Entertainment

Miley Cyrus' "Nightmare" Song Is Anything But

by Maggie Malach

Exciting news for Miley Cyrus fans! The singer, who's been busy empowering the world with her openness and honesty, is also working on new tunes. A previously unheard Miley Cyrus track titled "Nightmare" just hit the internet and it's kind of fantastic.

Cyrus manages to capture that lightening-in-a-bottle quality where it's clear from the first few seconds of your first listen that the song is an instant classic. She pushes the "nightmare" metaphor to the limits, illustrating the urgency of trying to escape a bad dream. One look at the lyrics makes that clear: "I woke up in another life / When nothing's really dangerous / And everything is black and white / And no one even knows," she belts. "I woke up in a broken dream / With no one lying next to me / It's not how it's supposed to be / So why'd you had to go?"

Despite the sadness of the lyrics, though, the song itself is an upbeat, EDM-tinged track. It's armed with the kind of beat that I can imagine playing anywhere from a club to a house party to a long summer drive.

As always, Cyrus' vocals are on point and powerful, even as she shows her vulnerable side with lyrics like, "Suddenly I can almost see you / Got the heat of your breath on my skin / Scared to death but I'm only dreaming."

Since the release of her 2013 album Bangerz, Cyrus has experimented with a variety of sounds. We've heard everything from her rendition of Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" to her cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" alongside the Flaming Lips. So where does "Nightmare" leave us, in terms of her upcoming album?

Overall, the track has a slightly poppier sound than some of Cyrus' Bangerz-era singles, like "Adore You." The EDM edge of "Nightmare" makes it more modern than her folksier leanings. However, the lyrics call to mind the raw emotions of "Wrecking Ball." Cyrus lays it all out on the table (and, like her 2013 single, she throws down a pretty powerful metaphor to make her point.) It's a perfect blend of her introspective lyrics and the direction pop music is headed.

"Nightmare" is a fresh sound for the singer and absolutely perfect for the summer. While it hasn't been officially released, if this is the sound Cyrus is channelling for her upcoming album, I'm confident it will be a success.