Prisoner (Miley Cyrus song)
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"Prisoner" is a song by American singer
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
featuring English-Albanian singer
Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco- pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Gramm ...
. It was released on November 19, 2020, through
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
as the second single from Cyrus' seventh studio album ''
Plastic Hearts ''Plastic Hearts'' is the seventh studio album by American singer Miley Cyrus. It was released on November 27, 2020, by RCA Records, and was her final album with the label; she signed with Columbia Records in early 2021. Marking a departure fro ...
'' (2020). It was also included on the re-issue of Lipa's second studio album '' Future Nostalgia: The Moonlight Edition'' (2021). It is a
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
, dark-pop, disco-punk,
disco-rock Dance-rock is a dance-infused genre of rock music. It is a post-disco genre connected with pop rock and post-punk with fewer rhythm and blues influences. It originated in the early 1980s, following the decline in popularity of both punk and disco ...
and
glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...
song produced by Andrew Watt and
the Monsters & Strangerz The Monsters & Strangerz are an American production and songwriting team from Miami, Florida. The team features The Monsters: Alexander "Eskeerdo" Izquierdo, Stefan Johnson, Jordan K. Johnson and Oliver "German" Peterhof and The Strangerz: Marcus ...
. The music video was released on the same day as the single and was co-directed by Cyrus and Alana O'Herlihy. It features the singers driving a tour bus and draws references to the films ''
The Rocky Horror Picture Show ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' is a 1975 musical comedy horror film by 20th Century Fox, produced by Lou Adler and Michael White and directed by Jim Sharman. The screenplay was written by Sharman and actor Richard O'Brien, who is also ...
'' and ''
Female Trouble ''Female Trouble'' is a 1974 American dark comedy film co-composed, photographed, co-edited, written, produced, and directed by John Waters and starring Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Michael Potter, Cookie ...
''. "Prisoner" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, though some of them deemed it one of the weaker moments of the album. The song reached number one in Bulgaria, Croatia, and Malta, the top ten in ten additional countries, and the top forty in nineteen additional countries. It also peaked at number 12 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 and number 54 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100.


Background and release

Following the October 2019 release of her single "
Don't Start Now "Don't Start Now" is a song by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa. Lipa wrote the song with Caroline Ailin, Emily Warren, and its producer Ian Kirkpatrick (record producer), Ian Kirkpatrick. The song was released for digital download and streami ...
",
Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco- pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Gramm ...
confirmed that she and
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
were planning on recording a collaboration. In May of the following year, Lipa stated that she and Cyrus had decided to scrap their collaboration and record something different. On September 14, 2020, Cyrus confirmed the collaboration with Lipa and that it would be included on her seventh studio album, ''
Plastic Hearts ''Plastic Hearts'' is the seventh studio album by American singer Miley Cyrus. It was released on November 27, 2020, by RCA Records, and was her final album with the label; she signed with Columbia Records in early 2021. Marking a departure fro ...
''. At the beginning of October, after being spotted shooting a video together in New York City, rumblings that Cyrus and Lipa were working on a secret project got even bigger. In an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena 100 on October 13, 2020, Cyrus stated that due to her and Lipa's fans "begging" for their collaboration to be released, they "
ould Ould is an English surname and an Arabic name ( ar, ولد). In some Arabic dialects, particularly Hassaniya Arabic, ولد‎ (the patronymic, meaning "son of") is transliterated as Ould. Most Mauritanians have patronymic surnames. Notable p ...
expect something pretty soon". On November 13, 2020, Cyrus announced the song's title as "Prisoner", along with the ''Plastic Hearts'' track listing reveal. Cyrus began teasing the single in a series of tweets where she confirmed its release and posted videos of her fans reacting to its music video. Cyrus and Lipa announced the release of the song on November 18, 2020. The song was released on November 19. The song was written by the two singers alongside Andrew Wotman,
Jordan K. Johnson The Monsters & Strangerz are an American production and songwriting team from Miami, Florida. The team features The Monsters: Alexander " Eskeerdo" Izquierdo, Stefan Johnson, Jordan K. Johnson and Oliver "German" Peterhof and The Strangerz: Marcu ...
,
Marcus Lomax The Monsters & Strangerz are an American production and songwriting team from Miami, Florida. The team features The Monsters: Alexander " Eskeerdo" Izquierdo, Stefan Johnson, Jordan K. Johnson and Oliver "German" Peterhof and The Strangerz: Marcu ...
,
Stefan Johnson The Monsters & Strangerz are an American production and songwriting team from Miami, Florida. The team features The Monsters: Alexander " Eskeerdo" Izquierdo, Stefan Johnson, Jordan K. Johnson and Oliver "German" Peterhof and The Strangerz: Marcu ...
,
Ali Tamposi Alexandra Tamposi (born November 17, 1989) is an American songwriter from West Palm Beach, Florida. She is best known for co-writing Kelly Clarkson's song "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)," 5 Seconds of Summer's song "Youngblood (5 Seconds of S ...
, Jonathan Bellion, Michael Pollack with production from Andrew Watt and The Monsters & Strangerz. The song was engineered at Gold Tooth Music in Los Angeles and Glenwood Studios in
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...
. Mixing took place at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia while the mastering was done at
Sterling Sound George Marino (April 15, 1947 – June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s. Biography Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He at ...
in New York City. "Prisoner" was later included in Lipa's 2021
reissue In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or Single (music), single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New aud ...
of her ''
Future Nostalgia ''Future Nostalgia'' is the second studio album by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa, released on 27 March 2020 by Warner Records. Lipa enlisted writers and producers such as Jeff Bhasker, Ian Kirkpatrick, Stuart Price, the Monsters & Strange ...
'' album, titled ''The Moonlight Edition''. In an interview with
Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reid Lowe (born 7 August 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence thro ...
for
Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Apple M ...
, Cyrus said they had worked on other songs together in the past and praised Lipa:


