Music
There’s A Reason Miley Cyrus’ New Song “Doctor” Sounds Familiar
Her long-teased collab with Pharrell Williams originates from her Bangerz era.
Weeks after winning her first two Grammys, Miley Cyrus is already back with new music. On Feb. 28, the singer announced that her long-teased collaboration with Pharrell Williams, “Doctor (Work It Out),” is coming out on March 1st.
Cyrus revealed the “Doctor” cover art the day before on Instagram, which shows her donning a powder-blue fur coat with her new Tina Turner-inspired hairdo. She also shared a teaser of the upcoming music video, where struts her stuff, much like her recent Grammys performance.
However, Cyrus’ new single isn’t actually new.
Back In 2013...
“Doctor (Work It Out)” was recorded over a decade ago when Cyrus and Pharrell worked together on her 2013 album Bangerz. He produced the tracks “4x4,” “#GETITRIGHT,” “Rooting For My Baby,” and “On My Own,” which all made the final cut.
“Doctor” was seemingly shelved at that point, but the demo surfaced online in December 2017, along with other leftovers from that era.
“Doctor” Gets Revived
However, Pharrell, who is also the Men’s Creative Director at Louis Vuitton, brought “Doctor” back to life when he played it during the designer brand’s Fall-Winter 2024 show. “I could be your doctor, or I could be your nurse,” Cyrus sings. “I think I see the problem, it’s only gon’ get worse.”
Her fans immediately recognized the song, but noted that it was different in many ways.
For starters, Cyrus’ vocals sounded mature and more refined. While the chorus was kept intact, some of the verses were rewritten. Instead of the lyrics, “You’re my lover, I give you everything / Somehow we turned off, turned into Lovers Lane,” she now sings, “You’re my lover, I show you sympathy / Take your shirt off and pour it into me.”
While the duo hadn’t collaborated in a decade until reviving “Doctor,” they’ve stayed close since the Bangerz era. Cyrus returned the favor by singing on Pharrell’s track “Come Get It Bae” from his 2014 Grammy-winning album GIRL. And in 2017, she joined him onstage at Ariana Grande’s One Love Manchester benefit concert to perform his hit “Happy.”
