gibb Talk Show.”
The 10-time Grammy winner is no stranger to Studio 8H at 30 Rock. He joined SNL‘s Five-Timers Club in March 2013, with two of those times when he pulled double duty as musical guest as well. Timberlake has also earned four Emmys through his work on the show, including outstanding original music and lyrics for his “Di– in a Box” music video with Lonely Island. His last performance on SNL was in December 2013.
Watch Timberlake’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
Social media users searching up Taylor Swift‘s name on X (formerly Twitter) were in for a surprise on Saturday (Jan. 27). After typing in the 34-year-old pop superstar’s name in the search box on X, users received the following error message: “Something went wrong. Try reloading.” Swift’s official X account was still accessible at press […]
Ariana Grande is dropping more teasers for her upcoming album.
On Saturday (Jan. 27), the 30-year-old pop star took to Instagram to unveil a new alternate cover for her seventh album, Eternal Sunshine, and teased a tracklist containing two more songs from the forthcoming set.
Earlier this month, the Wicked star unleashed Eternal Sunshine lead single “Yes, And?” and announced that the album will be released on March 8.
The latest alternate cover is a beautiful photograph showing the back of Grande’s head as she sports a blonde ponytail and white dress while resting on the shoulder of a similarly dressed woman. The exclusive cover can be pre-ordered through her website here.
The Grammy winner previously confirmed that Eternal Sunshine would have multiple covers. The artwork for “Yes, And?” features close-up photo of Grande’s face and red lips, while other alternate covers find the singer posing in a white babydoll top and red tulle gloves.
Grande’s other big reveal on Saturday was a teaser of the Eternal Sunshine‘s 13-song tracklist in her Instagram Story. The opener is titled “Intro (End of the World), the fifth song is “Eternal Sunshine,” and song No. 9 is “Yes, And?” No other songs were revealed at press time.
This week, the Victorious alum scored her eighth No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as her latest single “Yes, And?” debuted in the top spot on the chart, less than two months ahead of her March-slated Eternal Sunshine.
“it is overwhelming and so sincerely moving to see how many of you this song has resonated with,” Grande wrote in her Instagram Story on Jan. 22. “it is such a gift to feel so seen and held by you! thank you for your positivity, for your support and for everything. you have no idea how much you mean to me! this is absolutely because of and entirely for you. thank you!”
The star’s latest album rollout follows her yearslong break from music, having spent the time since 2020’s Positions focusing on her R.E.M. Beauty business and her role in the upcoming live-action adaptations of the Broadway musical Wicked. In the past three years, her pop star endeavors have only spanned guesting on other artists’ songs here and there (such as the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Die for You” with The Weeknd and “Met Him Last Night” with Demi Lovato) and releasing a 10th anniversary edition of her debut album, Yours Truly.
Check out Grande’s newest Eternal Sunshine alternate cover on Instagram below.
Through K-pop’s rapid changes in the last three decades, a constant standard has been JYP Entertainment’s particular attention given to its female groups.
From Wonder Girls becoming the first Korean-pop act to crack the Billboard Hot 100 to the likes of TWICE and ITZY making inroads with U.S. label deals and arena tours, plus a Japanese group NiziU who’s had a No. 1 single on the Japan Hot 100 every year since their 2020 debut, the company has lived up to its company tagline as a “leader in entertainment” with noted strict guidelines for dating, dieting, media engagement and more. So when a mid-interview miscommunication over the interview time with JYPE’s latest girl group abruptly ends the conversation when the schedule can’t spare another 10 minutes, the fleeting encounter feels like it mirrors the meticulousness and unwavering standards to success set by K-pop industry giants like JYP. Especially for the high stakes with VCHA, a first-of-its-kind “global” girl group, there’s no room for missteps.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
VCHA began with a bold vision outlined by JYP founder J.Y. Park and Republic Records founder Monte Lipman: their A2K competition series set out to create “the first American artist made out of the K-pop system.” Amid increasingly heated competition from industry heavyweights like SM Entertainment, HYBE and Geffen Records with similar projects, JYP and Republic pulled ahead in this next-generation pop race, culminating in the six-member girl group that’s helping evolve the definition of K-pop and changing how companies like JYP and Republic traditionally operate.
