For the first time in ten years, Miley Cyrus and Pharrell Williams have released a song together – although it is actually older. “Doctor (Work It Out)” is from 2012. You can find out everything you need to know about the track and why it was only released twelve years later here.
The predecessor of her current single, “Come Get It Bae.”, the two recorded in 2014 – this was released the same year, although they had already had “Doctor (Work It Out)” lying around for two years. In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, they explained the background to the late release. “We just knew it was too early. You just never know. And there’s a moment when you feel like something is sticking to you, but you may sense that the environment isn’t ready for it,” said Pharrell Williams.
Miley Cyrus explained what convinced her that the time was right: “We just believe so much in timing and that everything happens when it’s supposed to happen. Around the Grammys, Pharrell and I talked about releasing the song and it felt like it was a happy accident and there were so many similarities and so many moments that made me know that now is the perfect time . And sometimes things from our past make more sense in the present than they did back then. And so this song, I think the nature, the celebration, the feeling, especially with the video, the joy, the dancing, the letting go, that’s what this song has really always needed.”
Watch Jacob Bixenman’s music video for “Doctor (Work It Out)” here:
Whether “Doctor (Work It Out)” can follow Cyrus’ last success “Flowers” remains to be seen. With the hit she won her first two Grammys in the categories “Best Pop Solo Performance” and “Recording of the Year”.