Hear Miley Cyrus’ Edgy Cover of Talking Heads’ ‘Psycho Killer’
Miley Cryus has unveiled a synth-laden cover Talking Heads‘ 1977 hit “Psycho Killer.” The singer recorded the rendition, which she previewed live at Chateau Marmont in March, for Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense, out now.
While Cyrus offered an acoustic version of the song at Chateau Marmont, her recorded cover is far edgier, falling somewhere between pop and dance music. It embraces an ’80 synth sensibility, with angular beats and fuzzed out vocals.
Earlier this year, A24 announced it was working on a Talking Heads tribute album, featuring covers of the David Byrne group’s Stop Making Sense iconic live album. The project features renditions from artists like Lorde, the National, Girl in Red, and Paramore, as well as Cyrus. Paramore’s cover of “Burning Down the House” arrived in January and the band has recently been playing in during their Eras Tour opening set.
Cyrus and Byrne also have some history. The pair connected onstage during Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party, celebrating the start of 2023. During the show, the duo performed David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and Byrne’s own “Everybody’s Coming To My House.” And back in 2017, Cyrus donned Byrne’s oversized suit jacket and glasses for “Once In a Lifetime” during a Lip Sync Battle on The Tonight Show where she emulated the legendary 1984 Talking Heads concert film.
Cyrus recently appeared on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter LP. The duo collaborated on album cut “II Most Wanted.” Cyrus raved about working with the singer when the album dropped in March, writing on social media, “I’ve loved Beyoncé since long before I had the opportunity to meet & work with her. My admiration runs so much deeper now that I’ve created along side of her.”