Unlike the Korea-based counterparts who famously undergo years of rigorous training, VCHA embarked on a whirlwind journey encompassing vocal and dance training, character assessments, and even “star quality evaluations” through 22 episodes of A2K where the final lineup of members Lexi, Camila, Kendall, Savanna, KG and Kaylee — who range from ages 18 to 14 — were revealed in September 2023 and made their official debut just four months later, today, on Jan. 26, 2024 via “Girls of the Year” by revealing its digital single and music video.
[embedded content]
After four buzz tracks hinting at their sound like “Ready for the World” and “Y.O.Universe” (the latter of which performed on public Korean TV channels like KBS and MBC alongside other K-pop acts), “Girls of the Year” marks the official start of VCHA and what midwest-born, 18-year-old leader Lexi says “really emphasizes confidence, self-worth and what we strive to be, which is, obviously, girls of the year.”
An upbeat, bubblegum-pop anthem with hooks ready to get lodged in young listeners brains, “Girls of the Year” also encapsulates a subtle yet poignant message of feminism and self-empowerment with lyrics like, “No more doubtin’ and no glass ceilings.” Speaking to Billboard in their new home base in Los Angeles, the Florida-raised, 17-year-old Savanna sings that line on the track and personally connects with the lyric when “going deeper because of the meaning itself.”
“Girls of the Year” embodies the essence of VCHA’s mission—to inspire and empower a new generation of fans who aren’t as bound or preoccupied by cultural, language and country barriers. With all six based in the U.S. or Canada, the VCHA members’ backgrounds range from white and Latino to Black, Korean, Vietnamese, and Hmong.
Texas native Kendall recognizes the diversity they represent and the chance to be a role model.
“‘Girls of the Year’ is such a statement, but to us, it really means to be able to become a group or someone that other people can proudly look up to,” the 17-year-old says. “To be able to represent different communities is honestly such an honor because we all had people from our cultures or from our nationalities who we looked up to growing up and they made such a big impact on our lives. So, for us to possibly be able to grow into becoming those people for others is really what being a ‘girl of the year’ would mean to us.”
[embedded content]
VCHA is in good company with Republic Records signees like Taylor Swift, TWICE, Ariana Grande, Stray Kids and ITZY all cited as different inspirations to the members. The girls will open for upcoming stadium shows their JYP/Republic label mates TWICE are holding in Las Vegas, Mexico City and São Paulo — something of a dream for youngest member Kaylee, who says TWICE is the first artist she remembers connecting with from a young age.
“I can’t say that I’m nervous or excited because I can’t think that it’s actually going to happen,” the 14-year-old Philly singer says. “It feels like a dream rather than something that we’re going to be performing on stage opening for TWICE. It just seems so unreal to be able to do something like this so early in our career.”
In fact, K-pop concerts traditionally do not have opening acts, marking yet another way VCHA is shaking up the system’s formulas with a page from the western playbook. “This is something that was all kind of unexpected,” Lexi adds, “We’re just super honored to be able even to do something that’s not really done.”
To prepare for the upcoming shows, the sextet has all-day training sessions, rehearsals and content creation that begin around 10:30 or 11 a.m. local time once youngest members Kaylee and KG, who are 14 and 16 respectively, finish schooling, which they take earlier in the mornings via online learning classes. Kaylee and KG point to some difficulty in balancing school and group work but have the older members to help them study.
With VCHA’s release of “Girls of the Year,” coupled with the easy-listening, R&B-pop cut “XO Call Me” as a b-side that Kendall notes is part of the “new sounds” they’re excited to show, the teens are moving into unknown but exciting territory that feels more centered on deeper, heartfelt messaging than the maximalist showmanship found in most K-pop debuts.
