Billy Ray Cyrus on why new album 'The Hill' is his "Johnny Cash moment"

Billy Ray Cyrus joined Greatest Hits Radio’s Jackie Brambles to talk about his latest music, new beginnings, and why this latest chapter feels like good luck finally landing where it’s meant to be.

In a candid conversation, he opens up about the family album that brought him back to his roots, a haunting new single featuring his youngest daughter (Noah), surprise studio collaborations, an emotional Hannah Montana 20th anniversary, and the unexpected love story with Elizabeth Hurley that’s reshaped his life.

Billy Ray Cyrus' album 'The Hill'

Asked what makes his first full studio album in years stand out, Billy Ray doesn’t hesitate to say ‘The Hill’ has been built the old‑school way. He explains: "It's a studio album verbatim of going in old school with a band and sitting on a floor in a good studio and cutting them track by track as you are making an album creatively."

This time, he wasn’t interested in chasing one‑off moments, emphasising: "Not an individual single and one here and one there. This was a body of work in a building", he says, determined to make something that holds together as an album.

You get the sense that, for him, ‘The Hill’ is a way of making sense of where he’s landed after a wild few years. "I’m pretty proud at this moment to know that we got a song that’s touching people’s lives", he says, adding that the way everything has fallen into place lately feels rare: "It’s been remarkable at this point… I don’t know of a moment in my life where there was so much positive synchronicity in a world of chaos."

He’s also clearly enjoying the fact it’s a family affair behind the scenes. His son Braison produced the record, and Billy Ray is still amused by one particular write‑up of their partnership. He says: "I’m not saying this myself. I’m saying what Forbes said, that he’s my Rick Rubin. This is my Johnny Cash moment", before adding that the magazine even called the sound Gothic rock. "Forbes called it Gothic and I like that a lot", he admits. "I like that. It’s my favourite thing I’ve ever been called."

The timing is fitting, because he’s just marked 20 years of the Hannah Montana phenomenon with his daughter, pop star Miley Cyrus. Looking back, he jokes that the big anniversary made him realise: "It’s the first time I ever realised actually the kids raised me… I just made that up!" He calls the celebrations "a full circle moment with all my kids in a special way", and says he feels "very lucky to get one more shot at living this life."

New single with daughter Noah

At the centre of ‘The Hill’ sits 'On Our Way Along', a duet with his daughter Noah Cyrus that anchors the whole project. Billy Ray is full of admiration for what she does on the track, expressing: "She’s really special and her voice, the way it cuts through on this song is unbelievable. I mean, as a daddy, I’m very proud. As a professional, it’s just hats off."

With Noah already well‑known to some listeners, Billy is happy to spell out why this one feels different. "This is an extreme talent with a vocal presence that I think she’s really showcasing for the first time. It’s an incredible performance Noah’s delivered", he says. The single leans into that "Gothic" feel he keeps mentioning, and he likes that people are finding "comfort in the depth of the lyrics" and calling it "very haunting and touching."

Writing hits with Bebe Rexha

The new music doesn’t stop with the album campaign. While he’s in London, Billy Ray has turned a small studio room into a temporary writing base with American singer and songwriter Bebe Rexha, and what began as a chat quickly became a finished song. "We wrote a song together", he says. "People talk about writing. People talk about this, talk about that. I like people who don’t talk about it. Oh, you want to talk about it? Then let’s do it. When? Now".

He describes a session that came together with minimal fuss: "Lo and behold, she was the same way. She pulled out a song. I started singing something. We basically recorded it in my... the little room here was a very nice little studio. And so we’re late at, it feels like a hit. I can’t stop saying it." The result is called ‘A Little More Love’, built around a message he’s more than comfortable repeating: "It says what the world needs now is a little more love. Just a little more love. I love that. It’s called ‘A Little More Love’."

Love with Liz Hurley

Away from the studio, Billy Ray’s personal life has given UK fans another reason to take notice. His relationship with Elizabeth Hurley has made him a regular in the showbiz columns, with plenty of people here keen to adopt him because he’s dating - who Jackie affectionately calls "our Liz". He enjoys the idea but gently flips it: "She might be your girl. But she’s my hero", he says. "Like, yeah, I mean, she’s just an incredible human being, a beautiful woman, a great friend. I mean, she’s special to a lot of people for a lot of reasons".

That romance has already filtered directly into his songs. Quoting a favourite line – "Of all the paths we could have walked, I’m just glad ours crossed" – he reveals it almost ended up as a tattoo instead. "If we hadn’t went to that award show, our original plan was she was going to write it on my arm and I was going to the tattoo parlour. And then the award show invitation came up and we adjusted mid‑air… If not, I’d be standing here with that written on my arm."

The rise of Lil Nas X

Telling the story of how ‘Old Town Road’ happened, he says he first saw American rapper and singer Lil Nas X's tweet: 'does anybody know how to get a hold of Billy Ray Cyrus?', at a time when the young rapper was being judged for not fitting neatly into one genre box.

On his wrist, he’d written 'WWJD' – not 'what would Jesus do' in his case, but 'what would Johnny (Cash) do' – and that settled it: "When I read about Lil Nas, WWJD said, 'Johnny would stand up for him'. I said, yeah. So I did it that day". He went into the studio the next day, cut his verse, and within days the remix was sitting at Number 1; as he puts it, "if the horse starts running, jump on it, Cyrus."

That determination is also pushing him back out on the road. He talks about feeling "curious" and "so proud" to be taking his band back to Europe, highlighting a date in Oslo: "Me and my band will be in Oslo, Norway on June 27… I have always felt part Viking. And something in my spirit says, I’m going home. I’m so excited to go there."

With 'The Hill' on the way, a Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special now streaming, and European tour dates confirmed, Billy Ray is entering a busy period that spans new releases, legacy projects, and live performances.

Listen to the full interview below

How to listen to Jackie Brambles

You can listen to Jackie Brambles on Greatest Hits Radio, Monday to Thursday evenings between 7pm-10pm. Greatest Hits Radio is available across the UK on FM, DAB and through your smartspeaker by saying: "Play Greatest Hits Radio".

Download our free Rayo app for iPhone or Android.

Now read:

Madonna releases the first new music from her upcoming album 'Confessions II'

Previously unreleased Prince song released on 10th anniversary of his death

ABBA Voyage shares message to fans as they celebrate 4 million visitors

Want more music news?

Read more of the latest music news here.