The Backyard Sessions are a series of music performances 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 ho ...

. The first sessions featured Cyrus performing

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s of classic songs in an outdoor setting, and were released in 2012. Subsequent sessions have since been released in support of Cyrus' own projects, including the launch of her

Happy Hippie Foundation The Happy Hippie Foundation is an American non-profit organization founded by entertainer Miley Cyrus on September 17, 2014, and officially launched to the public on May 5, 2015. The foundation focuses on youth homelessness (particularly among L ...

in 2015 and the release of her albums ''

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) and ''

Endless Summer Vacation ''Endless Summer Vacation'' is the eighth studio album by American singer Miley Cyrus, released on March 10, 2023, via Columbia Records. It is her first new body of work since leaving RCA Records after her seventh studio album ''Plastic Hearts ...

'' (2023).

The Backyard Sessions (2012)

The first series was released on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and 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 Google, and is the second mo ...

between September and December 2012, and showed Cyrus performing covers of classic songs with her band in an outdoor setting. The sessions began in September 2012 when Cyrus posted a video of her singing James Shelton's song " Lilac Wine". MTV explains the setting of the Backyard sessions by stating "She's also shown sitting down with her band in a serene garden space as she sings huskily into a standing mic." The second session was posted in October 2012 as Cyrus performed the

Melanie Safka Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk (born February 3, 1947), professionally known as Melanie or Melanie Safka, is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for the 1971–72 global hit "Brand New Key", her cover of " Ruby Tuesday", her compositi ...

song "Look What They've Done To My Song Ma". The third and final video posted of the original sessions featured Cyrus singing " Jolene", originally performed and written by her godmother,

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

List of performances

Happy Hippie Presents Backyard Sessions (2015)

In 2015, Cyrus released a new set of Backyard Sessions videos to publicize the launch of the Happy Hippie Foundation. On May 6, the first daily video was posted to social media, with Cyrus joined by

Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...

in covering Jett's 2013 song "Different". In a second video posted later that day, Cyrus covered

Dido Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in modern Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (t ...

's "

No Freedom "No Freedom" is a song by English recording artist Dido (singer), Dido. The song was released on 18 January 2013 as the lead single from her fourth studio album ''Girl Who Got Away'' (2013). The song was written and produced by Dido (singer), Di ...

", dedicated to

Leelah Alcorn Leelah Alcorn (November 15, 1997 – December 28, 2014) was an American transgender girl whose suicide attracted international attention; she had posted a suicide note to her Tumblr blog about societal standards affecting transgender pe ...

, a teenage transgender girl who killed herself by walking out in front of traffic the previous December. Two more videos were posted on May 9, 2015. In the first, Cyrus performed " Androgynous" by The Replacements alongside Jett and Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace, who came out as transgender in 2012. In the fourth installment of the Happy Hippie Backyards Sessions, Cyrus provided backing vocals for Grace's performance of the Against Me! song " True Trans Soul Rebel". In videos posted May 12, Cyrus was joined by Melanie Safka for performances of "Peace Will Come (All According to Plan)" and "

What Have They Done to My Song Ma "What Have They Done to My Song Ma" is a song written and performed by Melanie Safka. It was co-written by HM Saffer II, a notable American painter and musician who worked for Warner Brothers Productions. It was released in 1970 as the B-side o ...

," as covered in the original Backyards Sessions videos. On performing with Cyrus, Safka commented that Cyrus showed "only the part she wanted me to see," but added that she was "very accommodating" and "totally real ..Her heart is really in the music. The true test of character, for me, is if your heart is in the music." Safka credited the videos with an increase in young people at her concerts. Safka also performed a rendition of "Yaw Baby (Break My Heart)" while Cyrus watched in the background. In a May 15 video, Cyrus was joined by Ariana Grande for a cover of "

Don't Dream It's Over "Don't Dream It's Over" is a song by rock band Crowded House, recorded for their 1986 self-titled debut studio album. The song was composed and written by New Zealand frontman Neil Finn, and released in October 1986 as the fourth single from ...

" by Crowded House. Cyrus wore a unicorn onesie, while Grande wore a mouse onesie. The pair reprised the performance at the

One Love Manchester One Love Manchester was a benefit concert and British television special on 4 June 2017, organised by American singer Ariana Grande, Simon Moran, Melvin Benn and Scooter Braun in response to the Manchester Arena bombing after Grande's concer ...

benefit concert A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate hu ...

organized by Grande in June 2017. In two videos posted on May 19, Cyrus performed covers of " Happy Together" by

The Turtles ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

, and Paul Simon's "

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his fourth studio album, '' Still Crazy After All These Years'' (1975), released on Columbia Records. Backing vocals on the singl ...

