Miley Cyrus Singing With Metallica Is a Gritty Rock-and-Roll Fever Dream
Metallica may have recorded “Nothing Else Matters” before Miley Cyrus was even born, but the grown-up The Voice Coach alum sounded incredible singing it with the band back in 2021 on The Howard Stern Show.
The band and the singer spoke to host Howard Stern about their various perspectives on the meaning of the song before performing it together, and their combined sound works unexpectedly well. “Imagine getting to a place in your career where you’re singing lead vocals with Metallica. With James [Hetfield] stepping back to harmonize with you. She earned this respect. So proud of her,” wrote one commenter on YouTube.
About “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica
Metallica was the epitome of ’80s metal, so when singer, guitarist and songwriter James Hetfield penned a power ballad about love, he didn’t expect the song to make it onto a record, much less become a fan favorite.
“It was one of those very vulnerable places…we built this reputation of ‘tough guy, we’re made of stone, you can’t hurt us, blah blah blah.’ And this is one of the most vulnerable things. And obviously the tougher the armor, the bigger the heart you want to show. But you’re afraid to,” Hetfield told Stern.
However, after playing it for his collaborators, he was convinced to record it for The Black Album. “It was a life-changing experience, playing this song and them accepting it,” Hetfield reflected.
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The song got a warm reception from listeners, as well, when it came out in 1992. “This classic-feeling power ballad about missing home quickly became a fan favorite and a signature Metallica concert moment…the solos are pure Hetfield, and some of his best ever, capping one of the band’s most heartfelt and unguarded moments,” wrote Joe Gross for Rolling Stone.
For Miley Cyrus, “Nothing Else Matters” is about the music
“When I first started covering this song it was for [The] Glastonbury [Music Festival] because it’s about honoring music, and nothing else matters at that moment,” said Cyrus.
When she performed at Glastonbury in 2019, Cyrus was, though the public didn’t yet know it, about to get divorced, and had recently lost her Malibu home to a wildfire.
So she decided to take things a bit more seriously. “I didn’t have any of the gags, no gimmicks, I wore pants and a shirt…I got sober at that time. I got my sнιт together,” she said.
