She Is Coming
She Is Coming (stylized in all caps) is the fourth extended play (EP) by American singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus, originally released on May 31, 2019, through RCA Records.[1] The originally six-track project, reissued in 2023 as seven tracks with the addition of "Slide Away", blends pop, rock, hip-hop, and R&B influences, featuring collaborations with artists such as Ghostface Killah on "D.R.E.A.M.", RuPaul on "Cattitude", and Swae Lee on "Party Up the Street".[1] It was led by the single "Mother's Daughter", an empowerment anthem celebrating female independence, which accompanied the EP's release.[1] Originally conceived as the first installment in a trilogy of EPs forming Cyrus's seventh studio album, tentatively titled She Is Miley Cyrus, the subsequent releases She Is Here and She Is Everything were planned for later in 2019.[2] However, the full trilogy was ultimately abandoned, with Cyrus later explaining in 2020 that the additional EPs had "lost their relevance" amid shifting personal and artistic priorities.[3] The EP marked a transitional phase in Cyrus's career following her 2017 album Younger Now, incorporating experimental sounds and themes of self-empowerment and sensuality.[4] Commercially, She Is Coming debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 36,000 album-equivalent units in its first week and marking Cyrus's twelfth top-ten entry on the ranking, including her work as Hannah Montana.[5] It also reached the top ten in several countries, including Australia (#10) and Norway (#4).[6] Critically, the EP garnered mixed to positive reception, with praise for its bold genre fusion and Cyrus's versatile vocals, though some reviewers noted its brevity and inconsistency; NME awarded it four out of five stars, calling it "strange, shameless and supremely entertaining," while Rolling Stone gave it 2.5 stars, describing it as an "unkempt little EP".[7][4]Background and development
Conception
In May 2019, Miley Cyrus announced She Is Coming as the inaugural installment of a planned trilogy of extended plays (EPs), comprising She Is Coming, She Is Here, and She Is Everything, which together would form her seventh studio album tentatively titled She Is: Miley Cyrus.[8] The project was positioned as an innovative approach to album rollout, with She Is Here slated for release later that spring or summer and She Is Everything in the fall or winter, allowing Cyrus to capture her artistic evolution in phases rather than a single cohesive release.[9] The conception of She Is Coming stemmed from Cyrus's personal reinvention in late 2018, following significant life events including her marriage to Liam Hemsworth in December and the devastating Woolsey Fire that destroyed her Malibu home in November. These experiences prompted a creative shift toward exploring themes of femininity, autonomy, and liberation, as Cyrus sought to redefine her identity beyond previous personas and embrace a "genderless" force of empowerment.[10] Influenced by icons like Joan Jett and Dolly Parton, she drew from real-time inspirations such as self-love, bodily rights, and environmental advocacy, viewing the "She" motif as a symbol of multifaceted womanhood unbound by societal norms.[11] Collaborations began taking shape during 2018 recording sessions, with Cyrus teaming up with producers Andrew Wyatt and Mark Ronson, and reuniting with longtime collaborator Mike WiLL Made-It by December, to blend pop, hip-hop, and alternative elements reflective of her eclectic style.[12] These partnerships, rooted in shared self-made ethos, fueled the project's genre-fluid foundation and marked a departure from the more restrained sound of her prior album Younger Now.[10] Cyrus opted for the EP trilogy format over a traditional full-length album to accommodate her rapidly changing artistry, enabling fragmented storytelling that mirrored her personal growth and avoided the constraints of a fixed narrative.[10] This structure allowed for ongoing experimentation, ensuring the overall She Is project could adapt as her life and influences progressed.[11]Recording and production
The recording of She Is Coming spanned 2018 to early 2019, during which Miley Cyrus collaborated closely with a core team of producers to shape the EP's sound.[13][14] Andrew Wyatt served as the primary producer on most tracks, including "Mother's Daughter," "Unholy," and "The Most," bringing a polished pop foundation to the project.[15] Mike WiLL Made-It contributed trap-influenced beats and production to "D.R.E.A.M.," infusing the track with hip-hop edge, while Mark Ronson handled contributions to "Cattitude," emphasizing its playful, retro vibe.[15][16] Guest artists recorded their parts remotely or in sessions aligned with the timeline, with Ghostface Killah providing rap verses for "D.R.E.A.M.," RuPaul delivering a featured vocal on "Cattitude," and Swae Lee appearing on "Party Up the Street."[17][18] The EP was recorded and mixed at Electric Lady Studios in New York, where Cyrus and her collaborators experimented with production techniques to blend pop structures with hip-hop elements, including live instrumentation for organic textures alongside electronic beats.[19] Notable among these was the sampling of RuPaul's 2009 track "Sweet Pussycat of Mine" in "Cattitude," which added a layer of campy interpolation to the song's sassy tone.[20]Music and lyrics
Musical style
