Miley Cyrus sings about Liam Hemsworth in a dreamy voice on a rock ballad called Malibu

Miley Cyrus, whose young career has already undergone marked transformations, on Thursday released a lo-fi rock ballad in a departure from her previous sound.

“Malibu,” the first single of an album expected later this year, is driven by a lo-fi, jam-rock guitar with Cyrus’ voice dreamy and understated.

In an accompanying video, Cyrus rolls in the sun-kissed sand and sits meditatively in a field of flowers, at times petting a dog and gleefully flying an imposing bundle of balloons.

Cyrus reminisces in the song about her introduction to Malibu, one of the most celebrated beaches in the Los Angeles area, after overcoming fears of swimming.

“I never would have believed you if three years ago you told me I’d be here writing this song / But here I am, next to you / The sky’s more blue in Malibu,” she sings.

Cyrus, in a recent profile in music magazine Billboard, indicated that “Malibu” was about her on-off relationship with the Australian actor Liam Hemsworth.