Model Actriz’s Cole Haden on Writing for Miley Cyrus’ New Album: “I Was Deeply Honored”

Last month, Miley Cyrus announced her new album, Something Beautiful, and, soon after, released the opening song, “Prelude,” and the title track. That first song, “Prelude,” was co-written by Model/Actriz frontman Cole Haden. In a new statement to Pitchfork, Haden reflected on his experience working with Cyrus. He shared:

When Miley asked me to write poetry for Something Beautiful, we had already known each other for some time—both as friends and admirers of each other’s work. Early in the process of developing the album, she invited me over for a kiki to play me demos and share her vision for the project. The album I heard then, albeit unfinished, already had an identity that felt complete. What touched me most deeply about this collaboration was the profound trust she placed in me, believing I could add something meaningful to it.

As someone who rarely writes for others, I took my time to really internalize what this album means to me, so that what I wrote could speak the same language that Miley had already written.

When I eventually sent my work back to her, it became the opening of the album. I was deeply honored that Miley chose to start her album with words I had written. It’s a reminder of the interconnectedness of art and creation—how, through collaboration, we give life to something that is not just ours but belongs to everyone who experiences it.

Miley Cyrus and Shawn Everett are Something Beautiful’s executive producers, and they both co-produced “Prelude” with Michael Pollack, Jonathan Rado, and Maxx Morando. The new album is out on May 30.

Model/Actriz are readying their sophomore album Pirouette, which follows their fantastic 2023 debut, Dogsbody. It comes out on May 2.