The spread was shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, who are known for their high fashion/high concept shoots and as revolutionaries in the field of digital manipulation in photography. That skill shows through especially in their use of color and manipulation of light and shadow in this shoot.

The accompanying interview was done by Ronan Farrow, son of Mia and Woody Allen - a family at the center of some controversy after this weekend's open letter published by the New York Times penned by Dylan Farrow, who spoke out for the first time about the molestation charges she has long leveraged at adoptive father Allen.

The combination of one controversial public figure interviewing another would lead to a dynamic interview, but Farrow seems to tread narratives already fully explored with Cyrus, including her image shift with this album, and platitudes about why she's not jumping into a new relationship. The conversation rarely goes below the surface of things, with Farrow seemingly unable to connect with his subject.

The single most revealing item of note here is that Cyrus's favorite band is Pink Floyd. And she has a collection of vinyl, with a selection that runs deeper than Dolly Parton; soul legends Irma Thomas and Bobby Vinton get name-checked also. And that Cyrus is a sponge. She admits to asking music video director Diane Martel for lists of movies, books, artists, whatever that she should check out. She asks the same of Farrow at the end of their interview, or the books part at least.