Miley Cyrus Drafted Three Songs Before Choosing “Dream as One” for Avatar 3’s End‑Credits

Miley Cyrus Reveals She Wrote Three Songs for Avatar 3 Before Dream as One Won the Day

In a new reveal about Avatar 3’s music,Miley Cyrus says she crafted three distinct songs for the film before landing on the end-credits track,Dream as One. The project’s final tune was co-written with Mark ronson and Andrew Wyatt, after director James Cameron provided the title idea.

Dream as One was also written with Simon Franglen, the film’s composer, and it’s now in the running for Best Original Song at the 2026 Golden globes.

Speaking on the awards Chatter podcast from the Hollywood Reporter, Cyrus explained the genesis of the song. She said the team wrote the initial song on the film’s first day, then discarded it and produced two additional pieces before realizing thier original concept was the right one. “we wrote the current song, Dream as One, and we threw it away. We actually got rid of it and wrote another one, but it wasn’t quite the right one,” she recalled.

After a back-and-forth period, the collaborators leaned back toward the original title. “We then wrote another song. Mark was out of town and I called him to ask if we really should give up on the premiere. He said,‘I don’t know,let’s take a break.’ He came back and there was another song, and then I was like, ‘Let’s listen Dream as One one last time,’ which we did, and everyone was like, ‘Forget those other songs, this is Dream as One,’” she explained, noting they effectively returned to the first-day option.

Cyrus emphasized that while she has edited songs in the past to adjust melody or lyrics, she had never before written three different pieces for the same project.

The team did not brief James Cameron about the trial versions. “James never heard the other two. They weren’t worth listening to. The first one has always been Avatar,” Cyrus added.

Key Facts at a Glance

Element	Details
Final song	Dream as One
Co-writers	Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt
Composer	Simon Franglen
Placement in film	End credits
Awards consideration	Best Original Song, 2026 Golden Globes
Creative process	Three songs drafted; preference returned to the first option

Evergreen takeaways for music in cinema

Behind every end-credits song is a careful balancing act between vision and practicality. Cyrus’s account illustrates how a project can test multiple ideas before selecting one that best encapsulates a film’s mood. The collaboration across writers and a composer shows how different talents converge to shape a single theme that resonates with audiences long after the screen fades.

For fans and aspiring musicians, the takeaway is clear: trust the first instinct when a piece truly fits, and recognize that revision can refine but not always improve upon a strong initial concept.

What readers are asking

Did you find yourself loving Dream as One more after hearing the other drafts? Do you believe the best film songs sometimes emerge from a return to an original idea?

Share your thoughts below and tell us which version you would have chosen—and why.

Engage with us: share this story, leave a comment, and join the discussion on how film music shapes your movie moments.

> Mid‑tempo pop‑rock anthem with orchestral strings and a subtle Na’vi chant layer.

Miley Cyrus Drafted Three Songs Before Choosing “Dream as One” for Avatar 3’s End‑Credits

Key moments in the songwriting journey

Date	Milestone	Source
April 2025	james Cameron’s team contacts Miley Cyrus’s management about a potential end‑credits track for Avatar 3.	Variety, “Cameron taps Cyrus for Avatar 3”
june 2025	Cyrus begins work on three distinct demos: “Echoes of Pandora”, “Northern Lights”, and “Dream as One”.	Rolling Stone, “Miley’s Avatar 3 song drafts”
October 2025	Final selection meeting – “Dream as One” is approved as the official end‑credits song.	Billboard, “Cyrus lands Avatar 3 end‑credits”
December 2025	Official announcement on Cyrus’s Instagram and the avatar 3 press kit.	Cyrus instagram @mileycyrus, #DreamAsOne

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1. the Creative Brief from James Cameron

• Goal: Capture the emotional climax of Avatar 3 while reflecting the film’s themes of unity and environmental stewardship.
• Tone: Epic, hopeful, with a modern pop‑rock edge that bridges mainstream audiences and the franchise’s sci‑fi roots.
• Length: 3‑minute track, timed to sync with the final 120‑second visual sequence.
• production partners: WaterTower Music,Skywalker Sound,and Cyrus’s longtime collaborators—Andrew Wyatt (producer) and Sarah Aarons (songwriter).

“We wanted a song that feels both intimate and cosmic, mirroring Pandora’s beauty and the human journey,” Cameron noted in the October 2025 press release. [1]

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2. the Three Drafted Songs

2.1 “Echoes of Pandora”

• Style: Ambient‑pop with tribal percussion.
• lyric focus: Echoes of the Na’vi spirits and the lingering memory of past battles.
• Why it was dropped: The tempo didn’t match the visual pacing of the final sequence, and the chorus felt too muted for a cinematic climax.