Take the moment in the “Girls of the Year” music video where Camila walks from her dance rehearsal into a massive VCHA concert where she catches her glammed-up, onstage version performing, and the two exchange smiles—a moment of recognizing her journey that included years of auditions and competition shows like The Voice Kids in Canada and France, to now debuting in a group backed some of the world’s most proven players in pop.
See what all the VCHA members had to say about their growth, looking back at honest moments from their character evaluations in A2K to where they stand today.
The role of leader is an important one in K-pop and Lexi, you’re the leader of VCHA. How has your role shifted from someone who was known to help the contestants in A2K to now leading VCHA?
Lexi: Obviously, I’m super grateful to be the leader to help organize things in this group. Although I have the title, I do think that I get so much help from the other members — like, everyone helps me out so much. Even though I’m the leader, I think that we all help out a lot in the group for us to be able to be successful and work hard.
I do do a lot of the organization things like setting up our times for when we should practice or spreading things out for what we should do throughout the day and for what’s coming up. I help us try to stay on task too. Sometimes I’ll have to communicate [with the label teams] just a little bit for things like our schedules.
I remember Camila was voted co-favorite team mate with Lexi during A2K evaluations. You’re also the eldest member, and you said a lot of that motivated you to kind of help take care of and encourage your members. What does that relationship look like now?
Camila: Actually in my family, I’ve always been the youngest so I’ve always been well taken care of. I learned a lot from my mom and my brother, and how they made me feel always so safe and comfortable. I wanted to do that as well if I was ever in a group. Being here, it’s the same thing since we last talked; I think because I’m a very empathetic person, I always feel what other people feel. I always try to make people comfortable and make sure everyone’s okay emotionally.
[embedded content]
Savanna, J.Y. Park said he had doubts about your seriousness but you shared how you know nerves aren’t helpful. I loved your attitude and answer then. Is that a mindset you continue today?
Savanna: If I was to explain this more, being in gymnastics at a very young age led me to learn different techniques to not let my nerves get the best of me since, if I was in a nervous state, I would perform worse— especially on events where I had to balance on a four-inch beam. Although I was definitely nervous, I applied this learned technique of mine during the evaluations of A2K. I think I still have this mindset today as we do nervewracking activities but I try to calm the members down and let them know that we’ve worked our hardest up to this point and to try to relax, trust your practice, and give it your all.
Kendall, I remember you were super-focused on both your and the group’s growth during Boot Camp with many moments practicing on your own. How are you today with leaning on your members?
Kendall: I would say that the more time we spent together and the closer we became, the more I was able to rely on my members. As a person, I often tend to think to myself and enjoy spending time on my own, but it’s nice to have a support system with the other girls that I can always lean on.
J.Y. Park also said very honestly that he thought KG had a “solid style fixed in you” that couldn’t work in a group. But not only did you prove you could adapt, you’re in the group! How do you feel you’re evolving as an artist today?
KG: Yes, J.Y. Park was exactly right. I had a very fixed style and unique way of singing where I fell off my words, and that type of singing is not usually found in K-pop groups. I can sing many different styles, so removing what he didn’t like was not difficult for me but his advice made me a better singer and fit for this group so I really appreciate it. I think being an artist or performer means you’re always constantly evolving and, right now, I’ve evolved into the K-pop world.
Kaylee, you anticipated that you could be the “Moodmaker” of the group. Do you help set the group’s tone?
Kaylee: We all have different personalities and all of us are so fun to be around! So everyone has the potential to become a mood maker of the group.
Travis Kelce‘s dad is recently converted Swiftie — to the extent that he actually didn’t recognize Taylor Swift when he first met her. “When Travis has a lot of friends coming into town to the game, everyone meets at his house, although he’s not there,” Ed Kelce told Audacy’s 92.3 The Fan this week. “Taylor […]
If a glance at the iTunes pop charts on Friday morning (Jan. 26) had you seeing double you can thank Britney Spears fans. The Britney Army has marshalled their collective might to push her deep cut 2011 Femme Fatale bonus track “Selfish” into the top 5 of the U.S. iTunes top 40 singles chart less than 24 hours after long-ago ex Justin Timberlake released his new single of the same name.