". In the final video, released May 23, she sang "Pablow the Blowfish" in memory of her recently deceased pet fish. The song later appeared on ''

Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz ''Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus. It was originally released independently on August 30, 2015, but was later released commercially on iTunes and other streaming platforms und ...

'' (2015).

List of performances

''MTV Unplugged'' Presents: Miley Cyrus Backyard Sessions (2020)

On October 16, 2020, Cyrus premiered a full Backyard Sessions concert on MTV. Her band called themselves "Miley Cyrus and the Social Distancers," and all members except the singers wore masks in performance. On October 17, she posted six concert videos to her YouTube channel. Four were covers: "

Gimme More "Gimme More" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, '' Blackout'' (2007). It was released on August 31, 2007, by Jive Records, as the lead single from the album. "Gimme More" was recorded in 2006 during Spears' ...

" by Britney Spears, "Communication" by

The Cardigans The Cardigans is a Swedish rock band formed in Jönköping, Sweden, in 1992 by guitarist Peter Svensson, bassist Magnus Sveningsson, drummer Bengt Lagerberg, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson and lead singer Nina Persson. Post-hiatus shows sin ...

, "

Sweet Jane "Sweet Jane" is a song by American rock band the Velvet Underground; it appears on their fourth studio album '' Loaded'' (1970). The song was written by Lou Reed, the band's leader, who continued to incorporate the piece into live performances a ...

" by the

Velvet Underground Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...

, and " Just Breathe" by Pearl Jam. She also posted a live version of her song "

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 ...

" from her album ''

'' and a duet with her sister

Noah Cyrus Noah Lindsey Cyrus (born January 8, 2000) is an American singer and actress. As a child actress she voiced the titular character in the English dub of the film ''Ponyo'' (2008), as well as having minor roles on shows like ''Hannah Montana'' and ' ...

of Noah's song "I Got So High That I Saw Jesus." During the concert, she also performed a cover of Jackson Browne's "

These Days These Days may refer to: Music Albums * ''These Days'' (Bon Jovi album), and the title song (see below) ** These Days Tour, a 1995–1996 tour by Bon Jovi in support of the above album * ''These Days'' (Crystal Gayle album), 1980 * ''These ...

," but this was not uploaded to Cyrus's channel in October.

List of performances

Apple Music Backyard Sessions (2020)

Furthermore, upon the release of her seventh studio album ''Plastic Hearts'', Cyrus also released a second edition of the album onto Apple Music. This edition included four videos for the backyard sessions for a few of the newly released songs, namely "High", "Plastic Hearts", "Golden G String" and "Angels like You".

List of performances

''Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions)'' (2023)

''Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions)'' is an American documentary concert special directed by Jacob Bixenman and Brendan Walter, and starring American singer

, released on

Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...

on March 10, 2023. The documentary is set at a house in Los Angeles, where Cyrus performs eight songs from her eighth studio album ''

'' (2023) alongside her single, " The Climb" (2009), while discussing the creative process behind the album. The special serves as a companion piece to the album.

Synopsis

The official synopsis released to

states "Miley Cyrus takes the stage in this must-see, Disney+ music event, ''Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions)''. For the first time ever, Miley performs songs from her highly anticipated eighth studio album, ''Endless Summer Vacation'', including her hit single "Flowers", seven additional tracks from the album, plus a special performance. The global superstar's cinematic, one-of-a-kind performances are threaded together with exclusive interviews in the famed Los Angeles house where Frank Sinatra once lived, and where Miley shot the celebrated official music video for "Flowers". With this special, Miley opens the door to audiences around the world providing insight into her new album and the person she is today."

Release and promotion

On March 3, 2023, Cyrus announced the television special to promote her eighth studio album, ''

''. The special is executive produced by Cyrus under her production company, Hopetown Entertainment, with Crush Management, and Columbia Records as co-producers.

Set list

# "Jaded" # "Rose Colored Lenses" # "Thousand Miles" # "Wildcard" # "Island" # "Wonder Woman" (with

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded 10 studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set ...

on piano) # " The Climb" # "

River A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

" # "

Flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

References

{{Miley Cyrus, state=collapsed Works by Miley Cyrus