Miley Cyrus was saving a final surprise for her final minutes of hosting the 2015 VMAs: She just dropped her new album with the Flaming Lips, entirely for free, on the website mileycyrus.com/andherdeadpetz.
“It’s online FOR FREE right now,” she declared, joined onstage by Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne. “I’ll see you right here next year.”
Prior to her announcement, Cyrus closed out the VMAs with a performance of a tune, “Doo It!,” from the just-released album. “Yeah I smoke pot, yeah I love peace, but I don’t give a f–k, I ain’t no hippie,” Cyrus — accompanied by 20 dancers, including many former contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race — sings over a thumping dance beat.
“Dooo It!” is one of 23 songs included on Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz. Upon a quick listen, the tune — first on the album — appears to be an outlier with its dance-ready chorus and, count ’em, 35 f-bombs.
A step away from the buzzy Bangerz, many of the pro-drugs, pro-love tunes — all written or co-written by Cyrus — are perfectly in keeping with the folksy, hazy pop vibe that Cyrus has been channeling in many of her live performances for the past few years. “Karen Don’t Be Sad” is full of haunting encouragement, while “Space Boots” finds the singer missing an old love: “Since you’ve left I’ve started to drink/ now when I do drugs I start crying/ I think I’m dying/ trippin, spiraling down this hole.”
The album — which should come complete with a lava lamp for the optimal listening experience — also boasts collaborations with Big Sean, Ariel Pink, Sarah Barthel, Mike Will Made-It, and even dad Billy Ray Cyrus.
