Since stepping on stage in the 1970s, Billy Idol not only showcased his love for genres like hard rock and punk rock but also led the Second British Invasion in the United States. Throughout his time in the music industry, the singer released a total of eight studio albums. His last, Kings & Queens of the Underground, was released back in 2014. But although it has been over a decade since the icon released music, he has been hard at work, collaborating with stars like Miley Cyrus on the hit song “Night Crawling.” And while recording the track for the 2020 album Plastic Hearts, Idol shared his thoughts on Cyrus and what it was like to work with her.
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Eventually ending up in the studio together, the collaboration between Idol and Cyrus came about thanks to music producer Andrew Watt. When Cyrus asked Watt to add some of Idol’s style to the song, he responded by asking if she wanted to work with him. Idol said, “It was more of a Billy Idol track actually, but that’s what she wanted to do. So it was like a bit of a techno rock, Billy Idol meets Miley.”
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Besides loving the song they created, Idol also gushed over Cryus and her dedication to her craft. He told People, “She really works hard at what she does. I’ve watched her rehearsing. She has a lot of fun, but she takes it seriously, rather like what I do…. We’re having a lot of fun, but we’re being serious at the same time. So there’s a little bit of both going on.”
Knowing just how hard it is to succeed in the music industry, Idol added, “She’s really committed to what she does. That excited me a lot that I saw how committed she was. It takes a lot of commitment because it is all about you, it’s you doing it.”
Gaining high praise from Idol, Cyrus also received love from fans. When the song was released, comments included, “I’m 57, never into Miley, BUT THIS ALBUM has me !!! Absolutely love every track I’ve heard and that speaks volumes from an 80’s rock girl. Keep making this kind of music, young lady, and you’ll have me as a forever fan!” Another fan concluded, “A colab with BILLY IDOL??? One of the kings of the 80s??? Wowowow I love it so much!!!! I loves Mileys new genre of music!!!”
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