Endless Summer Vacation

Miley Cyrus released her eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, on March 10, 2023, through Columbia Records. It was her first album since leaving RCA Records after Plastic Hearts (2020) and signing with Columbia in early 2021. The album shifts from the synth-pop and rock of its predecessor toward a pop, funk, and synth-pop sound. Cyrus conceived the album as a love letter to Los Angeles, where most of it was recorded, and structured its tracks into “AM” and “PM” sections to mirror a day from morning to night. Guest vocals come from Brandi Carlile on “Thousand Miles” and Sia on “Muddy Feet.” The album was produced by a team including Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson, Greg Kurstin, Mike WiLL Made-It, and Cyrus herself, with additional contributions from James Blake, Tobias Jesso Jr., Bibi Bourelly, and filmmaker Harmony Korine.

The lead single “Flowers” shattered streaming records, becoming the fastest song in history to reach 500 million streams on Spotify. It spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Cyrus’s second US number-one and her first chart-topper in nearly a decade. The single also topped charts in 36 other countries and became the longest-running No. 1 single by a female solo artist in the UK. Subsequent singles “River” and “Jaded” followed in March and April 2023, while a digital edition added “Used to Be Young” in August. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and became Cyrus’s first with multiple top-ten US singles since Bangerz (2013). The IFPI ranked it the 19th best-selling global album of 2023 across streaming, download, and physical sales.

Critics praised the album’s production and Cyrus’s vocals, with Billboard calling it “an apotheosis” and “a culmination of her experiences and strengths.” It earned Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, while “Flowers” won Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, Cyrus’s first Grammy wins after years of nominations. A companion Disney+ documentary concert special, Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions), premiered alongside the album, featuring a performance from Rufus Wainwright and interviews conducted inside the former Los Angeles home of Frank Sinatra. An updated version aired on ABC in August 2023. [edit]