Inspired (song)

"Inspired"
An image of a young woman wearing a rainbow-colored sweater and jeans. Her hair is pulled up in a ponytail with flowers. She is sitting in grassy field. There is a circle filled in by horizontal rainbow stripes. The letters "M C" and "Inspired" are included in the circle in a black font.
Promotional single by Miley Cyrus
from the album Younger Now
Released June 9, 2017 (2017-06-09)
Format
Genre Country
Length 3:21
Label RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Cyrus
  • Yoel

"Inspired" is a song recorded by American singer Miley Cyrus. It was released on June 9, 2017, as a promotional single from her sixth studio album Younger Now (2017). Cyrus wrote and produced the song with Oren Yoel. "Inspired" is a country ballad about the environment and creating a difference in the world. Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign inspired Cyrus to write the track, which references Cyrus' father Billy Ray and her childhood in Tennessee.

RCA released "Inspired" for digital download and streaming on June 9, 2017. Cyrus donated the song's profits to her Happy Hippie Foundation. Her fans created a lyric video, which she shared on her Instagram account. Critical response to "Inspired" was mixed; some praised its message and Cyrus' vocals, while others felt it was disingenuous. The song charted in Australia, Russia, and Spain. Cyrus promoted the track with live performances, including at the One Love Manchester benefit concert.

Recording and release

Miley Cyrus and Oren Yoel wrote and produced "Inspired". Cyrus recorded "Inspired" in the House of Blues Studios at Nashville, Tennessee.[1][2] Paul David Hager recorded and mixed the song, assisted by Mark Ralston. Doran Dina was the track's audio engineer. It was mastered by Dave Kutch.[3] Backing musicians included: Nicole Row, bass guitar; Matt Walker, cello; Antoine Silverman, fiddle; Jaco Caraco and James Arentzen, guitar; and Paul Franklin, pedal steel guitar. As well as playing drums, Stacy Jones was the song's music director.[3]

RCA released "Inspired" on June 9, 2017, as a promotional single from her sixth studio album Younger Now (2017).[4][5] It was the second song released from the album, following its lead single "Malibu".[6][7] It was made available for digital download and streaming on June 9, 2017.[5][8] Cyrus donated the song's profits to her Happy Hippie Foundation.[9] Her fiancé Liam Hemsworth took the cover photograph, which shows the singer sitting in the grass wearing a rainbow-colored shirt, jeans, with flowers in her hair.[10] Released during Pride Month, Cyrus referred to "Inspired" as a "desperate cry for more love in this world."[7] On July 1, 2017, she shared a fan-made lyric video through her Instagram account. In the video, the singer's fans hold handwritten lyrics while lip syncing to the track; Cyrus said she "shed a few tears" on seeing it.[11]

Composition and lyrics

An image of Clinton smiling toward the camera.
Cyrus wrote "Inspired" for American politician Hillary Clinton (pictured).[6]

"Inspired" is a country ballad that lasts three minutes and 21 seconds.[1][12][13] It is composed in the key of G major using common time and an tempo of 104 beats per minute.[14] Maeve McDermott of USA Today wrote that it is given "the full string-quartet treatment".[15] Cyrus' vocal range is between the low note of G3 to the high note of C5.[14] Zachariah Porter of Billboard described her voice as "raspy".[16] John Norris, writing for Billboard, described the final version of "Inspired" as having a "fuller, more layered arrangement" than the "spare" demo he heard when visiting Cyrus in April 2017.[6] Music critics called "Inspired" Cyrus' return to her country music roots,[12][17][18] after recording hip hop music.[12] Some commentators felt she adopted a flower child persona for the track.[19][20] Entertainment Weekly's Eric King viewed the song as a "backroad, fiddle-prone ballad",[18] while Norris wrote that it has a similar sentimentality to "Malibu".[6]

Cyrus based "Inspired" on Hillary Clinton and her 2016 presidential campaign.[6] Inspired by her experience being caught in the traffic of a funeral procession,[21] she wrote it a week prior to campaigning for Clinton.[6] John Norris felt that the lyrics ("We are meant for more/ With a handle on the door/ That opens up for change") were intended to celebrate Clinton winning the 2016 United States presidential election.[6] Cyrus also dedicated "Inspired" to her father Billy Ray Cyrus,[22] singing about growing up in Tennessee.[9] She said she wrote the track for her father and Clinton, explaining: "I wrote this song for you, and the reason I thought you would like it is because I always imagined you with your dad, when I wrote about me and my dad playing in the creek."[6]

