"Slide Away"
Single by Miley Cyrus
from the EP She Is Coming (digital re-issue)
ReleasedAugust 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)
GenrePop[1]
Length3:53
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Wyatt
  • Mike Will Made It
Miley Cyrus singles chronology
"Mother's Daughter"
(2019) 		"Slide Away"
(2019) 		"Don't Call Me Angel"
(2019)
Music video
"Slide Away" on YouTube

"Slide Away" is a song by American singer Miley Cyrus. It was released as a single on August 16, 2019, by RCA Records.[2] It was written by Cyrus, Alma, and its producers Andrew Wyatt and Mike Will Made It.[3] The song's lyrics discuss the deterioration of a relationship, and are often likened to Cyrus' separation from ex-husband Liam Hemsworth.[4]

"Slide Away" received favorable reviews from music critics. It charted at number 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The accompanying music video was released on September 6, 2019.[5]

Originally planned to be the lead single of one of two remaining parts of Cyrus' scrapped 3-part project, the song was added to her previously released second extended play, She Is Coming, on the project's fourth anniversary.[6]

Composition and lyrics

"Slide Away" is three minutes and fifty-three seconds long. It was written by Cyrus, Finnish singer Alma, and American producers Mike Will Made It and Andrew Wyatt; Cyrus had most recently collaborated with Alma and Wyatt on the song "Mother's Daughter" and with Mike Will Made It on "Party Up the Street", both from her EP She Is Coming (2019). The track features a combination of "hip-hop drums, warm guitars, sweeping strings, and layered samples" over a "snappy" beat.[7][8] Its arrangement has been compared to 1990s British music "when everyone started jet-setting around genres and playing with samples", including the songs "Tender" by Blur and "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by the Verve. It is acknowledged to contrast with the sound of Cyrus' three most recent albums Bangerz (2013), Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz (2015), and Younger Now (2017).[7]

The lyrics are described as "much more introspective [and] somber" than the "funky" tracks released from She Is Coming.[9] They are often compared to Cyrus' separation from husband Liam Hemsworth, which was announced on August 11, 2019.[10] The line "move on, we're not seventeen / I'm not who I used to be" is believed to reference their first meeting while filming The Last Song (2010), and the line "so won't you slide away / back to the ocean, I'll go back to the city lights" supposedly addresses Cyrus' sighting in Los Angeles and Hemsworth's sighting surfing in Australia after their separation was announced.[11] The lyrics "I want my house in the hills / don't want the whiskey and pills" have been attributed to "a big separation between 2019 Miley and the [2013] party girl persona."[12]

Critical reception

Bonnie Stiernberg from Billboard called the song "three-and-a-half minutes of emotional, self-reflection [that] appears to reflect the dramas in her own life".[8] Brittany Vincent from MTV News commented that "it's hard to deny the heartbreak" in the perceived context of the lyrics, but spoke favorably of "[the] beauty in the acceptance".[9] Craig Jenkins from Vulture wrote that the lyrics were "just about knowing when to cut your losses and move on" and avoided being "vindictive or tabloid-y", and that the production "suits Cyrus' voice, pushing her without overwhelming her."[7] The publication included the song on its "Best Songs of 2019 (So Far)" list in September.[13]

Commercial performance

"Slide Away" debuted at number 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated August 31, 2019.[14] It is Cyrus' 48th entry on the chart.[15]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Slide Away" was directed by Alexandre Moors, and released on September 6, 2019.[12] It comprises scenes of Cyrus underwater in a pool, leaning on the edge of a pool, and amongst partygoers at a house party. Many scenes have been compared to the music video for her 2013 single "We Can't Stop"; Glenn Rowley from Billboard wrote that Cyrus appeared "fully detached from the revelry happening around her" compared to the previous video,[16] and Christian Holub from Entertainment Weekly commented that she seemed "clearly unsatisfied."[12]

Live performances

Cyrus performed "Slide Away" at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards in Newark, New Jersey on August 26.[17] She previously stated that she would not perform at the award show in July,[18] and her performance was announced on the day of the event.[17] Cyrus performed in center stage through the entire song and was accompanied by a string section behind her.[19] The performance was broadcast in black and white.[19] Later Cyrus performed song on iHeartRadio Music Festival 2019 in Las Vegas.[20] On September 1, 2020, Cyrus performed "Slide Away" on BBC Radio1 Live Lounge along with her 2020 hit Midnight Sky and cover of Billie Eilish's "My Future" and the Eagles' "Take It to the Limit".[21]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[3]