Composition and lyrics

Cyrus described "Prisoner" as a perfect blend of her and Lipa's styles. It is a
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
, dark-pop, disco-punk,
disco-rock Dance-rock is a dance-infused genre of rock music. It is a post-disco genre connected with pop rock and post-punk with fewer rhythm and blues influences. It originated in the early 1980s, following the decline in popularity of both punk and disco ...
,
glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...
and nu-disco track with a length of two minutes and forty nine seconds. The song's chorus interpolates the melody from
Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...
's 1981 single "
Physical Physical may refer to: *Physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally co ...
". Earlier in 2020, the track was already sampled by Dua Lipa in her own song, also called "
Physical Physical may refer to: *Physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally co ...
". "Prisoner" was composed using in the
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
of
E minor E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major. The E natural minor scale is: : Changes needed ...
, with a moderately-fast
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of 126–132 beats per minute. Cyrus' and Lipa's vocals range from the low note of B3 to the high note of C5. The lyrics to "Prisoner" relate to angst inspired by isolation feelings and were described by critics as a "heartache anthem" and a "glam declaration of independence". In an article about the song's lyrics for ''
Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'', Alyssa Bailey described the track as "a dark song that captures what it's like to be trapped in an unhealthy, manipulative relationship where their partner keeps pulling them back". Some parallels can be drawn between the lyrics to "Prisoner" and Cyrus' old songs. The verse: "I try to replace it with the city lights" is an allusion to Cyrus' 2019 song " Slide Away", about her separation from then-husband
Liam Hemsworth Liam Hemsworth (born 13 January 1990) is an Australian actor. He played the roles of Josh Taylor in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' and Marcus in the children's television series ''The Elephant Princess''. In American films, Hemsworth starred as W ...
, on which she sings: "So won't you slide away?/Back to the ocean, I'll go back to the city lights". Another reference to an old Cyrus song can be found in the pre-chorus where she sings: "You keep making it harder to stay", which is a contrast to the lyrics to her 2010 song "
Stay Stay may refer to: Places * Stay, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the US Law * Stay of execution, a ruling to temporarily suspend the enforcement of a court judgment * Stay of proceedings, a ruling halting further legal process in a tri ...
" that contains the lyric "And if you ask me, I will stay". As "Prisoner" was released during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, Cyrus felt that it also reflects being in
quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...
: "I mean, in a way... I feel too, I mean, we're just trapped in our emotions right now. I mean, really me, there's no escaping it. It's like, 'Locked up, can't get you off my mind.' Anything that you've tried to suppress or compartmentalize at that point, it's coming up. It's yours to own, to own it or release it."


