Bryson Cyrus Redefines His Sound: From Multi-Genre Creativity to Folk-Pop

The 31-year-old musician has made a conscious creative turn. After releasing the 2021 album Javelina, which featured a collection of diverse sounds and genres, Bryson Cyrus came to an important realization: it’s time to focus on one clearly defined direction instead of exploring all the styles he likes. This moment of reflection led him to a radical rethinking of his musical path.

From Javelina to Redefining Himself

The singer and songwriter admits he is proud of everything he created before. The Javelina album was a quintessence of his musical interests — psychedelia, folk, and American alt-country. However, over time, Bryson Cyrus realized an important truth: instead of trying to fit all the sounds he’s attracted to into his music, he should choose one direction and develop it with maximum care.

“What I did before was a true reflection of my tastes,” he reflects. “I love everything I’ve created, but the main lesson I’ve learned is that you need to focus on one sound and do it really well.” This philosophy has become the foundation for his new creative phase.

Know This: Single Featuring Miley Cyrus

The new single titled Know This marks the birth of a fresh musical era for Bryson Cyrus. Notably, this track is his first full collaboration with his older sister, Grammy-winning singer Miley Cyrus.

The story behind the single’s creation is interesting in itself. When Bryson assembled a collection of songs for his new album, many people suggested he needed a track with more energy. Together with his musical partner Jordan Lindley, they set out to create a bright, upbeat song that would bring a positive vibe. The work was active: the song was written in about an hour, which aligns with Bryson’s preferred time frame. According to him, this speed means the lyrics were created more intuitively, without overthinking, allowing him to focus on the song’s energy.

The Creative Process: From Dynamics to Depth

In the initial stages of working on Know This, the singer and his co-writer focused on creating an energetic, joyful sound. The lyrics served a secondary purpose — the writers repeated the same line in the chorus. Later, once the main sound was established, they revisited the lyrics and adapted them to match the musical material.

The song’s meaning has deep personal roots. Bryson Cyrus grew up in the south of Nashville, in Franklin. Over time, this small town expanded, but in his childhood, it was relatively compact and peaceful. When Bryson was preparing to enter high school, his family moved to Los Angeles. This migration is reflected in the new single: the chorus is associated with Los Angeles, while the verses tell about Franklin.

“The song is a mix of leaving my hometown, moving to Los Angeles, and then returning to Nashville. The verses are more about my home, and the chorus feels like life on the West Coast,” explains the musician. Thus, Know This becomes a geographical and emotional map of his life.

Miley’s Vocal Power: Unexpected Sister’s Participation

The decision to involve Miley Cyrus in the recording came unexpectedly. After completing the full production of the track, Bryson felt he lacked a certain vocal power. Thinking about who could add that energy, he realized his own sister would be the perfect fit. Even the sound engineer working on the track came to the same conclusion — they both said “Miley” at the same time.

Although Miley Cyrus is Bryson’s closest person, she wasn’t initially his first thought. But once the idea arose, it became clear: there’s hardly anyone else capable of delivering the vocal power her brother’s sister possesses.

Bryson reached out to Miley the next day with an offer. The response was positive: “Yes, send me the stems.” To the musician’s surprise, Miley didn’t just add one voice — she sent 15 different files for layering, creating a complex, multi-voiced harmony.

“When I listened to these overlays without the main track behind them, I heard pure vocal power,” Bryson recalls. “It was perfect.” He kept Miley’s vocal parts as dry as possible, minimizing effects, so her raw vocal strength was audible. He admits there are very few vocalists with such vocal potential.

Folk-Pop as a Clear Sound Definition

At this stage of his creative journey, Bryson Cyrus has deliberately chosen folk-pop as his defining sound. The new album was built on entirely different principles than Javelina. The artist focused on lyrics, acoustic guitar, and melodies as the foundation, then built the rest of the sound around them.

This approach differs from his previous work with producers. This time, Bryson served as his own producer for the first three to four months, fully controlling the process. This allowed him to build the album’s foundation brick by brick with full intent. When necessary, he could say: “This sounds good, but it doesn’t fit here. It distracts from other elements.” Such careful selection of material ensured the project’s integrity.

“I want to clearly define what I’m good at and what brings joy to listeners,” Bryson Cyrus says. “And then do even more of that.” His main goal since 2021 remains unchanged: to create music that people can listen to everywhere — in the car, on a bike trail, on a hike — music that makes them happy and helps pass the time.

When asked to describe his current sound, Bryson defined it as folk-pop music. “I think of artists who inspire me — it’s kind of like pop music, but on acoustic guitar,” he explained.

Plans for Collaborations and Tours

Besides Miley, the new album features collaborations with other well-known musicians. Bryson worked with Tyler Ramsey from Band of Horses, his longtime collaborator Jordan Lindley, and the project Old Sea Brigade. There may also be additional family collaborations in the future.

Regarding dreams of future projects, Bryson names his favorite artists of all time — Regina Spektor and Imogen Heap, with whom he would especially like to work.

As for live performances, Bryson Cyrus is on the verge of a new phase of development. Details of visualizing the new material are still under discussion, but the musician promises to do something truly interesting. The band is working on tour plans and festival appearances, approaching this stage. There is an intention to perform at various festivals and go on tour, but the main goal remains to present the best and most fun show possible.

The new single Know This is already available on all major streaming platforms, opening the door for listeners into Bryson Cyrus’s redefined world.