"Inspired" begins with Cyrus' concerns for the environment,[9][12] and she then sings about love, death, and making a difference in the world.[19] The opening lyrics are: "I'm writing down my dreams, all I'd like to see, starting with the bees, or else they're gonna die."[14] She talks about the past and future: "Death is life, it's not a curse / Reminds us of time and what it's worth."[7] For the chorus, Cyrus encourages the listener to be open to change.[9] The song ends with the line: "Is anyone watching us down here?"[23]

Reception

"Inspired" received positive critical responses for its composition.[6][24][25] Comparing the song to music by Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris, Alex Young of Consequence of Sound highlighted its instrumental and Cyrus' vocals.[24] NME's Leonie Cooper praised it as "delicate [and] fiddle-laced".[25] The song's inspirational message was positively received by critics.[9][12][16] Bustle's Dana Getz referred to "Inspired" as "simple but potent" and appropriate for the divisive political climate in the United States.[9] Referring to it as a gay anthem, Zachariah Porter commended Cyrus for releasing a song about LGBT equality and self-confidence.[16] Cillea Houghton of Taste Of Country described "Inspired" as a cute dedication to her father.[26]

Some critics questioned whether "Inspired" is sincere.[15][23][27] Even though he praised her voice, Tom Breihan of Stereogum panned the song as a "total wet noodle". He found the singer's career change to be "absolutely forced and cynical".[27] Despite highlighting Cyrus' "soaring harmonies", Maeve McDermott felt the lyrics were a vague word salad.[15] Anna Gaca of Spin wrote that the song veers dangerously close to being "a sappy daddy-daughter duet". She panned it as sounding like a filler track for a Christian pop album, and classified Halsey's duet with Lauren Jauregui for the 2017 single "Strangers" as the superior LGBT anthem.[23]

Commercially, "Inspired" reached number 152 on the French SNEP singles chart for one week.[28] It debuted and peaked at number 97 on the Australian ARIA chart.[29] The single reached number 450 on the Russian Tophit chart.[30]

Live performances

Cyrus promoted the track with several live performances. She first performed "Inspired" on May 26, 2017, during an episode of Today.[12] She also sang it as part of the One Love Manchester concert dedicating it to Manchester.[7][31] Her performance received positive reviews from media outlets.[32][33][34] On June 11, 2017, she sang it during the Washington, D.C. pride festival, where she was the headliner for the event.[35] On June 16, 2017, she performed "Inspired" and "Malibu" as the closing for an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[36] She also sang it as part of the iHeartSummer '17 concert, sponsored by iHeartMedia,[17][37] and dedicated the performance to the LGBT community.[37]

Track listing

Digital download[5]
No.TitleLength
1."Inspired"3:21

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Younger Now:[3]

Recording location
  • House of Blues Studios (Nashville)
Credits
  • Bass – Nicole Row
  • Cello – Matt Walker
  • Drums, Music Director, Producer – Stacy Jones
  • Fiddle – Antoine Silverman
  • Guitar – Jaco Caraco, James Arentzen
  • Mixed By [Assistant], Recorded By [Assistant] – Mark Ralston
  • Mixed By, Recorded By – Paul David Hager
  • Pedal Steel Guitar – Paul Franklin
  • Producer – Miley Cyrus, Oren Yoel
  • Written-By – Miley Cyrus, Oren Yoel
  • Mastered By – Dave Kutch
  • Engineer – Doron Dina

Charts

Chart (2017) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[29] 97
France (SNEP)[28] 152
Russia Airplay (Tophit)[30] 450

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Various June 9, 2017
RCA [5][8]