Critical reception

Ali Shutler of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' gave the song five out of five stars, calling it "a disco-punk anthem that goes off like a cherry bomb", stating that it "hit the sour-sweet spot between grit and glam" and described Lipa as "the perfect partner in crime for yrus as they take the basement snarl of punk and give it some '80s disco swagger". Shutler also remarked that "the track gives
ipa IPA commonly refers to: * India pale ale, a style of beer * International Phonetic Alphabet, a system of phonetic notation * Isopropyl alcohol, a chemical compound IPA may also refer to: Organizations International * Insolvency Practitioners ...
s excitably shiny ''Future Nostalgia'' space to shine without forcing yrusout of the spotlight", further praising the artists for "elevat ngeach other rather than competing" and added: "If only every collaboration had this balance." ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' team of music critics ranked "Prisoner" as the most notable song of the week in their weekly updated column "The Playlist", where Lindsay Zoladz called the track "truly outrageous" and stated that Cyrus and Lipa "make a harmonious pair". Justin Curto from ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' called the collaboration "a match made in '70s heaven". Eli Enis from ''
Consequence Consequence may refer to: * Logical consequence, also known as a ''consequence relation'', or ''entailment'' * In operant conditioning, a result of some behavior * Consequentialism, a theory in philosophy in which the morality of an act is determi ...
'' said that "the two stars exude a natural chemistry" on "Prisoner", even though "the pairing is a little bit unusual on paper". Mike Wass of
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
remarked that Cyrus' previous single "'
Midnight Sky "Midnight Sky" is a song by American singer Miley Cyrus, released on August 14, 2020, by RCA Records as the lead single from her seventh studio album ''Plastic Hearts''. The single was written by Cyrus, Ali Tamposi, Ilsey Juber and Jon Bellion ...
' set the bar exceedingly high, but Miley Cyrus proves that lightning (or pop genius) can strike twice with 'Prisoner'", pointed the inspiration by "the unique fusion of pop, dance and rock that briefly occurred in the early 1980s" in Cyrus' ''Plastic Hearts'' era and stated that "there are elements of all three genres in 'Prisoner' which wouldn't sound out of place sandwiched between
Pat Benatar Patricia Mae Giraldo (''née'' Andrzejewski, formerly Benatar; born January 10, 1953), known professionally as Pat Benatar, is an American rock singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has had two multi-platinum albums, five platinum alb ...
and Blondie on '80s playlist". Erica Gonzalez from ''
Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...
'' praised "Prisoner" calling it a "killer collaboration" and saying "the song itself also evokes a gritty, vintage feel". Jon Blistein of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' wrote that the track "perfectly splits the difference between Dua Lipa's neo-disco pop and the late-Seventies/early-Eighties rock vibe that's defined Cyrus' ''Plastic Hearts'' era". Claire Shaffer, also from ''Rolling Stone'' was less positive, writing that "one area where the album falters" is the collaborations, as "they feel more than a little tacked on", thinking that "Prisoner" would be a better fit to Lipa's ''Future Nostalgia'' album. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''
Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...
compared "Prisoner" unfavorably to its music video and Lipa's solo songs from the same year, opining it is "far less interesting than its blood-spattered, spider-eating,
John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his Cinema of Transgression, transgressive cult films, including ''Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), ''Pink Flamin ...
-quoting video: its sound isn't a million miles from Lipa's own ''Future Nostalgia'', but the song itself isn't anything like as strong as that album's hits. Dan DeLuca of ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
'' brought up "Prisoner" with its eight credited writers as an example for how ''Plastic Hearts'' "suffers from ordinary, by-committee songwriting". In her album review, Katie Tymochenko of ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' opined that Cyrus's confidence is "overshadowed by large-scale dance numbers", "Prisoner" and "Gimme What I Want", and added: "Longtime fans might appreciate these contributions, but, for most people, there's nothing here that's not already overplayed on the radio." In ''
Beats Per Minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...
'' evaluation of ''Plastic Hearts'', "Prisoner" is where "it becomes clear that this isn't Miley's ''
Coral Fang ''Coral Fang'' is the third and most recent studio album by the punk rock band The Distillers. Following the underground success of their second album ''Sing Sing Death House'' (2002), The Distillers signed a major label record deal with Sire Re ...
''. The duet with Dua Lipa is the straight '80s throwback'-track we've heard many times this decade, a typical referential single that any Gen-X'er could call out." ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' A. D. Amorosi felt that "Prisoner" was lacking in originality and catchiness, calling it "a surprise, spun-synth-sugar mess, with Cyrus' voice neutered by
AutoTune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...
and Lipa's listless vocal lines blurred in its mix.


