Miley Cyrus Covers Talking Heads' 'Psycho Killer'

Pop songstress Miley Cyrus revealed a snippet of her Talking Heads cover "Psycho Killer" in the early morning hours of Mar. 7 at Los Angeles’ Chateau Marmont. Watch a fan account's view below.

The "sample" in question is in fact a teaser interpretation of the Heads' "Psycho Killer" from their debut album Talking Heads: 77. While the above video showcases some alternate lyrics, Cyrus launches into a flamenco-flavored cadence with her signature smoky delivery for this new wave/no wave classic. The storied Hollywood venue is a fave of Grammy-winner Cyrus, as she debuted two of her Endless Summer Vacation songs there and, last Christmastime, returned to perform a cover of Journey's "Faithfully."

Cyrus has previously expressed an aversion to large-scale concert tours. In a May 2023 post on X (formerly Twitter), she explained, "I just don't want to sleep on a moving bus. It isn't what's best for me right NOW, & if you've been following my career you know that I always change and the way I feel about that could too.”

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"Psycho Killer" is among the 16-track collection of covers from the forthcoming Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute To Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense. The first track released, Paramore's "Burning Down The House" is a clever and spot-on version that's perfectly suited for frontperson Hailey Williams' vocals. As a tie-in to last year's 4K theatrical restoration of the Talking Heads concert documentary Stop Making Sense, this collection showcases a wide-ranging influence – from superstars to indie stalwarts to the buzziest new artists – that keeps the Heads' music at the edge of the musical stratosphere.

Amidst all of the love, Heads frontperson David Byrne is also returning the favor: just yesterday, he announced a split-release with Paramore for Record Store Day, with his cover of the group's "Hard Times" sitting alongside their take on "Burning Down the House."

Byrne, through a social media post on Mar. 5, explained: "The band told me that their song 'Hard Times' was inspired by Talking Heads, so I learned it and recorded my version of their great song with a horn section. This was fun!"

Cyrus won her first Grammy Awards earlier this year, including a victory in the Record of the Year category for her track "Flowers." More recently, she announced the impending release of “Doctor (Work It Out)” a collaboration with Pharrell Williams.