References

  1. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  2. ↑ Kennedy, Gerrick (June 9, 2017). "Listen to Miley Cyrus' new single, 'Inspired,' released in honor of LGBTQ Pride Month". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Younger Now (Inlay cover). Miley Cyrus. RCA. September 29, 2017.
  4. ↑ Gordon, Arielle (September 29, 2017). "Here's What You Should Know About Miley Cyrus' New Album Younger Now". Spin. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Inspired - Single". Apple Music. June 9, 2017. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Norris, John (June 11, 2017). "Miley Cyrus' Pride Single 'Inspired' Has a Hillary Clinton and Father's Day Angle as Well". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Kreps, Daniel (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Gets Uplifting With Country-Tinged New Song 'Inspired'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Miley Cyrus - Inspired (Audio)". Spotify. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. (subscription required)
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Getz, Dana (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus' "Inspired" Lyrics Are All About Making A Difference". Bustle. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017.
  10. ↑ Bahou, Olivia (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Returns to Her Country Roots on New Track "Inspired"". InStyle. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  11. ↑ Iasimone, Ashley (July 1, 2017). "Watch the Fan-Made 'Inspired' Video That Made Miley Cyrus Cry". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Weiss, Suzannah (May 27, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Performs New Song "Inspired" on the Today Show". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Miley Cyrus Goes Full Country On Stripped-Back Ballad "Inspired"". Idolator. June 8, 2017. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 "Inspired by Miley Cyrus (Digital Sheet Music)". Musicnotes.com. 2017. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  15. 1 2 3 McDermott, Maeve (September 28, 2017). "Review: Miley Cyrus' 'Younger Now' is a sanitized country-pop fantasy". USA Today. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 Porter, Zachariah (August 18, 2017). "6 Reasons Miley Cyrus is a LGBTQ Superhero". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018.
  17. 1 2 Nodell, Andrew (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Releases New Track for Pride Month". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  18. 1 2 King, Eric (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus cries for 'more love' on new single 'Inspired'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018.
  19. 1 2 Gilbride, Tricia (June 9, 2017). "Listen to Miley Cyrus' new song, 'Inspired'". Mashable. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018.
  20. ↑ Bryant, Taylor (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Is Peak Flower Child On New Track "Inspired"". Nylon. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  21. ↑ Garcia-Navarro, Lulu (September 24, 2017). "'I'm Not Afraid Of Who I Used To Be': Miley Cyrus On 'Younger Now'". NPR Music. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Miley Cyrus' new single 'Inspired' by her dad". Times of India. June 13, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  23. 1 2 3 Gaca, Anna (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus' "Inspired" Feels Disingenuous". Spin. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  24. 1 2 Young, Alex (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus shares new song "Inspired" — listen". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on September 5, 2018.
  25. 1 2 Cooper, Leonie. "Miley Cyrus – 'Younger Now' Review". NME. Archived from the original on September 27, 2017.
  26. ↑ Houghton, Cillea (June 1, 2017). "Miley Cyrus' 'Inspired' is a Sweet Song for Her Dad That Features a Fiddle". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  27. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus – "Inspired"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  28. 1 2 "Miley Cyrus – Inspired". lescharts.com. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  29. 1 2 "ARIA Chart Watch #425". auspOp. June 17, 2017. Archived from the original on August 15, 2017.
  30. 1 2 "Miley Cyrus – Inspired". Tophit. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017.
  31. ↑ Iasimone, Ashley (June 4, 2017). "One Love Manchester: Ariana Grande Calls Benefit Concert 'The Medicine the World Needs,' Justin Bieber Pays Emotional Tribute to Victims". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018.
  32. ↑ Houghton, Cillea (June 5, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Offers Hope with 'Inspired' At One Love Manchester Concert [Watch]". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017.
  33. ↑ Brucculieri, Julia (June 4, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Sings Moving Rendition Of 'Inspired' At Manchester Benefit Concert". HuffPost. Archived from the original on October 11, 2017.
  34. ↑ LaCroix, Emy (June 4, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Brings Crowd To Tears With Heartfelt Song 'Inspired' At One Love Manchester". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  35. ↑ Walsh, Lara (June 12, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Unleashed All the Rainbows for Her Pride Concert Performance". InStyle. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  36. ↑ Seemayer, Zach (June 14, 2017). "Miley Cyrus and Jimmy Fallon Go Undercover as Subway Singers During 'Tonight Show' Takeover". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
  37. 1 2 Beck, Laura (June 11, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Just Dedicated a Performance of 'Inspired' to the LGBTQ Community and I'm Crying". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018.
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