Miley Cyrus self-directs totally '80s 'Midnight Sky' video

Miley Cyrus is making a declaration for her future by revisiting the past. The popstar is finally back with her latest banger “Midnight Sky,” and the new music was definitely worth the wait.  The new track takes inspiration from the '80s, with everything from the musical arrangement to the accompanying video (which was directed by Cyrus) having a distinctly New Wave vibe.Cyrus appropriately unleashed the ferocious “Midnight Sky” at midnight, and puts herself front and centre throughout the video. Showcasing her Joan Jett-inspired mullet and performing in a room filled with mirrors, brightly-coloured animal statues, and a pit of gumballs, Cyrus oozes rock star status, putting her fiery red lipstick to work while delivering line after line that will undoubtedly be cry-screamed by the heartbroken and newly single.In a statement about “Midnight Sky,” Cyrus cites Jett, Debbie Harry and Stevie Nicks as her inspirations for her new video and song. Cyrus borrows some “When Doves Cry” guitar licks, and even recreates the iconic “Ooo” from Nicks' “Edge of Seventeen” with the “Boom” line around the 2:15 mark of “Midnight Sky.” Writing the new song with her creative partner Andrew Watt, Cyrus references her past relationships in the track, including her marriage to actor Liam Hemsworth. “Lotta years went by with my hands tied up in your ropes (Your ropes) / Forever and ever, no more,” sings Cyrus. The popstar also appears to reference her post-divorce relationships with Kaitlynn Carter (“See my lips on her mouth, everybody's talkin' now, baby”) and Cody Simpson (“See his hands 'round my waist, thought you'd never be replaced”).[video_embed id='2015929']WATCH: Miley Cyrus shares the songwriting process behind new single 'Midnight Sky'[/video_embed]Only a few hours before the premiere of “Midnight Sky,” Cyrus confirmed that her 10-month relationship with Simpson had recently ended. Simpson shared a screengrab of the pair’s FaceTime following the release of “Midnight Sky” and congratulated his ex, calling her "the most special of all" and confirming the pair ended their romance on friendly terms.Speaking to Apple Music's Zane Lowe on his New Music Daily show, Cyrus said that writing “Midnight Sky” allowed her to take back her own story. “Talking about ‘Midnight Sky,’ specifically, I felt like my story and my narrative had kind of been told for me over the past year. Obviously, I went through an extremely public breakup and, even more than that, a divorce, and with someone that I had been with for 10 years. That narrative and that experience of 10 years was told for me by one day from the eyes of a helicopter,” said Cyrus.“I felt kind of villainized. I also felt like I kind of shut down, because it was kind of, respectfully, below me to engage with the press and the media at that time. It felt like I would rather be able to articulate this experience in a poetic way that also I can put back into my art. I never really have engaged. I’ve only played with the public and the perception in that way,” continued Cyrus. “I’ve always spoken directly to my audience, and I felt like I kind of had lost that connection to my fans, that they were kind of in the dark, especially with the idea that there was supposed to be these three EPs, and I only dropped one.”Cyrus released the EP She Is Coming in May 2019, which included the singles “Slide Away” and “Mother’s Daughter.” The singer ended up delaying the two follow-up EPs because of her divorce from Hemsworth, vocal cord surgery and the ongoing COVID pandemic. Cyrus is now gearing up for her seventh studio album She Is Miley Cyrus, which is expected to arrive sometimes this year. The new album is Cyrus’ first since 2017’s Younger Now.[video_embed id='1798704']Before you go: Miley Cyrus responds to accusations that she moved on too fast[/video_embed]