She Is Coming is a pop EP that fuses elements of hip-hop, R&B, trap, and rock across its six tracks, which total 19:04 in length.[21][22][23] The project draws on diverse production styles to create an eclectic sound, marking a shift from the country-inflected pop of Cyrus's previous album Younger Now toward more experimental territory.[22][23] The EP opens with "Mother's Daughter," an empowering pop-rock anthem characterized by a full-chested chorus and bold production reminiscent of The Weeknd's "Starboy."[22][24] "Unholy" follows with sultry R&B vocals over laidback hip-hop beats, evoking the party energy of Cyrus's earlier hit "We Can't Stop."[21][24] "D.R.E.A.M.," featuring Ghostface Killah, incorporates Wu-Tang Clan-inspired rap with deeper hip-hop beats and a sample from their track "C.R.E.A.M.," bolstered by prominent 808 drums.[21][23][24] "Cattitude," a collaboration with RuPaul, delivers campy electro-pop through a house-influenced beat and vogue-inspired stomping rhythm.[22][24] "Party Up the Street," with Swae Lee and produced by Mike WiLL Made-It, blends trap and dancehall elements with ethereal production, including violins and a rich, melodic sound that adds funky undertones via its sparse synths.[23][24] The EP closes with "The Most," a seductive trap-pop track featuring country-ish vocals and angst-ridden delivery, co-produced by Mark Ronson.[21][22] Instrumentation throughout emphasizes synthesizers for sparse, atmospheric layers, alongside 808 drums for trap-driven momentum and guest rap verses that inject hip-hop flair, contributing to the EP's cohesive yet diverse energy.[21][22][23] This sonic palette, shaped by collaborators like Andrew Wyatt, reflects Cyrus's evolution into a more boundary-pushing pop artist.[21][24]Lyrical themes
The lyrical content of She Is Coming centers on themes of female empowerment, sexuality, and liberation, portraying Miley Cyrus as a figure embracing her unapologetic self amid personal and societal pressures. In "Mother's Daughter," Cyrus asserts body autonomy and maternal legacy through lines like "Must be something in the water or that I'm my mother's daughter," drawing from her relationship with her mother, Tish Cyrus, to celebrate inherited strength and reject external judgments on her choices. This track underscores empowerment by affirming her right to self-definition, as Cyrus explained in a Vanity Fair interview: "The key for me staying healthy and happy is by being the pilot and not a backseat driver." Similarly, "Unholy" delves into hedonism and sexual liberation with vivid imagery such as "Have sex on the table with the takeout," positioning intimacy as a defiant act against critics who "hate me, you love me." Cyrus has linked this to broader reflections on identity, stating, "Sexuality and gender identity are completely separate from partnership." "Don't Fuck with My Freedom," a recurring motif across tracks, reinforces liberation by demanding respect for personal boundaries, echoing a narrative of breaking free from constraints. Autobiographical elements infuse the EP with reflections on Cyrus's life experiences, emphasizing independence and resilience. "The Most" offers intimate glimpses into her partnership with Liam Hemsworth, with lyrics like "Even in my darkest days / You love me the most" alluding to shared trials such as surviving the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which Cyrus described as a transformative event: "What Liam and I went through together changed us." This song balances vulnerability with growing confidence, highlighting emotional independence without reliance. In "Cattitude," Cyrus channels evolving personal autonomy through sassy declarations of self-love, such as "I love my pussy, that means I got cattitude," serving as a bold celebration of solo empowerment. Collaborative contributions enhance the EP's thematic depth, introducing layers of escapism and cultural sass. On "D.R.E.A.M. (Drugs Rule Everything Around Me)," Ghostface Killah's verses add a dream-like quality to the hedonistic exploration, with surreal lines like "All the girls in my room look like Dolly" evoking escapist fantasies amid references to drug-fueled nights and tattoos, tying into Cyrus's admitted past experiences with substances. This track blends autobiography with Wu-Tang-inspired wordplay to portray fleeting liberation through excess. RuPaul's feature on "Cattitude" injects drag-inspired sass, while Cyrus's verse playfully navigates rivalries in hip-hop—shouting out Cardi B over Nicki Minaj—amplifying themes of queer empowerment and cattiness as tools for confidence; Cyrus noted of such queens, "They’re both queens... no reason to fight over it." Overall, the EP traces a narrative arc of Cyrus's evolving persona, progressing from vulnerability in introspective moments to unbridled confidence, as she told Vanity Fair: "When people hear my music they hear a fragment of time... I am truest to who I am at that very second." This journey, rooted in life-inspired authenticity, positions She Is Coming as a mosaic of self-discovery, where musical backings like trap beats subtly amplify the lyrical defiance without overshadowing the personal stories.Release and promotion
Singles
The lead single from She Is Coming, "Mother's Daughter", was released digitally on May 31, 2019, coinciding with the EP's launch.[25] The track served as the promotional anchor for the project, introducing the concept of a trilogy of EPs titled She Is: Miley Cyrus, with She Is Coming as the first installment.[8] Its music video, directed by Alexandre Moors and premiered on July 2, 2019, incorporated feminist imagery such as depictions of breastfeeding, C-sections, and menstrual products, alongside appearances by activists and diverse women to celebrate female empowerment.[26][27] The song debuted and peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100.[28] In 2023, a digital reissue of She Is Coming added "Slide Away" as a bonus track to mark the EP's fourth anniversary, with the updated EP released on May 31.[29] [30] Originally issued as a standalone digital single on August 16, 2019, "Slide Away" is a reflective post-breakup ballad that Cyrus co-wrote during her divorce from Liam Hemsworth, addressing themes of separation and personal growth.[31] Like "Mother's Daughter", it received no physical release and was distributed exclusively through digital platforms.[25]Marketing and rollout
