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Everything Is Going to Be OK: 12 Noah Cyrus Songs About Loneliness, Love, and Inner Strength

18/11/2020 - 11:15 PM

Noah Cyrus isn't new to the music scene, but we have definitely been sleeping on some of her greatest hits. Up until her dreamy performance with Jimmie Allen at the CMTs [1] in October, Cyrus's music career was often overshadowed by her sister Miley's powerhouse vocals and mainstream success across the pop, rap, and rock genres. But Noah's softer, more pensive energy shines through in her folk-pop ballads — like her 2019 hit "July" — and powerful covers [2], making her a worthy artist in her own right.

Before the release of her first song, "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea," in 2010 with Frankie Jonas for the Studio Ghibli film Ponyo, in which Cyrus voiced the title character in the American version, she also starred in Disney's Hannah Montana: The Movie and Mostly Ghostly. In 2016, Cyrus signed a record deal with Barry Weiss's RECORDS and released her first single, "Make Me (Cry)," featuring Labrinth. Over the last four years, Cyrus has released two EPs and 17 singles, collaborating with singers like Marshmello, MØ, Lil Xan, Leon Bridges, XXXTentacion, and more.

During a time when sadness is maybe more prevalent in younger generations than ever before, Cyrus's singles and EPs give us a taste of what it means to be understood and feel a little bit less alone.

As a singer, Cyrus often uses her platform to discuss mental health [3] and her personal experiences with depression, anxiety [4], and panic attacks. In the past, she has also raised money for The Jed Foundation [5], a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing emotional health and lowering suicide rates for teens and young adults.

During a time when sadness is maybe more prevalent in younger generations than ever before, Cyrus's singles and EPs give us a taste of what it means to be understood and feel a little bit less alone. Her soothing vocals and emotion-packed lyrics flow together seamlessly, effectively scooping out the thoughts and emotions lingering inside you and setting them to the tune of a melancholy acoustic guitar or a gentle piano melody so that each new track feels like a natural addition to your mental movie soundtrack. Keep reading to listen to some of Cyrus's best hits so far and add them to your favourite moody playlists.

"July"

Cyrus's top hit to date, "July" sees the singer channelling her country background as she laments a lost relationship and grapples with feelings of heartbreak and not feeling good enough. "This one is really emotional for me and extremely heart felt [sic]," Noah said in a YouTube comment on the song's official music video. "I wrote this about a time when i felt like i amounted to nothing to someone and never felt good enough for them. i stayed in fear of the heart break [sic] tho my heart was already in a million pieces. anyway its out now heres a piece of my life that made a huge impact on me."

"I Got So High That I Saw Jesus" feat. Miley Cyrus

Cyrus makes her thoughts on drugs and alcohol clear in this folky ballad about the trust she places in God to know that, at the end of the day, everything is going to be all right. In this unplugged duet during Miley Cyrus [7]'s Backyard Sessions, the sisters' voices harmonize beautifully over a soft piano ballad. "Wrote this song with my best bud PJ months ago but it has taken on a number of other messages, now more than ever," Noah said in a comment on her own video. "We all need to come and stay together and support one another.. stay safe, stay healthy, stay positive. It's all gonna be ok [sic] love yall."

"This Is Us" feat. Jimmie Allen

An automatic classic, this country love song details the trial and error of being in a longterm relationship and what it takes to make that relationship last. Together, Allen and Cyrus harmonize to showcase both sides of the relationship and evoke a sense of longing with lyrics like, "And we were just kids back then tryna figure out what it was / No, it wasn't that bad but could've been better / If only back then we'd have been together."

"Lonely"

Cyrus wrote this song following her 2018 The Good Cry Tour to illustrate the "terrible place" she was in mentally, according to an interview with Rolling Stone in May. After discussing her state of mind with her therapist, Cyrus realised what she was experiencing was a deep loneliness [8] and the desire to be understood. "I couldn't look at myself in the mirror, I couldn't go to social things like my friends' birthdays," she said. "I'd get there and feel like I needed to throw up from social anxiety . . . Of course there are some bad days, but I've learned to speak up."

"Young & Sad"

This melancholy song starts with a voicemail message left for Cyrus by her father Billy Ray Cyrus during a "dark time" in her life. The message reminded her to smile at a time where doing so felt impossible and highlights the underlying message of positivity in this wistful tune. "I feel like a lot of artists these days are riding a bit of a trend of being sad. Like that it's 'cool' to be sad," Cyrus told Rolling Stone. "It's OK to struggle, but it's not 'cool' to struggle."

"Again" feat. XXXTentacion

Breathy and soulful, "Again" is one of Cyrus's most popular songs and diverges from her traditional sound with its electronic rock vibes. Packed with anger, confusion, and feelings of heartbreak, the song is chaotic yet relatable with lyrics like, "'I wanna be your lover / I don't wanna be your friend / You don't know what you got 'til it's gone, my dear."

"Make Me (Cry)" feat. Labrinth

"Make Me (Cry)" featuring Labrinth was Cyrus's debut single about a toxic relationship that takes a powerful hold on both love interests. "Couldn't hear the thunder, but I heard your heart race / Couldn't see the rain, we're too busy makin' hurricanes / Love ain't easy when it ain't my way," Cyrus and Labrinth sing back and forth. More than her other mainstream hits, "Make Me (Cry)" showcases Cyrus's impressive vocal range and versatility.

"Ghost"

"Ghost" is a look back on Cyrus's younger self. Marked by an echoing chorus, the song is Cyrus's time to reflect on the depression she's dealt with since she was 11 years old and her desire to for emotional comfort. "It's such a brilliantly haunting song with an array of meanings," Cyrus told Rolling Stone. "I can't help but see my younger self so hollow and sad filled with hatred towards herself . . . When I picture little me, I just see her needing a pair of arms around her; someone to let her know she'll grow up and be OK, and that one day the mirror won't be her enemy."

"My Way" feat. One Bit

Cyrus takes a sharp left turn from her typical folk and country songs in this collaboration with electronic rock duo One Bit. Over the pulsing beat of an '80s-inspired dance tune about taking control over a bad relationship, Cyrus channels her inner pop star and creates an upbeat song that's basically an excuse to get up and move.

"Stay Together"

Rebellious, rowdy, and catchy, "Stay Together" falls more in line with Miley Cyrus [9]'s Bangerz album than Noah's The End of Everything EP. A YOLO-inspired teen anthem, the song is definitely made to be played when you're partying or hanging out with friends.

"The End of Everything"

The title track from Cyrus's most recent EP, "The End of Everything" directly confronts the devastating reality that the world will end someday. "And there might not be a sadder thing / Than watchin' Saturn lose her rings / And black holes slowly dancin' in the dark / It's a song that they were born to sing / About the end of everything," Cyrus sings.

Inspired by her love for her parents and John Boswell's video time lapse showing the predicted end of the universe, the song highlights the triviality of everyday problems and encourages listeners to make the most of the time we still have. "Problems that seemed big became small," she commented on the song's YouTube video. Your pain won't last forever. Your fears won't last forever. Mother Earth won't last forever. Everyone you love is gonna' die but darlin' so is everything, don't cry . . . Let's love and let's appreciate, especially now more than ever."

"Wonder Years" feat. Ant Clemons

"Wonder Years" is a song about friendship, love, and finding your own path. Along with singer-songwriter Ant Clemons, Cyrus creates a song that is reflective, healing, and strangely upbeat. "[Ant and I] were working together one night and he pulled up this melody he'd been working on that was an interpolation of 'With A Little Help From My Friends' by the Beatles and I was like, 'WOAH, sh*t,'" Cyrus told Rolling Stone.


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