As September begins, so does the annual Live Lounge Month held by BBC Radio 1, kicking off today with four live tracks from Miley Cyrus. The first instalment was hosted by DJ and presenter Clara Amfo, who interviewed Cyrus about her music.
Playing two of her originals and two surprise covers, the artist’s signature warm and husky vocals were supported by an interesting musical arrangement for Cyrus. Each social distancing and wearing masks, the band consisted of a pianist, a cellist, a drummer, and two guitarists who also provided backing vocals.
The songs of choice began with ‘Midnight Sky’, the most recent release from the singer and first single from her next album. She commented, “There’s a lot of pressure when it comes to releasing the first song. I thought that lyrically and sonically this was a good reflection of where I’m going,” going on to reveal that the song was only written six weeks ago.
Following this was 2019 single ‘Slide Away’, which Cyrus belted out with beautifully emotive performance. She described the song as “a point of reference of the growth and of my journey over the past year and a half.”
Next came two covers, starting with The Eagles who were a huge influence to Miley Cyrus in the former years of her career. Originally steady and clean, ‘Take It To The Limit’, she stayed true to the heart of the song, tuning into the country feel.
Finally, a surprising cover from the artist, ‘My Future’ by Billie Eilish, only released at the end of July. Cyrus landed perfectly on the jazzier notes of the song, bringing her unique power to the vocals and a filled out instrumental. She explained how important self-acceptance is to her, especially as a woman, calling Eilish a “really healthy role model” for young girls. The reaction from fans was incredible, showing their support online and sending comments to the show. For those who missed it or simply want to listen again, the show is available now on Radio 1 Sounds, with three videos released on the Live Lounge YouTube channel.
As only the first live lounge performance of the month, it was an astounding success, with more to come. Artists including Yungblud, Little Mix, Biffy Clyro, Jorja Smith, Declan McKenna, Annie Maire, and Arlo Parks will appear on the show throughout September, so stay tuned for more.