At press time JT’s song — which was released Thursday morning — is at the top of the iTunes tally in the U.S., with Spears’ track just behind at No. 2; Brit’s “Selfish” has topped the iTunes pop chart in a number of other territories, including Canada, Mexico and Brazil, among others. The digital chess move was inspired by a raft of social media activity on Thursday urging Britney fans to stream her song in an apparent attempt to tamp down first-week streaming figures for the first single from Timberlake’s upcoming sixth album, Everything I Thought It Was.
On X, Britney’s Army have chronicled how some radio stations in the U.S. have also begun spinning her “Selfish” thanks to the attention on the song produced by Stargate, Kuk Harrell and Sandy Vee. The trolling effort came just as Timberlake began promoting his first solo single since 2018’s “SoulMate” and at press time neither Spears nor Timberlake appear to have responded to the quickly-spreading global guerrilla iTunes chart goosing, which has also included Brit’s tune being added to the Spotify “Obsessed” playlist.
While Spears announced earlier this month that she “never” plans to return to the music business, the two singers will forever be entwined in their fans’ minds due to their dating history in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The pair were pop royalty at the time, with Spears writing in her 2023 The Woman in Me tell-all memoir that she had an abortion while they were dating because Timberlake “definitely wasn’t happy about pregnancy.”
Timberlake didn’t respond to the allegations in the book about his alleged behavior during their relationship, but he did turn off comments on his Instagram after it was flooded with angry comments from Britney’s supporters. Justin did appear to allude to the firestorm during a Las Vegas show in December, where he told a crowd he meant “no disrespect” before playing his 2002 solo hit “Cry Me a River,” widely seen as a commentary on the couple’s March 2002 split after three years together.
Timberlake also apologized to Spears — and Janet Jackson — in 2021, a week after Hulu aired the doc Framing Britney Spears, writing on Instagram, “I have seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.”
The tumult comes as Timberlake is in full promo mode, fresh off a visit to friendly climes of The Tonight Show on Thursday night before heading to the equally warm embrace of Saturday Night Live this weekend as the musical guest on the show he’s hosted five times; Timberlake also has a free show at New York’s 1,100-capacity Irving Place on Jan. 31, his 43rd birthday.
Check out some of the tweets from Spears’ fan promoting the “Selfish” skirmish.
Britney nerds unite! Selfish by Britney Spears, off 2011’s Femme Fatale, has entered the top 5 on US iTunes, 13 years after its release, and has reached #1 on iTunes in 9 countries so far. It’s a move to overshadow Justin Timberlake’s new song of the same name. iTunes Charts:… pic.twitter.com/wEGGiZS7Ka— BreatheHeavy (@breatheheavycom) January 26, 2024
All those hours building with Lego before he was famous has really paid off for Pharrell Williams. In fact, the two-time Oscar winning singer/songwriter/producer is parlaying his childhood fascination with the colorful bricks into the building blocks of his upcoming biopic, Piece by Piece.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Who would’ve thought that playing with Legos as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life,” Williams said in an Instagram post on Friday morning (Jan. 26). “It’s proof that anyone else can do it too,” he added along with a hashtag for the title of the film.
Pharrell further hyped the movie due out on Oct. 11 with an accompanying man’s march of progress illustration, except make it Lego, with blocky Williams evolving from a single flat 1×1 plate to a 1×1 brick, a golden minifigure and, finally, a camo-wearing minifig in the 13-time Grammy winner’s image.
A release from Focus Features announcing the film directed by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom) describes the movie as an “unparalleled motion picture experience that captures the magic and brilliance of Pharrell Williams’ creative genius, one LEGO® brick at a time. Uninterested in making a traditional film about his life, Pharrell set out to tell his story in a way that would set audience’s imaginations free. Developed from his singular vision, Piece by Piece defies genres and expectations to transport audiences into a LEGO world where anything is possible.”
