Billboard Music Awards 2017: Miley Cyrus performs ‘Malibu’

There is a lyric within Miley Cyrus’ new song “Malibu” where she comments that she never would have thought she would be writing a song like this. There’s certainly something to be said for how it is hard to imagine that she would have ever performed a song like this, either.

The new single from Miley, as performed during the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night, was very much different than any other that she’s taken on over the course of her career. It’s sunny, folksy, and even has some notes of country in there. It feels more like something from her father Billy Ray Cyrus than anything that she would perform solo herself.

Yet, it’s probably one of her best songs to date, and those who call this her selling out or switching genres because it’s cool hasn’t been paying much attention to her career or her musical portfolio. The whole “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball” era are more musical aberrations than a permanent barometer for her musical taste. That wasn’t something that she was going to keep up forever. It’s a part of who she is musically, but so is this breezy, emotional number. The staging was fairly simple, and with the background visuals you could almost imagine this playing at a drive-in movie theater somewhere in the 1960’s. It actually captures some of what many people would picture when they think of Malibu.

This performance is likely to be one of many that you see with this song over the course of the next several weeks. After all, remember for a minute here that Miley will be on The Voice later this week in order to perform this song in preparation for her becoming a coach again for the fall season of the show. She’ll also have many more coming in the summer before her season of the singing show airs in the fall.

Overall, this was a pretty fantastic awards-show performance from Miley, easily her best one in a matter of the past several years at awards shows.

What do you think about Miley’s performance during the Billboard Music Awards? Be sure to share in the comments below!

Meanwhile, head over to the link here in the event you do want to get some further news right now when it comes to the show. (Photo: ABC.)