The G.O.A.T Miley Cyrus took to the MTV Unplugged stage today to perform a bevy of covers and her new hit song, Midnight Sky.
Filmed in before the singer even blessed the world with Midnight Sky, the MTV special marks the third instalment of Cyrus’ backyard sessions. Beginning in 2012 Cyrus caught the attention of the world with her unparalleled covers of Jeff Buckley’s Lilac Wine, Melanie Safka’s Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma and her godmother Dolly Parton’s iconic hit, Jolene. She basically started the “at home concert” trend that has come to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2015, after a long and successful cycle for her acclaimed album Bangerz, Cyrus was back at it again, using the Backyard Sessions to launch her nonprofit organization, The Happy Hippie Foundation. The foundation rallies young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBT youth, and other vulnerable populations. This time, Cyrus brought along a bevy of special guests to share the stage with her. Melanie Safka joined the singer to perform Peace Will Come and for a second take of Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma. Laura Jane Grace and Cyrus played True Trans Soul, and were later joined by rock legend Joan Jett for Androgynous. Jett hung around to perform Different with Cyrus’ final guest Ariana Grande jining her to perform Crowded House’s hit song, Don’t Dream It’s Over. The session also saw Cyrus perform a handful of solo covers including Paul Simon’s 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Dido’s No Freedom and Happy Together from The Turtles,
Now, Cyrus has made her return to the Backyard Sessions stage after five long years. Filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the performance saw the superstar perform a variety of covers ranging from Britney Spears to Pearl Jam. Opening her set with a grunge cover of Britney’s iconic comeback single, Gimmie More, Cyrus rocked the stage dressed in zebra print, showing off her amazing smokey vocals. After playing These Days by Nico, Cyrus had a costume change into a svelte sequinned snake skin Versace gown and performed three out of this world covers of Sweet Jane by The Velvet Underground, Just Breathe by Pearl Jam and Communication by The Cardigans. Cyrus’ take on these classic songs is stunningly beautiful, perfectly exhibiting the versatility of her vocals.
Miley enlisted the help of her sister Noah Cyrus, where they performed Noah’s heavenly song, I Got So High That I Saw Jesus. Situated in a lush green setting, the sisters performed a breathtaking rendition of the track, harmoniously complimenting each others vocal tones. Miley closed the set with her current hit track, Midnight Sky. Dressed in a shimmering gold gown, the pulled back rendition marks the first time Cyrus has performed one of her own songs during one of her Backyard Sessions.
Unplugged: Miley Cyrus Backyard Sessions is available now on MTV Australia.