Miley Cyrus has just made your Christmas a little bit brighter with the release of a new track to add to your holiday playlist. At midnight December 14, Cyrus dropped a cover of the classic John Lennon and Yoko Ono tune “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).”
The twist? The collab is with none other than Lennon’s son with Ono, Sean Ono Lennon.
Along with Cyrus’ producer pal Mark Ronson, the singer and actress worked on the track at New York City’s famed Electric Lady Studios, where Lennon worked along with greats such as Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Kiss, Stevie Wonder, and The Rolling Stones.
“We wanted to do a Christmas song and I don’t think anything could speak louder [about] what’s going on right now than ‘War Is Over,’” she explained during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon .
Cyrus said of Lennon, “He’s just such an incredible being to be in the room with because that magic just radiates.”
“I’ve always loved John and Yoko. I’m such a big Yoko fan…It’s just been amazing to work with him and his voice is just so special.”
“More than just inheriting the voice or the way he looks or whatever that is, it’s about the magic that he has and I think that’s what he’s really inherited more than anything is just this radiant magic,” Cyrus explained to Fallon.
Lennon said of the collab on Instagram, “Having so much fun playing w my brother and my best mate @iammarkronson and the stunningly talented and generous @mileycyrus (in person she’s even cooler than you can imagine believe me).”
He then paid homage to his parents by noting, “It’s an honor to play my mom and dad’s song with this amazing team. Of all the songs they made I think this may be @yokoonoofficial ‘s favorite. We have always played it together on Xmas and NYE at the Dakota, and I know she’s gonna love Miley’s heartfelt interpretation. (I think she’s sleeping so hasn’t even heard it yet! I’ll play it for her tomorrow, can’t wait!).”
The song was historically a protest of the Vietnam War.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrebI5BL8eg
Cyrus recently released a single titled “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart,” which she said to Fallon encompasses all the controversy in today’s world and the effect it is having on the American people.
“We had this idea of what really breaks our heart every single day and more than just having the song be about a relationship or failed partnership, but what really breaks a heart every day and I think it’s that we have endless devastating news—whether it’s losing lives of kids in a school, violence and discrimination, and so we really wanted to make a video that felt like it was politically charged and had a message, but I also wanted to marry it with just the fun pop music videos that I love to make,” she told Fallon.
Cyrus will perform as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on December 15.
