Raw Emotion Flows Through Billy Ray Cyrus’ Empowering Message In ‘Hope Is Just Ahead’

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In 2013, Billy Ray Cyrus released one of his most inspirational songs to this date. “Hope Is Just Ahead” was released as the second single off of his album, Change My Mind, and the impact it had on listeners was profound. 

Cyrus co-wrote the powerful track along with John Frederick Lenz,  and “Achy Breaky Heart” songwriter Don Von Tress. Although the song refers to familiar and tragic events we see on the news on a far too frequent basis, it is not referring to any one specific event. That’s what makes the song so powerful, because two people can listen to it and take away completely different meanings.

Throughout the song, Cyrus reflects on why he often finds himself feeling hopeless, when he realizes it’s the various tragedies and hardships in the world bringing him down. As he watches all this suffering, Cyrus’ raw emotion flows through in his mournful words, “People fightin’ in the streets, millions with no food to eat, how much longer can we last, if we learn nothin’ from our past, these are the questions in our heads.” 

However, Cyrus leaves us with a bit of light, telling us that despite all of the sadness in the world “hope is just ahead,” and that as long as people keep dreaming and working toward making the world a better place, it will be so.

In 2014, Cyrus re-released the track to coordinate with its new music video, which featured gospel and R&B singer Dionne Warrick. The video shows Cyrus and Warrick sitting in almost complete darkness as they sing, and flashes back and forth to clips of three different children who find themselves bullied and left out in school. But in the end, hope reigns supreme, as the three bullied children come together and embrace what makes them different.

“Hope Is Just Ahead” and its music video prove what we’ve always known about Cyrus…his multiple talents as a singer, songwriter, and actor are extraordinary.

Cyrus further proves the level of his talent in his upcoming show for CMT called Still The King. You can watch the trailer here, and be sure to tune in when the show debuts on June 12!

In the meantime, enjoy watching Cyrus’ inspirational video for “Hope Is Just Ahead.”