Neville is also a co-producer on the movie along with producer Caitrin Rogers, Williams, Mimi Valdés and Shani Saxon of Pharrell’s i am OTHER label/creative collective. Jill Wilfert and Keith Malone are executive producing for the LEGO Group.
“Five years ago, Pharrell Williams approached me with the idea of helping him tell his story through LEGO animation,” director Neville said in a statement. “It was one of those rare moments where I knew in a second that this was a journey I wanted to go on. I’m grateful to our partners at Focus Features and at the LEGO Group for their belief in our crazy mission. We assembled an incredible team of creative collaborators to help make a new type of film. I can’t wait for people to see it.”
Williams added that when he had “this crazy vision” to tell his story via LEGO, he could not have imagined a better partner than Neville. “He is a legend,” said Williams. “Grateful that Focus wanted to collaborate with us and I’m honored to share this with the world and bring people into my universe. Building with LEGO bricks encourages us to follow our imagination.”
See Pharrell’s post below.
When Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” debuted in January 2023, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 — and remained there for eight weeks. The album it introduced, Endless Summer Vacation (her eighth full-length and first on Columbia Records), went on to hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200. And a year later, the single and album both remain forces: At the upcoming Grammys, Cyrus (who has yet to win one) has six nominations, including song and record of the year nods for “Flowers” and an album of the year nod for Endless Summer Vacation.
Many of her closest album collaborators spoke to Billboard about how they came to take this creative trip with her — and why her Grammy recognition is long overdue.
All Aboard!
Mike WiLL Made-It, writer-producer: Since we’ve made so many hits over the years, Miley approached me and said she wanted me involved — she felt like this was going to be her best work yet. She has already explored so many different sounds, and she’s really on her songwriting. It’s always dope to work with her because she’s constantly pushing the envelope.
Michael Pollack, writer-producer: Miley and I had done a few writing sessions in 2021 with no real mention of an album. It wasn’t until we got back in the studio in January of 2022 that the momentum seemed to pick up and I started to notice Miley assembling Endless Summer Vacation.
Tyler Johnson, writer-producer: I think it was just part of being in the system after working on the Harry [Styles album Harry’s House]. And Miley’s team and our team — myself and Kid Harpoon’s teams — wanted to make it happen. We got together for a week at NightBird Studios [in Los Angeles] and wrote the song “Wildcard” and started our relationship with Miley. Six months later, after she heard some music that we had been working on with Kevin Abstract, she came over to do a potential feature on one of the songs.
Kid Harpoon, writer-producer: I’ve always been a fan. I just fanboy when she’s singing. When we [reconnected], she had some songs she liked but she didn’t have a production direction on them. The big thing for her was, “I want to make an album I’m proud of.”
Tobias Jesso Jr., writer: I ran into [Columbia CEO] Ron Perry at Adele [One Night Only] at Griffith [Observatory in L.A.]. He was like, “Hey, I’d really like to get you involved in this Miley thing.” In this particular session, I knew why Ron wanted me there: He wanted me to write a song on the piano with Miley. As soon as all the writers were there — Mike WiLL Made-It, Bibi Bourelly and me and Miley — I was like, “Why don’t we go to the piano and just try some stuff?” I think within 30 minutes, “Thousand Miles” was written.
Tobias Jesso Jr.
Justin Chung
Tyler Johnson
Cedrick Jones
Greg Kurstin, writer-producer: Ron Perry and [Miley’s co-manager] Jonathan Daniel both reached out to me about Miley. We initially got together to write songs and “Jaded” came out of one of our sessions with [writer] Sarah Aarons. We spent a lot of time at my studio. Miley is great to work with because she has a clear vision of what she wants and she doesn’t stop until she gets it. She’s also a lot of fun.
