Prisoner (Miley Cyrus song)
"Prisoner" | ||||
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Single by Miley Cyrus featuring Dua Lipa | ||||
from the album Plastic Hearts | ||||
Released | November 19, 2020 | |||
Recorded | July 2020[1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:49 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | ||||
Miley Cyrus singles chronology | ||||
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Dua Lipa singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Prisoner" on YouTube |
"Prisoner" is a song by American singer Miley Cyrus featuring English singer Dua Lipa. It was released on November 19, 2020, through RCA Records as the second single from Cyrus' seventh studio album Plastic Hearts (2020). It was also included on the reissue of Lipa's second studio album Future Nostalgia: The Moonlight Edition (2021). It is a dance, dark-pop, disco-punk, disco-rock and glam rock song produced by Andrew Watt and the Monsters & Strangerz.
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 and Female Trouble. "Prisoner" received universal acclaim from music critics. 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", Lipa confirmed that she and Cyrus were planning on recording a collaboration.[2] In May of the following year, Lipa stated that she and Cyrus had decided to scrap their collaboration and record something different.[3] On September 14, 2020, Cyrus confirmed the collaboration with Lipa and that it would be included on her seventh studio album, Plastic Hearts.[4] 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.[5] 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 "[could] expect something pretty soon".[6] On November 13, 2020, Cyrus announced the song's title as "Prisoner", along with the Plastic Hearts track listing reveal.[7] 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.[8] Cyrus and Lipa announced the release of the song on November 18, 2020. The song was released on November 19.[9] The song was written by the two singers alongside Andrew Wotman, Jordan K. Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Stefan Johnson, Ali Tamposi, Jonathan Bellion, Michael Pollack with production from Andrew Watt and The Monsters & Strangerz.[10] "Prisoner" was later included in Lipa's 2021 reissue of her Future Nostalgia album, titled The Moonlight Edition.[11]
In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Cyrus said they had worked on other songs together in the past and praised Lipa:
For her and I, there's just no competition. That changes just everything. There's a true partnership. Then I also liked that it wasn't the first song we'd cut together. We actually cut other songs. She wanted to keep going until it was right, until we found the one that honors our individuality. [...] We just waited until we felt like, 'Now this is Dua-Miley song. You can just, everything about it reflects us.' I mean, there's even something to me, like how I talk about like fashion being a way to flip yourself inside out. The colors that I see, when I listen to a song, I see colors. Some people's charisma is really overwhelming. I see, when Dua's around, that her charisma, there's no sense of desperation to it, like, 'I've got to be the best because if I'm not what if...' There's a calmness to her success, which I really like. Because I feel like when you can tell someone is too much of a... or a survivalist. That I don't like.[12]
Composition and lyrics[]
Cyrus described "Prisoner" as a perfect blend of her and Lipa's styles.[6] It is a dance,[13] dark-pop,[14] disco-punk,[15] disco-rock,[16] glam rock[17] and nu-disco track with a length of two minutes and forty nine seconds.[18] The song's chorus interpolates the melody from Olivia Newton-John's 1981 hit "Physical".[19] The song was composed using 4
4 in the key of E♭ minor, with a moderately-fast tempo of 126–132 beats per minute. Cyrus' and Lipa's vocals range from the low note of B♭3 to the high note of C♯5.[20]
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".[19] In an article about the song's lyrics for Elle, 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".[12] 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 split from then husband Liam Hemsworth, where she sings: "So won't you slide away?/Back to the ocean, I'll go back to the city lights".[21] Another allusion to a Cyrus' old song can be seen in the pre-chorus where she sings: "You keep making it harder to stay", in which is a contrast to the lyrics to her 2010 song "Stay" that contains the lyric "And if you ask me, I will stay".[21]
Cyrus spoke about the song's lyrics to Zane Lowe on Apple Music where she stated that it also reflects being in quarantine: "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."[12]
Critical reception[]
The song received widespread critical acclaim from music critics. Ali Shutler of NME 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[s] the sour-sweet spot between grit and glam" and described Lipa as "the perfect partner in crime for [Cyrus], as they take the basement snarl of punk and give it some '80s disco swagger". Shutler also remarked that "the track gives [Lipa]'s excitably shiny Future Nostalgia space to shine without forcing [Cyrus] out of the spotlight", further praising the artists for "elevat[ing] each other rather than competing" and added: "If only every collaboration had this balance."[19] Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone wrote that "'Prisoner' 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".[22] The New York Times' 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".[23]
