Miley Cyrus Takes ‘Nothing Else Matters’ to Another Level With Metallica

Miley Cyrus takes the lead on “Nothing Else Matters” with Metallica around her, and the arrangement makes the partnership unmistakable. James Hetfield remains at his microphone with a guitar, while Cyrus carries the familiar melody in a low, grainy voice. The appeal of the performance lies in that shared space: an artist associated with pop stepping confidently into one of rock’s most recognisable ballads alongside the musicians who made it famous.

The collaboration was recorded for The Howard Stern Show as Metallica celebrated the Black Album’s thirtieth anniversary. The band and Cyrus performed in Los Angeles on September 9, 2021, with Stern hosting from New York. Metallica’s official announcement presented the appearance as part of the celebrations surrounding the album’s reissue and The Metallica Blacklist tribute project.

The performance video keeps returning to the musicians at work. Cyrus, wearing a white shirt and holding a sparkling microphone, sings against the darker stage lighting. Hetfield and Robert Trujillo appear at their microphones, while guitar, bass and drums give the ballad its familiar shape. Close camera shots make this feel like a studio collaboration the viewer has been invited to watch.

Cyrus begins with restraint. The rough edge in her voice is present in the quieter passages, so the larger phrases grow out of an established mood. She allows the melody to linger, bringing weight to the song without filling every available space. That patience matters in a ballad whose opening depends as much on atmosphere as on volume.

Hetfield’s vocal presence gives the performance another layer. Hearing Cyrus in front while the song’s original singer contributes beside her changes the balance listeners expect. His voice connects the arrangement to the version they know; hers introduces a different texture. The instruments carry the gradual build, leaving both voices audible within the same musical conversation.

The band’s playing also deserves attention. The measured accompaniment gives Cyrus room to settle into each phrase before the sound opens up. By the later passages, her stronger delivery feels supported by the ensemble rather than detached from it. Watch the full performance below to hear how that relationship develops from the opening guitar figures to the closing stretch.

One viewer captured the distinction in a comment that had attracted about 26,000 likes when checked: “If you cover a Metallica song that’s one thing, when you play the song with Metallica that’s next level.” Posted by @rawrs937 beneath the official Howard Stern upload, the remark puts the collaboration itself at the centre of the reaction.

It is a useful way of understanding the clip’s appeal. A well-known song arrives with a set of expectations, and the original band makes those expectations especially immediate. Cyrus has to establish her own phrasing within a sound the audience already recognises. The resulting performance gives listeners a chance to hear how her instincts fit with Metallica’s.

The live appearance also accompanied Cyrus’s involvement in The Metallica Blacklist, although the two recordings have different personnel. Her studio rendition featured Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Chad Smith, Watt and Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo. In the Stern performance, she sings with Metallica themselves. Keeping that distinction clear explains why this particular video has its own appeal.

During the accompanying interview, Hetfield spoke about the uncertainty he had once felt over sharing such a personal song. That background adds perspective to a performance in which its melody comfortably accommodates another singer. The emotional openness that helped the ballad stand apart within Metallica’s catalogue also gives Cyrus room to make a convincing contribution.

For listeners drawn to the grit in her voice, the video offers more than a brief high note to replay. Its strongest quality is the sustained interaction between singer and band. Cyrus brings a recognisable vocal character, Metallica keep the song grounded, and the partnership holds the attention through an unhurried arrangement.

Cyrus’s “Heart of Glass” performance offers another example of her approach to an established rock favourite. Its driving rhythm provides a contrast to the slower pace here, while the texture and emphasis of her singing remain easy to recognise.

To hear another treatment of “Nothing Else Matters,” Metallica’s S&M2 performance brings the San Francisco Symphony into the arrangement. The orchestral setting expands the song’s atmosphere and offers a useful companion to the more intimate Stern studio performance.