On April 19, a devout Miley Cyrus fan, user @mileyfest, posted to X an unreleased, never-heard-before collaboration between the pop star and Justin Bieber. The track, titled "Heaven" was reportedly recorded when Cyrus was in her Plastic Hearts era and Bieber was in the midst of his Justice album cycle.
The original post is a 17-second snippet of the song, but @MileyCyrusBz one upped the initial clip when she shared a longer, 42-second video on April 25.
🚨| Newly surfaced Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus collaboration “Heaven” has hit the internet
— Miley Cyrus Updates (@MileyCyrusBz) April 25, 2024
—The song was recorded around their albums “Justice” & “Plastic Hearts” pic.twitter.com/CARdIWMKqi
It's unclear whether "Heaven" is simply a track that never saw the light of day, or if it will appear on Bieber's next album. While @mileyfest wrote, "COMING SOON" in her post, others argued that the song is just a missed opportunity.
"A hit that got away," posted one user. Another wrote that she needed the track "right now." Multiple fans on X deemed the song a potential "song of the summer." Morgan Wallen earned the coveted title last summer with his song, "Last Night." The track held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for all 14 weeks of the season.
One member of the r/JUSTINBIEBER subreddit claimed to have found the song on Spotify, but the posted link leads only to a playlist named after the song. A full leak of the track was posted on the YouTube channel Bieber Leak, with the video's title claiming that "Heaven" was left off of Bieber's Justice album.
"Heaven" is an upbeat, quintessential pop song. It slips into softer, more somber moments pre-choruses, but remains in the trad-pop vein. Sonically, "Heaven" calls to mind Post Malone's "Circles."
"I'm falling deeper/I hate where my mind goes/When I'm all on my own," sings Cyrus.
The two harmonize on a chorus, where they belt that "Yeah it feels like oh it feels like heaven/When you're around (say the word and save my soul), when you're around/ (say the word and take me home.)"
Cyrus sinks into a lower register while Bieber hits high notes; they complement each other beautifully. There are palpable emotions in their declarations of finding heaven in another person.
Cyrus' music career has been soaring. The singer was awarded the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance as well as Record of the Year for "Flowers." The track dominated the airwaves and streaming in 2023.
She appeared on well-received feature on Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER, "II Most Wanted." However, the duet partially served as a recovery from a not-so-successful collaboration with Pharrell, "Doctor (Work It Out.)" Critics lauded the track, but it only reached the 74th spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Like "Heaven," "Doctor (Work It Out)" is an older song pulled out of the wood work. Pharrell and Cyrus originally intended for the track to appear on her 2013 album, Bangerz.
Bieber, meanwhile, has appeared on tracks like Don Toliver and Future's "Private Landing." He has not released a solo song since his 2021 album, Justice. "Heaven" was reportedly recorded around this time. Bieber was recently spotted at Coachella amid rumors that he and wife Hailey are heading towards a divorce..
