Watch Miley Cyrus Make Surprise Appearance at 2019 VMAs With ‘Slide Away’

Miley Cyrus made a surprise appearance at the 2019 Video Music Awards to perform her heartbreaking new song “Slide Away.” The track was released earlier this month in the wake of her separation from husband Liam Hemsworth.

After being introduced by Lizzo, Cyrus appeared onstage in a black dress accompanied by a string quartet. “Once upon a time, it was paradise,” she laments in the opening verse. “Once upon a time, I was paralyzed.” Her vocals soar through octaves, overcoming sadness as she belts “So won’t you slide away” repeatedly at the end.

Cyrus and Hemsworth had been off-and-on for 10 years; Hemsworth has since filed for divorce. “I can admit to a lot of things but I refuse to admit that my marriage ended because of cheating,” Cyrus wrote in a series of tweets last week. “I’ve said it before & it remains true, I love Liam and always will.”

Cyrus’ last studio album was 2017’s country-pop Younger Now. She returned this June with the EP She Is Coming, the first of three six-song EPs Cyrus announced that would comprise a full album titled She Is Miley Cyrus. She has yet to announce release dates, though the other EPs will be titled She Is Here and She Is Everything. The She Is Coming single “Mother’s Daughter” is up for two awards tonight, including Best Power Anthem and Song of the Summer.