Miley Cyrus’s ‘Secrets’: A White Flag Woven into a Soft Rock Ballad

Let’s be honest, the moment Miley Cyrus’s ‘Secrets’ dropped, a sprawling, emotional track featuring genuine rock royalty, we knew we had to talk about it.

It’s not just a bonus song; it’s a public gesture, a deeply personal ballad dedicated to her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, following years of rumoured estrangement.

Miley herself explicitly called the song a “peace offering” for “someone I had lost for a time but always loved.” When a generational icon decides to use her platform to heal family rifts with the help of musical legends, well, that’s when pop music becomes capital-A Art.

‘Secrets’ arrived on Friday, 19 September 2025. Clocking in at 3:49, this soaring ballad is one of two new tracks included on the expanded Something Beautiful (Deluxe) edition of her ninth studio album.

Miley Cyrus is credited as a songwriter alongside Gregory Aldae Hein, Tyler Johnson, Jonathan Rado, Michael Pollack, and Shawn Everett. She also shares production credits with Rado, Pollack, and Everett. The track was released via Columbia Records.

So, who did Miley recruit for this heartfelt offering? None other than former Fleetwood Mac members Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood.

Billy Ray had previously told the world that Miley gave him this song for his 64th birthday, noting she “got my favourite musicians Fleetwood Mac to play on it!”

Buckingham handles the electric guitar duties, delivering one of his “signature yet understated guitar solos” towards the end, while Fleetwood lays down the drums.

The track is generally defined as an emotional ballad, blending elements of rock and pop, with a definite soft rock influence, evoking a “Fleetwood Mac-esque instrumental” backdrop.

Miley’s vocal performance is key here: it’s described as intimate, rich, and gravelly, vibrating across the emotional landscape of the song.

We get those airy, ’80s Stevie Nicks-style backing vocals repeating lines back to her, adding that gorgeous, familiar texture to the production.

It feels like a sonic bridge, connecting the musical legacy of the collaborators to Miley’s constantly evolving, post-genre path.

The core meaning of the Miley Cyrus ‘Secrets’ song is crystal clear: reconciliation and unconditional love.

Miley confirmed she wrote it for her dad, explaining in June 2025 on Monica Lewinsky’s podcast that she wanted to be the confidant he could trust with difficult truths. She framed the writing process as helping to resolve “long-running tensions” between them.

The lyrics are loaded with vulnerability and reassurance, painting Miley as the source of strength. Consider the line where she asserts that “forgiveness and freedom are one and the same”.

We see this played out lyrically as she offers ultimate emotional safety:
• “Can I be your hero?”
• “A white flag in the war”
• “I won’t ever break my promise”

The sentiment is that she is mature enough to absorb the family pain, wanting him to feel “safe enough to tell me the things that were damning and damaging”.

There is also a multi-layered reading that extends beyond the father-daughter dynamic to any complex, loving relationship.

She sings, “Love is not a prison,” and follows it with the profound promise, “I won’t lock you up.” This suggests a desire for connection without constraint, emphasising that the loved one “can come and go as you want.” It’s an emotionally raw wish for mutual liberation.

‘Secrets’ sits comfortably on Something Beautiful, an album that NME previously awarded a four-star review, calling it a “fully realised artistic statement.”

While the original album featured other indie-rock luminaries and boasts co-writes from artists like Cole Haden (Model/Actriz) and Adam Granduciel (The War on Drugs), ‘Secrets’ distinguishes itself through its classic rock collaboration and deep emotional focus.

Miley has been constantly defying expectations throughout her career. Her previous collaboration with Stevie Nicks on the 2020 remix of ‘Midnight Sky’ (‘Edge Of Midnight’) proves she understands how to honour and integrate rock influences into modern pop.

This new track takes that cross-generational bridge even further, providing a moment of “historical weight” by reuniting Buckingham and Fleetwood.

Regarding reception, the press immediately honed in on the emotional context of the song, noting how it was a beautiful gesture to Billy Ray.

The music video for ‘Secrets’ arrived alongside the single and is truly a visual statement. It was co-directed by Miley herself, alongside Jacob Bixenman and Brendan Walter.

The clip was filmed at the stunning Million Dollar Theatre in Los Angeles. Miley alternates between breathtaking haute couture looks, including Iris Van Herpen Couture and Maison Margiela.

We see her draped in a white diaphanous gown and matching headdress, contrasting with a slinky black halterneck gown and a sparkling black mask.

The “flowing, windswept fabrics” mirror the emotional, soaring nature of the ballad.

The deluxe edition offers another fascinating collaboration: the majestic, jazzy, 13-minute mind-trip ‘Lockdown,’ featuring Talking Heads singer David Byrne.

While the video for ‘Secrets’ has dropped, don’t hold your breath for a massive stadium tour. Miley confirmed over the summer that although she has the ability and opportunities to tour, she lacks the “desire” to “hit the road,” opting instead for live films.

Therefore, an imminent live debut or radio push isn’t explicitly detailed, but given the star power, you can bet ‘Secrets’ will be circulating in the pop ether for some time.