Miley Cyrus served as host of the 2015 MTV VMAs, but she gave the audience so much more. For the show’s finale, the pop singer gave an unannounced performance of a brand new single called “Dooo It!” accompanied by 31 “backup dancers,” who all appeared on former seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, as well as frequent collaborators The Flaming Lips. Afterward, Cyrus announced that she had a brand new album up for grabs.
The surprise record, the follow-up to 2013’s Bangerz, is titled Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz. The 23-track collection, available for free on her website, was created in tandem with Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne, who wrote and produced many of the songs. Additional collaborators include Phantogram singer Sarah Barthel, Big Sean, Mike Will Made-It, and Ariel Pink.
According to The New York Times, Her Dead Petz was inspired by the death of her dog Floyd in April 2014. Two weeks after the incident, she was hospitalized due to a severe allergic reaction to antibiotics. While there, she was visited by Coyne and the two made plans to begin collaborating.
The new album was funded entirely by Cyrus. Because it was released for free, it does not count toward her record contract with RCA.
Find more information on the LP, including the list of credits, at Cyrus’ official website.
Stream Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz below.