She Is Coming was released on May 31, 2019, as a digital-only extended play through RCA Records.[25] In May 2023, a reissue of the EP was made available digitally, incorporating the previously standalone single "Slide Away" as a bonus track.[32] To engage fans directly, Cyrus launched a promotional hotline at 1-833-SHE-IS-MC, where callers could hear personalized voice messages from the artist, including teasers and interactive content tied to the EP's rollout.[33] This initiative, operated in partnership with Superphone, allowed for over a million fan interactions and served as a novel way to build anticipation ahead of the release.[34] Cyrus promoted the EP through live performances at major 2019 festivals, including sets at Glastonbury Festival on June 30, where she debuted tracks like "Mother's Daughter," and Primavera Sound on May 31, immediately following the EP's launch.[35][36] The rollout framed She Is Coming as the inaugural installment of a planned trilogy of EPs—followed by She Is Here and She Is Everything—with social media teasers from Cyrus highlighting evolving "she" personas to represent different facets of her artistry.[37] These campaigns, including cryptic posts and video snippets starting in early May 2019, built intrigue around the project's narrative structure and Cyrus's personal reinvention.[38] In November 2020, Cyrus announced that the trilogy concept had been abandoned due to shifting creative priorities, as the remaining EPs had "lost their relevance," redirecting efforts toward her seventh studio album, Plastic Hearts, instead.[3] This pivot was detailed in interviews where she explained that the remaining EPs "lost their relevance" amid rapid changes in her life and the music industry.[39]Performance and reception
Commercial performance
She Is Coming debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 36,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, of which 12,000 were pure album sales.[5] Internationally, the EP reached number 13 on the UK Albums Chart, where it spent two weeks in the top 200.[40] It also peaked at number 10 on the Australian Albums Chart for two weeks.[41] In Spain, it entered the Promusicae Albums Chart at number 32 for one week.[42] On streaming platforms, She Is Coming has accumulated over 932 million plays on Spotify as of November 2025, with significant contributions from the lead single "Mother's Daughter," which alone accounts for more than 331 million streams.[43] The EP has received gold certifications in Brazil for 20,000 units, gold in Poland for 10,000 units, and no certification in the United States from the RIAA.[44] In May 2023, a reissue of the EP added the single "Slide Away," which contributed to a subsequent increase in streaming activity, pushing total Spotify plays beyond 800 million by mid-2023, though it did not result in significant chart re-entries.[29]Critical reception
Upon its release, She Is Coming received mixed reviews from music critics, with an aggregate score of 64 out of 100 on Metacritic based on nine reviews, indicating generally favorable but divided opinions—56% positive and 44% mixed.[45] Critics praised the EP for its bold pop experimentation and empowerment anthems, highlighting Cyrus's confident fusion of rock, trap, and pop elements that felt refreshing and playful. The Guardian described it as a "refreshing blast of six breezy, rock and trap-inflected pop songs," calling tracks like "Mother's Daughter" and "Cattitude" fun, fierce, and self-aware in their empowerment themes. Rolling Stone commended Cyrus's vocal versatility, noting how she showcased range across genres with confidence and reinvention, making the project a daffy, entertaining return to form.[22][4] However, others criticized inconsistencies in cohesion and overambitious genre shifts, viewing the EP as more transitional than definitive. Pitchfork awarded it 4.6 out of 10, arguing that the stylistic whiplash across pop, R&B, rap, and country misuses Cyrus's talents and results in largely unrewarding tracks like "Unholy" and "D.R.E.A.M."[21] Notable quotes included NME's four-star review, which highlighted "Cattitude" as a campy standout amid the EP's shameless, strange, and supremely entertaining moments, despite some messy spots. User reception was similarly mixed, with an average score of 55 out of 100 on Album of the Year based on over 1,300 ratings.[46][47] In post-2019 analyses, the EP has been linked to Cyrus's evolution toward her 2020 album Plastic Hearts, as the scrapped trilogy it initiated influenced her shift to a more rock-oriented sound, blending past experimentation with mature reinvention.[48]Track listing and credits
Track listing
She Is Coming is an extended play (EP) by American singer Miley Cyrus, released on May 31, 2019, through RCA Records. The standard edition features six tracks, all co-written by Cyrus.[49]| No. | Title | Featuring | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mother's Daughter" | 3:39 | |
| 2. | "Unholy" | 2:10 | |
| 3. | "D.R.E.A.M." | Ghostface Killah | 2:48 |
| 4. | "Cattitude" | RuPaul | 3:09 |
| 5. | "Party Up the Street" | Swae Lee | 3:37 |
| 6. | "The Most" | Swae Lee | 3:41 |
| No. | Title | Featuring | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Slide Away" | 3:53 |