Music video


Background and release

The music video for "Prisoner" was filmed over two days from September 30 to October 1, 2020, in Brooklyn. The video was co-directed by Cyrus and Alana O'Herlihy. On November 18, 2020, Cyrus teased the music video release on her social media with a 20-second clip where the two artists are seen, covered in blood, partying it up and eating cherries. On November 19, the next day, the video premiered on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
alongside the song's release and it was described by Liam Hess of ''
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'' as "packed with grunge-inspired fashion and enough black eyeliner to make oanJett herself jealous".


Synopsis

The road trip-inspired video begins with Cyrus' mouth singing the first verses of the song with a visual reference to the 1975 film ''
The Rocky Horror Picture Show ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' is a 1975 musical comedy horror film by 20th Century Fox, produced by Lou Adler and Michael White and directed by Jim Sharman. The screenplay was written by Sharman and actor Richard O'Brien, who is also ...
''. Performing as unnamed rockstars, the clip follows with Cyrus and Lipa driving a tour bus together, where the two then vamp it up and party in the back of the bus like an 1980s rock band. During the party it can be seen both of them dancing and smoking together until Cyrus dumps a jar of maraschino cherries down her face, making it look like she is covered in blood. Right after that, Cyrus and Lipa start grinding on, licking each other's bodies and singing the song's chorus face to face. Subsequently, the video portrays the duo arriving at a dive bar and delivering a riotous show with Lipa giving the audience the middle finger while wearing an ultra-rare 1990s
Gucci Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrance ...
cut-out dress designed by
Tom Ford Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and directe ...
. Lastly, a message pops up onscreen: "In loving memory of all my exes, eat shit". The video ends with an extraction of John Waters' film ''
Female Trouble ''Female Trouble'' is a 1974 American dark comedy film co-composed, photographed, co-edited, written, produced, and directed by John Waters and starring Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Michael Potter, Cookie ...
'', in which
Divine Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine
's character Dawn Davenport says, "I'm a free woman now and my life is ready to begin".


Reception

After calling it "truly outrageous" and "blood-splattered", Lindsay Zoladz of ''The New York Times'' drew parallels between the video and two classic films: "Rock of Love: ''
Thelma & Louise ''Thelma & Louise'' is a 1991 American road crime comedy-drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri. It stars Susan Sarandon as Louise and Geena Davis as Thelma, two friends who embark on a road trip that ends up in unfores ...
''? The Runaways biopic if it were directed by
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
?", she reflected in her review of the song. Similarly, Ali Shutler of ''NME'' pointed that the video is "packed with attitude and big on ''Thelma & Louise'' energy" in a five out of five stars review. Sydney Bucksbaum of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' described the video as "a sexy, bloody road trip" and Eli Enis of ''Consequence'' stated that "the two stars exude a natural chemistry". Justin Curto of ''Vulture'' praised the video saying: "emotionally and physically, however, they are quite free, dancing and licking each other on the bus before rocking out at a dive bar together." Mehera Bonner of ''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
'' pointed the final scene with a message to Cyrus' and Lipa's exes as the standout moment of the video, calling it "iconique". '' Wonderland'' magazine called it "already iconic", "a trip itself" and noticed its "references to ''
Jennifer's Body ''Jennifer's Body'' is a 2009 American horror-comedy film written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama. The film stars Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody. Fox portrays a demonically possessed high school girl ...
'', ''The Runaways'' and even ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'', we're also getting mad ''Thelma & Louise'' vibes, just without any death defying cliff jumps (as of yet)." Erica Gonzalez of ''Harper's Bazaar'' praised its visuals saying it "exude pure raunchy, '80s rock 'n' roll vibes, complete with mullets, a disheveled tour bus, and ripped fishnet tights" and further commented "they play up the old-school aesthetic with film footage, heavy eye makeup, and layers and layers of jewels".