Caitlyn Smith, writer: Since Miley cut our song “High” on her 2020 Plastic Hearts record, she and my co-writer, Jenn Decilveo, had been texting about the three of us getting together and writing a bit for her next record. It was a last-minute “Want to write this week?” in April of last year that led to a day in the studio.
Jenn Decilveo, writer: [Miley] sent me this idea, and then we got together with my friend BJ [Burton] and Caitlyn, and that was the start of “Island.” I think it was at Larrabee in the Valley [in L.A.] — 1-2-3 done. She’s such an incredible songwriter and had so much input melodically, lyrically, productionwise. She was involved in every aspect.
Maxx Morando, writer-producer: We were just hanging out, and I was working on stuff and she was working on stuff, and she heard the instrumental version of “Handstand” and was like, “Oh, I have an idea for the vocal.” I made [it] during COVID-19 — and I don’t even smoke that much weed, but I think I was really high when I made it.
Gregory “Aldae” Hein, writer: [Columbia Records head of A&R Rani Hancock] was a cheerleader for Miley to work with me. Ron Perry FaceTimed me and was like, “Hey, we’re going to bring you in with Miley. This is what we want from you.” I went in with her and it was just instant chemistry. The first day we ever worked [together], we wrote “Used To Be Young” in less than an hour.
Mike WiLL Made-It
Cam Kirk
Michael Pollack
Nesrin Danan
Stopping To Smell The “Flowers”
Pollack: “Flowers” was written in January of 2022 during a week of sessions at Sunset Sound [in L.A.]. The song came together organically, being written in its entirety at the piano. Initially the idea was slower and sadder, but both Greg [Hein] and Miley had the vision to make the song positive and free-spirited. We demo’d the song on Rhodes [piano] and left thinking it was a ballad — or at least I did. Almost immediately after, I remember being told, “ ‘Flowers’ is going to be the first single and it’s going to be produced out as an uptempo.”
Hein: Miley randomly texted us almost a year later, like, “Hey, just so you guys know, you have my first single.” Then she invited me to the music video shoot and I saw the scene where she walks up in the gold dress and I was like, “Oh, this is going to be a thing.”
Johnson: Ron Perry was really leading the charge of making sure “Flowers” and “Used To Be Young” were right. Those songs were definitely the priority, especially “Flowers.” But while we were working on that, we were doing other records, and it was actually [album track] “Rose Colored Lenses” that helped us gel.
Kid Harpoon: “Rose Colored Lenses” isn’t necessarily anything single-y, but we just loved it. Those songs are the soul of the record. “Rose Colored” was always the one that felt like the touchstone, but making sure that “Flowers” did its job in relation to that was important.
Johnson: It’s important for artists like Miley to have a level of autobiographical texture to their songs. Then you mix that with something people can move to, that feels new and retro at the same time, and it’s a really powerful cocktail.
Hein: It all comes down to, “I can love me better than you can.” That’s the all-encompassing lyric to me. I was in a city just now called Siguatepeque in Honduras and I was driving to meet a priest for my wedding coming up and there was no music playing in this city but “Flowers.” That one’s reach is just crazy.
Maxx Morando
Eva Pentel
Kid Harpoon
Josiah Van Dien
Vacation Scrapbook
Smith: Miley arrived at the studio wanting to write this idea called “Island.” She talked to us about how being in the spotlight since she was a kid has put her on a bit of an island from the rest of the world and how it’s beautiful but, at times, can be really lonely. I’m obsessed with the hook: “Am I stranded on an island or have I landed in paradise?”
Decilveo: I love that line, which is one she wrote, which I think sums it up. Being uber successful, uber everything — is it paradise, or are you stranded alone? Not being able to go out because you’re so famous and you can’t go to Trader Joe’s because people won’t let you walk down the aisles like a normal person.
Smith: Also, Miley’s mom came by for a bit that day, and she had told us about this “Smoke ’Em If Ya Got ’Em” hat that she had bought. Later that day, we thought it would be a great line to put in the song.
