--- description: The singer, along with actress Ellen Page and songwriter Linda Perry, talks with TIME about her new song for the movie 'Freeheld' title: Hear Miley Cyrus' New Song From 'Freeheld' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte23b715f09e317a7/6988637b2dce0158329e57e0/fh_05926_r.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Hear Miley Cyrus' New Song From _Freeheld_  by [Nolan Feeney](/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 14, 2015 2:01 PM CUT  DSC\_2139.NEF DSC\_2139.NEFPhil Caruso  by [Nolan Feeney](/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 14, 2015 2:01 PM CUT Normally, Linda Perry doesn’t write songs for movies. A member of the ’90s rock band 4 Non Blondes who has written hits for pop stars like Pink and Christina Aguilera, Perry says she’s too sensitive to deal with the feedback from studio executives and producers. “Everybody has an opinion, don’t they?” she says. “It never works out for me.” But for “Hands of Love,” a new song performed by Miley Cyrus that Perry wrote for [the upcoming movie _Freeheld_](http://time.com/4001823/ellen-page-freeheld/ "undefined"), it just _happened_. Not just because the song’s eventual co-producer, Kerry Brown, who is married to one of the film’s producers, wouldn’t take no for an answer—but because, to hear Perry tell it, the song came to her with unprecedented ease. _Freeheld_ stars Ellen Page and Julianne Moore as Stacie Andree and Laurel Hester, a real-life lesbian couple who fought New Jersey county officials to allow Hester (Moore), a police officer diagnosed with terminal cancer, to transfer her pension benefits to Andree (Page). Perry says she was “completely moved” by the film and started writing a song on the spot in her car immediately after the screening. “I’ve never had this happen before,” Perry says of the track, which you can hear for the first time in a new trailer premiering exclusively at TIME Monday. “The arrangement is there, the lyrics are showing up, I can’t get to a piano, there’s no instruments, there’s no nothing—it’s all just floating around inside my head.” ### See the Evolution of Miley Cyrus  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus on Oct. 8, 1994 at Pyramid Arena in Memphis. Ron Galella, Ltd.—WireImage/Getty Images  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus in New York City on Feb. 9, 2006. Paul Hawthorne—Getty Images  Vanessa Hudgens and Miley Cyrus in Los Angeles on Apr. 30, 2006. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus at the 41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 23, 2006. Kevin Winter—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus in Westwood, Calif., on July 17, 2006. Vince Bucci—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana on Nov. 2, 2008. Disney  Miley Cyrus in New York City on Oct. 23, 2006. Peter Kramer—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Ashley Tisdale on MTV's TRL in New York City on June 20, 2006. Michael Loccisano—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs as Hannah Montana in Uniondale, N.Y., on Dec. 27, 2007. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 80th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 2008. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton in an episode of Disney's Hannah Montana on Dec. 7, 2007. Disney/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus celebrates her 16th birthday during the 2008 American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 23, 2008. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift perform onstage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2009. John Shearer—WireImage/Getty Images  Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus in the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. Disney  Tish, Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2009. NBC/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, 2010. Larry Busacca—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the 2009 Teen Choice Awards held at Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif., on Aug. 9, 2009. Kevin Winter—Fox/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Sheryl Crow on stage at Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City on Sept. 17, 2009. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at the 21st Annual MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto on June 20, 2010. George Pimentel—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2009 VH1 Divas in New York City on Sept. 17, 2009. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Aug. 31, 2010. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs on an episode of ABC's Dancing with the Stars on May 2010. Adam Larkey—ABC/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth in the 2010 film The Last Song. Touchstone Pictures  Miley and Tish Cyrus at The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 2011. Lester Cohen—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2012 People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2012. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus at the 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2012. Christopher Polk—VF/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 20, 2012. Denise Truscello—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 6, 2012. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs during 2012 VH1 Divas in Los Angeles on Dec. 16, 2012. Kevin Winter—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus poses with fans in London on July 18, 2013. Ben Pruchnie—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the Fashion Group International's 30th annual "Night Of Stars" awards gala in New York City on Oct. 22, 2013. Evan Agostini—Invision/AP  Miley Cyrus performs on NBC's Today show on Oct. 7, 2013 in New York City. NBC/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus dances at Compound Entertainment and Malibu Red Grammy Midnight Brunch at Bagatelle/STK in Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2013. Johnny Nunez—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus attends the "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 6, 2013. Stephen Lovekin—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus arrives at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 19, 2013. Jon Kopaloff—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus attends Rachel Zoe during Fall 2013 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center in New York City on Feb. 13, 2013. Jamie McCarthy—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the SiriusXM Studios in New York City on June 27, 2013. Slaven Vlasic—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City on Aug. 25, 2013. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus perform during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center in New York City on Aug. 25, 2013. Rick Diamond—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at the 2013 American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 2013. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at the Time Square's New Year's Eve 2014 ball drop celebration in New York City on Dec. 31, 2013. Steve Mack—FilmMagic/Getty Image  Miley Cyrus at the 56th annual Grammy Awards Pre-Grammy Gala in Los Angeles on Jan. 25, 2014. Jeffrey Mayer—WireImage/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs during Miley Cyrus: MTV Unplugged in Los Angeles on Jan. 28, 2014. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., on Aug. 1, 2014. Taylor Hill—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips perform in Los Angeles on Feb. 22, 2014. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards in Inglewood, Calif., on Aug. 24, 2014. Mario Anzuoni—Reuters  Miley Cyrus and My Friend's Place representative Jesse Helt at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards in Inglewood, Calif., on Aug. 24, 2014. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus walks with Jeremy Scott after a presentation of his Spring/Summer 2015 collection during New York Fashion Week on Sept. 10, 2014. Lucas Jackson—Reuters  Miley Cyrus attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 4, 2015 . Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Michael Tran—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Miley Cyrus hosts the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 30, 2015 in Los Angeles. Michael Tran—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus performs on Saturday Night Live in New York City on Oct. 3, 2015. Dana Edelson—Getty Images  Honoree Miley Cyrus accepts the Vanguard Award at the Los Angeles LGBT Center 46th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards on Nov. 7, 2015 in Century City, Calif. Joe Scarnici—Getty Images  Miley Cyrus on The Voice on Feb. 4, 2016. Trae Patton—Getty Images (**Read next:** [_Ellen Page on ‘Freeheld’ and Why She Came Out_](http://time.com/4001823/ellen-page-freeheld/ "undefined")) When it came time to find a vocalist for the song, which plays over the end credits of the film, it was Page who suggested Cyrus. Earlier this year, Cyrus launched [the Happie Hippie foundation](http://time.com/3850794/miley-cyrus-feminism-gay-rights-happy-hippie/ "undefined"), an organization serving homeless and LGBTQ youth that Cyrus calls the “thing that I’m most proud of in my life.” “She has a really raw, unique, awesome, beautiful voice, and Miley’s doing a lot of incredible things for the LGBTQ community,” Page says. “I just thought it was going to be a perfect fit. She and Linda made something really special. I kept listening to it after I heard it.” For Cyrus, the song presented an opportunity to support two of her favorite actresses. “I think Ellen Page is super amazing and brave,” Cyrus says. “And Julianne Moore, I told her drunkenly one night at an afterparty—I like film, but I’ve never been a fan of somebody in film or had favorite movies, but all my favorite movies that I do have, she is in. She picks amazing roles.” (**Read next:** [_Inside Miley Cyrus’ Photo Shoot With People Across the Gender Spectrum_](http://time.com/3917249/miley-cyrus-instagram-instapride/ "undefined")) “Hands of Love” also allowed the 22-year-old to combine her passions for LGBT equality and music. “People like to learn through entertainment,” Cyrus says. “It’s an interactive way to get people to hear your message by putting it in a song they like to listen to, or a film they want to see.” Recording the track was a change of pace for Cyrus, who released her latest album, [_Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz_, for free at the conclusion of this year’s MTV Video Music Awards](http://time.com/4016502/vmas-2015-miley-cyrus-surprise-album/ "undefined"). That album of experimental stoner-pop was recorded during many late nights in Cyrus’ makeshift garage studio. “I recorded half those songs at like 3 a.m about my truth, or right after having a sh—y conversation with someone I love,” Cyrus says. “I would literally be on the phone crying and go straight into the booth and just work at my house.” For “Hands of Love,” she had to step into Perry’s world—a real studio during daylight hours. (**Review:** [_‘Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz’ Is Miley as You’ve Never Heard Her Before_](http://time.com/4016820/miley-cyrus-her-dead-petz-review/ "undefined")) The pair worked well together, Perry says. “She walked in with no entourage, no fuss, no anything. She came to be of service for the song and the movie and didn’t bring ‘Miley’ with her.” Cyrus recorded just a few takes of the song, which is largely unchanged from the version Perry wrote in her car. “I wish I could take credit for this song, but honestly, I can’t,” Perry says. “_Freeheld_ basically wrote this song. It was so inspired by the story. The movie wrote the song. Everybody wrote the song. Anybody involved in it wrote this song. I know that’s cheesy, but it’s the truth.” ### See Some of the First Gay Marriages in These States  George Harris, center left, 82, and Jack Evans, center right, 85, kiss after being married by Judge Garcia in Dallas on Friday, June 26, 2015. Tony Gutierrez—AP  Miesha Stinson, left, and Tiarra Harris, of Ypsilanti, Mich., embrace after exchanging vows in Ann Arbor, Mich., on June 26, 2015. Paul Sancya—AP  Jaque Roberts, left, and her partner of 31 years, Carmelita Cabello, right, arrive to apply for their marriage license at the Travis County building in Austin on June 26, 2015,. Eric Gay—AP  Ethan Fletcher, left, and Andrew Hickam fill out their marriage paperwork at Hamilton County Probate Court in Cincinnati on June 26, 2015. John Minchillo—AP  Emma Foulkes, left, and Petrina Bloodworth hold hands and show their wedding rings after being married at the Foulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on June 26, 2015. John Bazemore—AP  Tony Chiaro, left, and Earnie Matheson, right, embrace after exchanging vows in the first same sex marriage performed in Pulaski County, in Little Rock, Ark. on June 26, 2015. Brian Chilson—AP  Janelle Ebone, right, puts her arm around her partner, Christine, left, as she shows off their marriage license at the Travis County building in Austin on June 26, 2015. Eric Gay—AP  Beverly Reicks, right, and Kathy Petterson, the first same sex couple to wed in Omaha, Neb., leave the Douglas County Clerk's office on June 26, 2015. Nati Harnik—AP  Breanne Brodak, left, and Cortney Tucker kiss after being married by Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown in Pontiac, Mich. on June 26, 2015. 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