Eli Enis from Consequence of Sound said that "the two stars exude a natural chemistry on 'Prisoner'" even though "the pairing is a little bit unusual on paper".[24] Mike Wass of Idolator remarked that Cyrus' previous single "'Midnight Sky' 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 and Blondie on '80s playlist".[25] Justin Curto from Vulture praised the song saying "their team-up on Cyrus's new song 'Prisoner' a match made in '70s heaven".[26] Erica Gonzalez from Harper's Bazaar praised "Prisoner" calling it a "killer collaboration" and saying "the song itself also evokes a gritty, vintage feel", further noticing "the hook is even reminiscent of Olivia Newton John's 'Physical'".[27]
Music video[]
Background and release[]
The music video for "Prisoner" was filmed over two days from September 30 to October 1, 2020, in Brooklyn.[28][29][30][31] The video was co-directed by Cyrus and Alana O'Herlihy.[32] 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.[33] On November 19, the next day, the video premiered on YouTube alongside the song's release and it was described by Liam Hess of Vogue as "packed with grunge-inspired fashion and enough black eyeliner to make [Joan] Jett herself jealous".[5][33]
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.[34] 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.[5] 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.[34] 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 cut-out dress designed by Tom Ford.[5][34] Lastly, a message pops up onscreen: "In loving memory of all my exes, eat shit".[34] The video ends with an extraction of John Waters' film Female Trouble, in which Divine's character Dawn Davenport says, "I'm a free woman now and my life is ready to begin".[35]
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? The Runaways biopic if it were directed by Ozzy Osbourne?", she reflected in her review of the song.[12] 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.[19] Sydney Bucksbaum of Entertainment Weekly described the video as "a sexy, bloody road trip"[34] and Eli Enis of Consequence of Sound stated that "the two stars exude a natural chemistry".[26] 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."[26] Mehera Bonner of Cosmopolitan pointed the final scene with a message to Cyrus' and Lipa's exes as the standout moment of the video, calling it "iconique".[36] Wonderland magazine called it "already iconic", "a trip itself" and noticed its "references to Jennifer's Body, 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)."[37] Erica Gonzalez of Harper's Bazaar praised its visuals saying it "exude[s] 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".[27]
Live performances[]
Cyrus performed "Prisoner" first time without Lipa on the first episode of the Amazon Music Holiday Plays digital concert series on December 1.[38] Later she performed on The Howard Stern Show.[39] She again performed "Prisoner" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on December 7.[40] Cyrus performed "Prisoner" on the newest episode of the YouTube series "Released" on December 10[41] Cyrus again performed "Prisoner" along with "Party in the U.S.A." and "Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix)" on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest in Times Square on December 31.[42] Cyrus again performed "Prisoner" along with "Golden G String" and cover of Fade Into You by Mazzy Star on Tiny Desk Concert hosted by NPR Music on January 28, 2021.[43] Cyrus performed "Prisoner" along with several songs off Plastic Hearts at 2021 Super Bowl with TikTok Tailgate.[44]
Awards and nominations[]
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
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2021 | MTV Video Music Awards | Best Collaboration | Nominated | [45] |
Best Editing | Nominated | |||
MTV Millennial Awards Brazil | Feat Gringo | Nominated | [46] |
Track listings[]
- Digital download and streaming[47]
- Prisoner (featuring Dua Lipa) – 2:49
- Digital download and streaming – Jax Jones Remix[48]
- Prisoner (featuring Dua Lipa) [Jax Jones Remix] – 3:46
Credits and personnel[]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Plastic Hearts.[10]
Studio locations
- Engineered at Gold Tooth Music (Los Angeles, California) and Glenwood Studios (Burbank, California)
- Mixed at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
- Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)
Personnel
- Miley Cyrus – vocals, backing vocals, executive production
- Dua Lipa – 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 – mixing
- John Hanes – engineering for mix
- Randy Merrill – mastering
Charts[]
Weekly charts[] |
Year-end charts[]
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Certifications[]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA)[105] | Platinum | 70,000![]() |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[106] | Gold | 15,000![]() |
Belgium (BEA)[107] | Gold | 20,000![]() |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[108] | Diamond | 160,000![]() |
Canada (Music Canada)[109] | Gold | 40,000![]() |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[110] | Gold | 45,000![]() |
Italy (FIMI)[111] | Platinum | 70,000![]() |
Norway (IFPI Norway)[112] | Gold | 30,000![]() |
Poland (ZPAV)[113] | Platinum | 20,000![]() |
Portugal (AFP)[114] | Gold | 5,000![]() |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[115] | Gold | 20,000![]() |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[116] | Gold | 10,000![]() |
United Kingdom (BPI)[117] | Gold | 400,000![]() |
Streaming | ||
Greece (IFPI Greece)[118] | Gold | 1,000,000![]() |
Sweden (GLF)[119] | Gold | 4,000,000![]() |
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Release history[]
Region | Date | Format | Version | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | November 19, 2020 | Original | RCA | [47] | |