Jesso: I love [on “Thousand Miles”] how country she gets on “Pick up the phone and I call back home, but all I get is a dial tone. And instead of hangin’ up, I hang my head.” It was really cool to see Mike WiLL Made-It be part of that too, because it’s not something you imagine, but he was so into it.
Mike WiLL Made-It: Miley took the song and switched the direction. I was already married to what we made but she took it to Grammy collaboration level. She got Brandi [Carlile] on the song and that was the piece that was missing. That’s how we ended up with the banger “Thousand Miles” we hear today before every Delta flight.
Morando: For “Violet Chemistry,” [Miley] was like, “Do you think you could add some sauce into this song and spice it up?” [My friend Max Taylor-Sheppard and I] thought, “What if we did some Erykah Badu bridge with a stinky bassline and something crazy?” It happened in maybe 15 minutes. We like the idea of throwing a wrench in something — a tasteful wrench.
Kid Harpoon: They’re very similar, Miley and Harry [Styles]. They’re giant pop icons, but their process is like an indie kid that just wants to have fun and doesn’t really give a sh-t about all the pop stuff. They just want to make something creative, so for those kinds of brains, going in and trying to write a pop hit is going to completely destroy all their fun. Me and Tyler [engineered] an environment in the studio where you can just do whatever the f–k you want.
Jesso: Even if you had a day session with Miley, it wouldn’t feel like a day session because she gets real so quick. She has just been so exposed in her life that she’s like, “What have I got to lose?” That’s a very fertile place for creativity to live. You feel a jolt of this creative energy from her, almost at all times. It’s sporadic and it’s crazy and it’s wild — but it’s the best kind.
Jennifer Decilveo
Brantley Gutierrez
Greg Kurstin photographed on November 28, 2022 in Los Angeles.
Austin Hargrave
Destination: Grammys
Smith: She seems to have arrived at a place in her life and her career where she doesn’t want to chase but simply create from the heart. I remember her talking about how even though she was successful and had reached this place and level in her career, it still felt like a treadmill, and she still felt like she was always “chasing the carrot.” She seems to have entered a season of life where she has found some peace and clarity. I think it shows in this record.
Pollack: Over the years we’ve seen so many sides to Miley and her music. Endless Summer Vacation is a representation of what all those elements look like when they come together.
Morando: This has been a long time coming for her. Endless Summer Vacation is a fantastic album; on top of that you have her whole career and everything that she has done before. Now [she’s] at this pinnacle.
Hein: It’s her most mature body of work.
Mike WiLL Made-It: This is the year where she wins album of the year after all the growth and hard work. This album, she found and unlocked another sound, that poster-girl Miley sound that no one can replicate.
Caitlyn Smith
Robert Chavers
Gregory “Aldae” Hein
Sylvain Photos
Jesso: [2013’s] Bangerz was robbed. The Grammys need prison for Bangerz not being nominated for album of the year. Aside from that, I think it’s time for her to get what’s due.
Kid Harpoon: I still love Bangerz. It’s a classic. The thing I’ve always felt with Miley is that everyone wants Miley to win. She represents that part of everyone who doesn’t give a f–k and just wants to enjoy their life. I think this is a culmination of years and years of just being an absolute boss. People think, “Oh, someone writes Miley’s songs,” or “someone tells her where to stand, someone does this, and the record label says this,” but it’s not like that, and it’s a narrative that I just don’t think is helpful. And someone like Taylor [Swift], she’s helped change that narrative. That’s why I’m proud of Miley, because the Grammys will mean more, in a way, [now]. [A Grammy win is] recognition by your creative peers that you created this, and she really did.
Johnson: Without the Grammy, people are [still] singing the song. People are living their lives to this music. That’s the point of it. Grammys are a reflection of that already achieved milestone. We’ve already won — this would just be a bonus.
This story will appear in the Jan. 27, 2024, issue of Billboard.