Live performances

Cyrus performed "Prisoner" first time without Lipa on the first episode of the
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Holiday Plays digital concert series on December 1. Later she performed on ''
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''. She again performed "Prisoner" on ''
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'' on December 7. Cyrus performed "Prisoner" on the newest episode of the
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
series ''Released'' on December 10. Cyrus again performed "Prisoner" along with "
Party in the U.S.A. "Party in the U.S.A." is a song recorded by American singer Miley Cyrus for her first extended play (EP) '' The Time of Our Lives'' (2009). It was released on August 4, 2009, by Hollywood Records as the lead single from the project. The son ...
" and " Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix)" on ''
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' (''NYRE'') is an annual New Year's Eve television special broadcast by ABC. The special broadcasts primarily from New York City's Times Square and prominently features coverage of its annual ball drop ev ...
'' in
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on December 31. Cyrus again performed "Prisoner" along with "Golden G String" and cover of "
Fade Into You "Fade into You" is a song by American alternative rock band Mazzy Star from their second studio album, '' So Tonight That I Might See'' (1993). The song was written by lyricist Hope Sandoval and composer David Roback, who also served as produce ...
" by
Mazzy Star Mazzy Star is an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 in Santa Monica, California, from remnants of the group Opal. Founding member David Roback's friend Hope Sandoval became the group's vocalist when Kendra Smith left Opal. Mazzy Star ...
on
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hosted by
NPR Music NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...
on January 28, 2021. Cyrus performed "Prisoner" along with several songs off ''Plastic Hearts'' at 2021 Super Bowl with
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Tailgate.


Awards and nominations


Track listings

* Digital download and streaming # "Prisoner" (featuring Dua Lipa) – 2:49 * Digital download and streaming – Jax Jones remix # "Prisoner" (featuring Dua Lipa) nowiki/>Jax_Jones_remix.html" ;"title="Jax_Jones.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Jax Jones">nowiki/>Jax Jones remix">Jax_Jones.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Jax Jones">nowiki/>Jax Jones remix– 3:46


Personnel

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Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
vocals, backing vocals, executive production *
Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco- pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Gramm ...
vocals, backing vocals * Andrew Watt production, executive production, backing vocals, bass, drums, guitar, keyboards * The Monsters & Strangerz production, backing vocals, keyboards * Jonathan Bellion backing vocals, additional production * Michael Pollack backing vocals * Paul LaMalfa engineering *
Serban Ghenea Șerban Ghenea (born October 13, 1969) is a Grammy award-winning Romanian-Canadian audio engineer and mixer. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1969. In 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. He later attended ...
mixing * John Hanes engineering for mix *
Randy Merrill Randy Merrill is an American mastering engineer who has worked with international artists including DAY6, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Harry Styles, One Direction, Adele, Imagine Dragons, Beck, Liam Gallagher, Jonas Brothers, Muse, Cage the ...
mastering


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References


External links

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Lyrics of this song
at ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' {{Dua Lipa 2020 songs 2020 singles Dua Lipa songs Miley Cyrus songs Glam rock songs RCA Records singles Songs written by Ali Tamposi Songs written by Andrew Watt (record producer) Songs written by Dua Lipa Songs written by Jon Bellion Songs written by Jordan Johnson (songwriter) Songs written by Louis Bell Songs written by Miley Cyrus Songs written by Stefan Johnson Songs written by Michael Pollack (musician) Female vocal duets