Miley Cyrus’ Metallica Covers Album to Feature Elton John, Chad Smith, and Yo-Yo Ma
An album of Miley Cyrus covering songs by Metallica was always gonna raise antennae. It’s just not every day that a pop star releases a metal cover, let alone an album’s worth of metal covers, let alone an album’s worth of metal covers originally by a single band. Like, if you’re not at least curious to hear this thing, even just so as to be able to discuss and possibly make fun of around the proverbial water cooler, you must have a stick shoved so far up your ass it’s poking out of your mouth.
But now, against all odds, this totally bizarre record-in-the-making has become even more interesting: during a new interview conducted Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp, the “Wrecking Ball” singer reveals that she’s enlisted some A-list guests to appear on the Miltallica record:
“I did a Metallica cover of ‘Nothing Else Matters’ featuring Elton John on piano. I’ve got Yo-Yo Ma, Chad Smith—so many all-stars.
“I’m so excited about this collaboration. Andrew Watt produced it, and I’m really stoked. I mean, having Elton John and Metallica and me—I love it when ingredients don’t quite fit.”
I also love it when ingredients don’t quite fit. Yes, the results are potentially disastrous, but at least they’re guaranteed to be thought-provoking.
Some random shit I feel obligated to mention:
Andrew Watt is best known as Post Malone’s producer, but he also produced Ozzy’s Ordinary Man and the currently-in-the-works Ozzy album. It’s interesting how he’s becoming this bridge between the metal and non-metal worlds.
Speaking of Watt’s work with Ozzy: those recordings have also involved Smith, which is presumably how the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer got roped into this.
Similarly, Elton John made a guest appearance on the title track from Ordinary Man. The venerated singer/songwriter also has a history of performing with artists you wouldn’t expect, from Guns N’ Roses to Alice in Chains to Eminem… so the idea of him doing a Metallica ballad doesn’t seem that out of left field.
We also have some idea of what that might sound like, thanks to audio of Cyrus covering “Nothing Else Matters” at the Glastonbury Music Festival in 2019 (below).
The biggest question mark in this odd assemblage of musicians is acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and even in that case, it’s not hard to imagine how he might contribute to the record — after all, Metallica have made two albums with symphonies now.
Still no word on when this thing will be released.
[via The PRP]
