“Night Crawling” by Miley Cyrus (ft. Billy Idol)
Although “Night Crawling” isn’t a complex song, it isn’t necessarily easy to decipher either. In fact the lyrics seem to be based largely on some kind of dichotomy which defines the singers’ lives, as in them being hot sometimes and at others cold, so to speak. And seemingly the reason for this dual-approach to life has something to do with “night crawling”. The title is apparently a metaphor for the singers giving into “the Devil’s calling”, as in being compelled to obey an inner, mischievous voice. Indeed when such transpires, the vocalists not only give in to the call but also “chase it”.
The title is a metaphor for the singers giving in to their inner devil, so to speak.
Writing and Production
Billy Idol and Miley Cyrus contributed to the writing of “Night Crawling”, as did Ryan Tedder, Ali Tamposi and one of the track’s co-producers, Watt. And the other co-producer of the song is Happy Perez.
Has Miley worked with Billy before?
No. This is the first track upon which Miley Cyrus and Billy Idol, a musician who has been professionally active since 1973, collaborated. The two first met circa 2013, and Miley has admitted that she’s been influenced by Idol’s style.
FYI: The following are some of the hits Billy Idol is famed for:
When was “Night Crawling” released?
This track can be found on Miley’s “Plastic Hearts” album, which was put out by RCA Records on the 27th of November 2020.
