August 30, 2015. Miley Cyrus is hosting the VMAs. She’s wearing what looks like a chandelier made of candy and silver tape. Everyone expects a stunt. They expect a tongue wag or a foam finger. Instead, she drops a bomb: a 23-track album, released for free, right now, on SoundCloud. It was called Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz, and honestly? The industry had no idea how to react.
It was messy. It was 92 minutes long. It sounded like it was recorded in a basement filled with glitter and bong water. Most critics hated it. They called it a "vanity project" or "unlistenable." But looking back from 2026, those people were kinda missing the point. This wasn't a career suicide note. It was a liberation.
Why Dead Petz Was a Total Rejection of the Pop Machine
Before this record, Miley was the "Bangerz" girl. She was a product, even when she was trying to be "rebellious." Everything was polished by a dozen producers and approved by RCA. Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz was the opposite of that. She paid for it herself—about $50,000, which is basically pocket change compared to the millions spent on her previous records.
She worked with Wayne Coyne from The Flaming Lips. If you know the Lips, you know they don't do "radio-friendly." They do "acid-trip-at-3-AM." They met because Miley was devastated after her dog, Floyd, was killed by coyotes while she was on tour. That’s the "Dead Petz" part. It wasn't just a quirky title; it was genuine grief.
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The Weird Truth About the Collaboration
Miley and Wayne became inseparable. She even said she felt like Floyd’s energy passed into Wayne. It sounds wild, but that’s the headspace she was in. They weren't trying to make hits. They were trying to capture a vibe. Mike Will Made It also contributed, bringing some of that heavy, distorted bass from the Atlanta scene, but it was filtered through a psychedelic lens.
- Self-Financed: No label interference. RCA didn't even hear it until it was done.
- Experimental: 23 tracks that jump from synth-pop to "spoken word" monologues.
- Vulnerable: Songs about blowfish and dead dogs mixed with graphic sexual lyrics.
The Tracks That Actually Hold Up (and the Ones That Don't)
You’ve gotta be honest: 92 minutes is a lot. Some of this album is just noise. "Fuckin' Fucked Up" is barely a minute of her repeating the title. "I'm so Drunk" is an auto-tune experiment that probably should’ve stayed in the vault. But when it works? It’s some of the most interesting music of her career.
"The Floyd Song (Sunrise)" is heartbreaking. It’s lo-fi and wobbly, but you can hear her voice cracking. It’s a song about how the sun keeps coming up even when your world has ended. Then you have "Karen Don't Be Sad," which sounds like a lost Flaming Lips classic. It’s sweet, encouraging, and surprisingly normal.
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Then there's the weird stuff. "BB Talk" is basically Miley talking over a beat about how she hates "baby talk" in relationships. It’s awkward. It’s cringe. But it’s also very her. She wasn't hiding behind a persona.
Standout Songs for Your Playlist
- "Space Bootz": A cosmic, melancholic ballad that predicted the sound of Plastic Hearts.
- "Lighter": A shimmering 80s-style synth track that is genuinely catchy.
- "1 Sun": A high-energy environmental anthem that sounds like Grace Jones on mushrooms.
- "Pablow the Blowfish": A piano ballad about a dead fish. It’s ridiculous, but by the end, she’s actually crying. It’s the definition of "so bad it's good."
What Most People Get Wrong About the Reception
People say this album "ruined" her career. That’s just not true. Sure, it didn't have a "Wrecking Ball" sized hit, but it allowed her to stop being a "teen pop star" and start being an "artist." Without Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz, we don't get the rock-vocal powerhouse she is today. It gave her the "street cred" to do whatever she wanted next.
It was ahead of its time. In 2015, major stars didn't just dump 23-track experimental albums for free. Now? Everyone does surprise drops. Everyone tries to be "authentic" and "unfiltered." Miley did it first, and she did it while licking glitter off a mirror.
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How to Actually Listen to It Today
If you try to listen to the whole thing in one sitting, your brain will melt. Don't do that. Treat it like a junk drawer. You’re going to find some trash (like "Milky Milky Milk"), but you’re also going to find some hidden gems that you can't find anywhere else in pop music.
Actionable Steps for the Curious Listener:
- Skip the "Skits": Anything under two minutes is usually just Miley and Wayne messing around with a microphone. You aren't missing much.
- Focus on the Ballads: The slower, psychedelic tracks are where the real emotion is.
- Watch the "Dooo It!" Video: It’s gross, it’s glittery, and it perfectly explains the "Dead Petz" era aesthetic in three minutes.
- Check the Credits: Notice how many songs she wrote entirely by herself. It’ll change how you see her as a songwriter.
This album was a middle finger to the industry. It was a girl grieving her dog and her childhood at the same time. It isn't perfect, but it’s definitely not boring. If you want to understand the real Miley Cyrus—the one behind the Grammy-winning "Flowers"—you have to go through the glittery, messy, drug-fueled chaos of the Dead Petz first.