Alvvays Assist Miley Cyrus' New Single 'End of the World'
Molly Rankin and Alec O'Hanley, the primary songwriters behind the Canadian indie group, have co-writing and co-production credits on the wistful new track.
Canadian band Alvvays are helping Miley Cyrus prepare for the end of the world.
The pop superstar released her new single, "End of the World," and it features writing and production credits for Alvvays' Molly Rankin and Alec O'Hanley. It's the third single off Cyrus' upcoming Something Blue, out May 30.
Cyrus worked with Canadian producer Shawn Everett on 2023's "I Used To Be Young" and her Beyoncé duet "II Most Wanted." Everett, who also produced Alvvays' 2022 record Blue Rev, may have linked the pop star and rock auteurs together — he also shares writing and production credits on this track.
Rankin and O'Hanley have released three albums with their band Alvvays, scoring critical acclaim and earning a gold certification last year for breakout single "Archie, Marry Me." But this single could mark their first time on the pop singles charts.
(The song has some serious indie pedigree — Jonathan Rado of hypnagogic California duo Foxygen is also among the credits.)
The wistful single finds Cyrus asking a lover to "pretend it's not the end of the world." The lyrics contain a sense of doom fitting for a historical moment marked by environmental and political crisis. Musically, the song has an almost sweet naivety to it, with gentle acoustic guitar strums, an insistent synth bass and punctuating piano chords that could be from an ABBA track.
There's a slight haziness over the production that's pure Alvvays, and the song recalls some of the band's best pop moments on tracks like "Dreams Tonite" and "Velveteen." Rankin and O'Hanley have always had a knack for hooks — it's good to see that pop's biggest names are knocking on their door.