Charts

Chart performance for "Slide Away"
Chart (2019–2020) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[22] 15
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[23] 49
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[24] 1
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[25] 29
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[26] 28
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[27] 18
France (SNEP Sales Chart)[28] 46
Germany (Official German Charts)[29] 67
Greece (IFPI)[30] 21
Hungary (Single Top 40)[31] 1
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[32] 1
Ireland (IRMA)[33] 25
Latvia (LAIPA)[34] 16
Lithuania (AGATA)[35] 14
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[36] 12
Norway (VG-lista)[37] 28
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[38] 46
Portugal (AFP)[39] 83
Scotland (OCC)[40] 16
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[41] 54
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[42] 11
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[43] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[44] 20
UK Singles (OCC)[45] 40
US Billboard Hot 100[46] 47
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[47] 42
US Rolling Stone Top 100[48] 18

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[49] 3× Platinum 210,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[50] 2× Platinum 80,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[51] Gold 40,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[52] Gold 45,000‡
Mexico (AMPROFON)[53] Gold 30,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[54] Gold 15,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway)[55] Gold 30,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[56] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[57] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

"Slide Away" release history
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various August 16, 2019
RCA [3]
Australia Radio airplay [58]
Italy September 13, 2019 Sony [59]

References

  1. ^ Brandle, Lars (August 16, 2019). "Normani Leads a Dance Party in the Streets Of L.A. in 'Motivation' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2019. On a busy night for pop releases, with Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus also dropping new tunes...
  2. ^ Minsker, Evan (August 16, 2019). "Miley Cyrus Drops New Song "Slide Away": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Slide Away / Miley Cyrus". Tidal. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  4. ^ MacKelden, Amy (August 16, 2019). "Miley Cyrus Seems to Address Liam Hemsworth Split in New Single "Slide Away"". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  5. ^ Dzurillay, Julia (August 18, 2019). "Miley Cyrus Debuts Her New Song, 'Slide Away,' and Fans Are Living For It". cheatsheet.com.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "SHE IS COMING by Miley Cyrus". applemusic.com.
  7. ^ a b c Jenkins, Craig (August 16, 2019). "Taylor and Miley Tell Two Tales of Love and Loss on 'Lover' and 'Slide Away'". Vulture. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Stiernberg, Bonnie (August 16, 2019). "Miley Cyrus Releases New Song 'Slide Away': Stream It Now". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Vincent, Brittany (August 16, 2019). "Miley Cyrus Laments Lost Love on Surprise Song 'Slide Away'". MTV News. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  10. ^ Close, Paris (August 16, 2019). "Miley Cyrus Drops Breakup Song 'Slide Away' After Liam Hemsworth Split". iHeartRadio. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  11. ^ Bailey, Alyssa (August 16, 2019). "Miley Cyrus' New Song 'Slide Away' Addresses Her and Liam Hemsworth's Split". Elle. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  12. ^ a b c Holub, Christian (September 6, 2019). "Watch Miley Cyrus as a dissatisfied party girl in new 'Slide Away' music video". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  13. ^ Vulture Editors (September 5, 2019). "The Best Songs of 2019 (So Far)". Vulture. Retrieved September 6, 2019. ((cite web)): |author= has generic name (help)
  14. ^ "Miley Cyrus Slide Away Chart History". Billboard. August 31, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  15. ^ "Miley Cyrus Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  16. ^ Rowley, Glenn (September 6, 2019). "Miley Cyrus Sheds the Party Life in Stunning 'Slide Away' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Runtagh, Jordan (August 26, 2019). "Miley Cyrus to Perform at MTV VMAs in First Public Appearance Since Liam Hemsworth Split". People. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  18. ^ Luu, Christopher (July 26, 2019). "Miley Cyrus Is Using the Comments Section to Clap Back at the VMAs". InStyle. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
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  34. ^ "Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 37. nedēļa" (in Latvian). LAIPA. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
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  43. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 35". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
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  49. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  50. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Miley Cyrus – Slide Away" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  51. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Miley Cyrus – Slide Away". Music Canada.
  52. ^ "Danish single certifications – Miley Cyrus – Slide Away". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  53. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved February 9, 2023. Type Miley Cyrus in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Slide Away in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  54. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Miley Cyrus – Slide Away". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  55. ^ "Norwegian single certifications – Miley Cyrus – Slide Away" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
  56. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2022 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
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  59. ^ "Miley Cyrus "Slide Away" | (Radio Date: 13/09/2019)". radiodate.it.
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