Australia | November 20, 2020 | Contemporary hit radio | Sony | [120] | |
United States | November 24, 2020 | RCA | [121] | ||
Russia | November 25, 2020 | Sony | [59] | ||
United States | December 7, 2020 | Adult contemporary radio | RCA | [122] | |
Italy | December 11, 2020 | Contemporary hit radio | Sony | [123] | |
Various | February 5, 2021 |
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Jax Jones remix | RCA | [48] |
References[]
- ^ Ryan, Patrick (November 25, 2020). "Dua Lipa talks 'Studio 2054' virtual concert, teases Elton John collab". USA Today. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- ^ "Dua Lipa Spills On Miley Cyrus And Ariana Grande Collabs". Capital FM. November 1, 2020. Archived from the original on November 2, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Dua Lipa Teases Release of Song with Normani". Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. May 11, 2020. Archived from the original on May 12, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ Brereton, Greta (September 14, 2020). "Miley Cyrus teases appearances from Dua Lipa and Billy Idol on her new album". NME. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Hess, Liam. "Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa Transform Into Rock 'n' Roll Vampires for "Prisoner"". Vogue. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Jones, Damian (October 14, 2020). "Miley Cyrus says her Dua Lipa collaboration will drop 'pretty soon'". NME. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (November 13, 2020). "Miley Cyrus Revealed the Track List For 'Plastic Hearts' and There Are Some Stellar Collabs". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ Kedem, Maia (November 18, 2020). "Fans are already losing it over Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa collab". Radio.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ Aniftos, Rania (November 18, 2020). "Miley Cyrus Shares Sexy 'Prisoner' Teaser With Dua Lipa". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ a b Plastic Hearts (liner notes). Miley Cyrus. RCA Records. 2020. p. 10. 19439837352.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ Lipa, Dua [@DUALIPA] (February 5, 2021). "12TH FEB" (Tweet). Retrieved February 5, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c d Bailey, Alyssa (November 20, 2020). "Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa's 'Prisoner' Lyrics Are an F-You to Abusive Exes". ELLE. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ Tymochenko, Katie (November 26, 2020). "Miley Cyrus Holds onto Her Pop Roots on 'Plastic Hearts'". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ Olivier, Bobby (November 27, 2020). "Album Review: Miley Cyrus Goes Rock on 'Plastic Hearts'". Spin. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ Shutler, Ali (November 20, 2020). "Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa – 'Prisoner' track review: a disco-punk anthem". NME. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ Damshenas, Sam. "Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa wreak bloody havoc in Prisoner video". Gay Times. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa join forces for 'Prisoner'". DIY. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ Hunt, El (November 27, 2020). "Miley Cyrus – 'Plastic Hearts' review: pop superstar reborn as a freewheeling rock'n'roller". NME. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa – 'Prisoner' track review: a disco-punk anthem". NME. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ David, Bellion, Jonathan; Miley, Cyrus; Ali, Tamposi; Andrew, Wotman; Dua, Lipa; K, Johnson, Jordan; Marcus, Lomax; Stefan, Johnson; Lipa, Miley Cyrus feat Dua (November 20, 2020). "Prisoner". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ a b Miley Cyrus (Ft. Dua Lipa) – Prisoner, retrieved November 21, 2020
- ^ Blistein, Jon (November 20, 2020). "Miley Cyrus Teams Up With Dua Lipa for New Song 'Prisoner'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ Pareles, Jon; Russonello, Giovanni; Zoladz, Lindsay (November 20, 2020). "Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa's Retro Rock, and 8 More New Songs". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ "Miley Cyrus releases new song "Prisoner" featuring Dua Lipa: Stream". Consequence of Sound. November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ "Miley Cyrus Links With Dua Lipa For Ferocious "Prisoner"". idolator. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c Curto, Justin (November 19, 2020). "Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa Are Your Cherry Bombs in 'Prison' Video". Vulture. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Gonzales, Erica (November 20, 2020). "Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa Have a Sexy '80s Rock Party in Their New "Prisoner" Video". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ Buontempo, Fabiana (October 1, 2020). "Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa were spotted working together". ¡Hola!. United States. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ Singh, Ashish (September 30, 2020). "What is the secret Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa project? Singers spotted filming in NYC looking all glamorous". Meaww. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ "Miley Cyrus covered in fake blood while filming mystery project with Dua Lipa". Hollywood.com. October 2, 2020. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ "Will Miley Cyrus release her Dua Lipa collaboration this month?". Wonderwall. October 2, 2020. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ @DUALIPA (November 20, 2020). "PRISONER @MileyCyrus OUT NOW ⛓