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Inspired (song)

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"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.
Song by Miley Cyrus
from the album Younger Now
ReleasedJune 9, 2017 (2017-06-09)
GenreCountry
Length3:21
LabelRCA
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 with lyrics about the environment and making a difference. Cyrus based the single on Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, though it also references her father Billy Ray Cyrus and childhood in Tennessee.

"Inspired" was released for digital download and streaming on June 9, 2017 through RCA. The profits were donated to the Happy Hippie Foundation. Cyrus' 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 through live performances, including at the One Love Manchester benefit concert.

Recording and release

Miley Cyrus and Oren Yoel wrote and produced "Inspired". Paul David Hager recorded and mixed the song, with assistance from Mark Ralston. Doron Dina was the audio engineer for the track. It was mastered by Dave Kutch.[1] Cyrus recoded "Inspired" in the House of Blues Studios at Nashville, Tennessee.[2][3] The bass guitar was played by Nicole Row, the cello by Matt Walker, the fiddle by Antoine Silverman, the guitar by Jaco Caraco and James Arentzen, and the pedal steel guitar by Paul Franklin. Along with playing the drums, Stacy Jones was the music director for the song.[1]

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 picture for the cover; it shows Cyrus sitting in the grass while wearing a rainbow-colored shirt, jeans, and flowers in her hair.[10] Released during Pride Month, Cyrus referred to "Inspired" as "the 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 cried 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.[2][12][13] It is composed in key of G major using common time and a tempo of 104 beats per minute "with inspiration".[14] Maeve McDermott of USA Today wrote that it was given "the full string-quartet treatment".[15] During the track, Cyrus' vocal range spans from the low note of G3 to the high note of C5.[14] Zachariah Porter of Billboard identified Cyrus' voice as "raspy".[16] John Norris, writing for Billboard, described the final version of "Inspired" as having a "fuller, more layered arrangement" than the more "spare" demo that 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 that Cyrus 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] while singing about growing up in Tennessee.[9] She said that 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] She also 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 message was positively received by critics as inspirational.[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]

Cyrus' sincerity for "Inspired" received criticism from some critics.[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 for her "soaring harmonies", Maeve McDermott felt the lyrics were vague and a word salad.[15] Anna Gaca of Spin wrote that 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 through 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, in which she dedicated 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:[1]

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. ^ a b c Younger Now (Inlay cover). Miley Cyrus. RCA. September 29, 2017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  3. ^ Kennedy, Gerrick (June 9, 2017). "Listen to Miley Cyrus' new single, 'Inspired,' released in honor of LGBTQ Pride Month". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  4. ^ Gordon, Arielle (September 29, 2017). "Here's What You Should Know About Miley Cyrus' New Album Younger Now". Spin. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d "Inspired - Single". Apple Music. June 9, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Norris, John (June 11, 2017). "Miley Cyrus' Pride Single 'Inspired' Has a Hillary Clinton and Father's Day Angle as Well". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d Kreps, Daniel (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Gets Uplifting With Country-Tinged New Song 'Inspired'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Miley Cyrus - Inspired (Audio)". Spotify. Retrieved September 4, 2018. (subscription required)
  9. ^ a b c d e f Getz, Dana (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus' "Inspired" Lyrics Are All About Making A Difference". Bustle. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  10. ^ Bahou, Olivia (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Returns to Her Country Roots on New Track "Inspired"". InStyle. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  11. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (July 1, 2017). "Watch the Fan-Made 'Inspired' Video That Made Miley Cyrus Cry". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Weiss, Suzannah (May 27, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Performs New Song "Inspired" on the Today Show". Teen Vogue. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  13. ^ "Miley Cyrus Goes Full Country On Stripped-Back Ballad "Inspired"". Idolator. June 8, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  14. ^ a b c "Inspired by Miley Cyrus (Digital Sheet Music)". Musicnotes.com. 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  15. ^ a b c McDermott, Maeve (September 28, 2017). "Review: Miley Cyrus' 'Younger Now' is a sanitized country-pop fantasy". USA Today. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  16. ^ a b c Porter, Zachariah (August 18, 2017). "6 Reasons Miley Cyrus is a LGBTQ Superhero". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  17. ^ a b Nodell, Andrew (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Releases New Track for Pride Month". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  18. ^ a b King, Eric (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus cries for 'more love' on new single 'Inspired'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  19. ^ a b Gilbride, Tricia (June 9, 2017). "Listen to Miley Cyrus' new song, 'Inspired'". Mashable. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  20. ^ Bryant, Taylor (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Is Peak Flower Child On New Track "Inspired"". Nylon. Retrieved September 4, 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. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  22. ^ "Miley Cyrus' new single 'Inspired' by her dad". Times of India. June 13, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  23. ^ a b c Gaca, Anna (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus' "Inspired" Feels Disingenuous". Spin. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  24. ^ a b Young, Alex (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus shares new song "Inspired" — listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  25. ^ a b Cooper, Leonie. "Miley Cyrus – 'Younger Now' Review". NME. Retrieved 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. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  27. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (June 9, 2017). "Miley Cyrus – "Inspired"". Stereogum. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  28. ^ a b "Miley Cyrus – Inspired". lescharts.com. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  29. ^ a b "ARIA Chart Watch #425". auspOp. June 17, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  30. ^ a b "Miley Cyrus – Inspired". Tophit. Retrieved 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. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  32. ^ Houghton, Cillea (June 5, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Offers Hope with 'Inspired' At One Love Manchester Concert [Watch]". Taste of Country. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  33. ^ Brucculieri, Julia (June 4, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Sings Moving Rendition Of 'Inspired' At Manchester Benefit Concert". HuffPost. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  34. ^ LaCroix, Emy (June 4, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Brings Crowd To Tears With Heartfelt Song 'Inspired' At One Love Manchester". Hollywood Life. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  35. ^ Walsh, Lara (June 12, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Unleashed All the Rainbows for Her Pride Concert Performance". InStyle. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  36. ^ Seemayer, Zach (June 14, 2017). "Miley Cyrus and Jimmy Fallon Go Undercover as Subway Singers During 'Tonight Show' Takeover". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  37. ^ a b Beck, Laura (June 11, 2017). "Miley Cyrus Just Dedicated a Performance of 'Inspired' to the LGBTQ Community and I'm Crying". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
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