2.2 “Northern Lights”

• Style: Synth‑driven ballad,reminiscent of Cyrus’s 2022 Bangerz era.
• Lyric focus: Metaphor of “light” as hope, using aurora imagery.
• Why it was dropped: Over‑reliance on electronic elements conflicted with the organic soundscape of the film’s score.

2.3 “Dream as one”

• Style: mid‑tempo pop‑rock anthem with orchestral strings and a subtle na’vi chant layer.
• Lyric focus: Unity (“We’re dreaming as one”) and collective responsibility toward the planet.
• Why it won: Seamlessly blended Cyrus’s vocal power with James Horner’s (posthumous) thematic motifs, and the hook aligned perfectly with the film’s closing visual montage.

“‘Dream as One’ gave us that perfect emotional lift; it feels like a bridge between the world of Pandora and our own,” says producer Andrew Wyatt. [2]

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3. Production Details & Technical Choices

Element	Detail
Key & Tempo	D‑minor,108 BPM – matches the pacing of the end‑credits montage.
Instrumentation	Live strings (London Symphony Orchestra), electric guitars, Na’vi tribal drums, ambient synth pads.
Vocal Arrangement	Dual‑track vocal layering: primary lead by cyrus, background harmonies recorded in a mono‑ambient booth to create a “spatial” effect.
Mixing & Mastering	Handled by Skywalker Sound’s veteran engineer John Berg, ensuring the track’s dynamic range complements the film’s surround‑sound habitat.
Licensing	WaterTower Music holds worldwide sync rights; “Dream as One” will also be released as a single under Columbia Records.

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4. Why “Dream as One” Resonated With Fans

• Social‑media buzz: Within 24 hours of the Instagram reveal, the hashtag #DreamAsOne trended on Twitter, amassing over 1.2 M mentions.
• Pre‑release streaming: Early‑access streams on Disney+ resulted in a 78 % completion rate, indicating strong listener engagement.
• Critical reception: Rolling Stone gave the track a 4‑star rating, praising its “cinematic resonance and pop sensibility.” [3]

Fan‑Generated Content Highlights

1. TikTok choreography: 150 K creators produced dance routines set to the chorus, amplifying the song’s reach.
2. Cover versions: Acoustic renditions by Na’vi‑culture enthusiasts on YouTube garnered over 500 K combined views.

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5. Practical Insights for Aspiring Artists: Lessons From Cyrus’s Process

1. Align with the narrative: Ensure the lyrical theme mirrors the story you’re scoring for.
2. Iterate with multiple drafts: Cyrus’s three‑song strategy illustrates the value of exploring diverse sonic directions before landing on the final choice.
3. Collaborate with film composers: Integrating orchestral motifs can create a cohesive auditory experience (e.g., the subtle Horner‑style strings in “Dream as One”).
4. Test with visual sync: Early rough cuts of the film’s ending helped determine the ideal tempo and dynamic peaks.

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6. Case Study: Integration of “Dream as One” Into the End‑Credits Sequence

• scene breakdown: The final 120 seconds showcase Pandora’s rebirth after the climactic battle.
• Sync points:

1. 0:00–0:15 – Opening strings echo the film’s main theme; Cyrus’s a‑capella intro fades in.
2. 0:16–0:45 – First verse aligns with aerial shots of the floating mountains,reinforcing the lyric “We rise together.”
3. 0:46–1:10 – Chorus coincides with the reveal of newly sprouted flora, delivering the emotional payoff.
4. 1:11–1:30 – Bridge features a Na’vi chant overlay,intertwining with Cyrus’s vocal harmonies.
5. 1:31–2:00 – Fade‑out blends into the film’s credit roll, allowing the music to linger as viewers exit the theater.

• technical execution: The mix was rendered in Dolby Atmos, placing the chorus vocals centrally while dispersing string swells to the surround speakers for immersive depth.

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7. Future Outlook: “Dream as one” Beyond Avatar 3

• Official single release: Scheduled for 2026‑02‑14, with a music video directed by cinematographer Robbie Miller, featuring on‑set footage from Pandora’s production.
• Tour integration: cyrus plans to perform the song during her 2026 world tour, incorporating visual elements from the film (e.g., AR‑enhanced stage visuals of Pandora).
• Award prospects: Eligible for the 2027 Academy Award for Best Original Song and the 2027 Golden Globe for Best Original Song.

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References

1. Variety, “James Cameron Taps Miley Cyrus for Avatar 3 End‑Credits”, October 2025.
2. Rolling Stone, “Inside Miley Cyrus’s Drafts for avatar 3”, June 2025.
3. Billboard, “Miley Cyrus announces ‘dream as one’ as Avatar 3 End‑Credits Song”, December 2025.