Songfacts®:

• "River" is a sexually charged track that grew from a naive love song to something more NSFW.
  
  "It was a time in my life where I was going through just a lot emotionally and personally," Cyrus revealed in her Disney+ special Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions). "All of my songs evolve. They can start as something that was a trouble, like, it just feels like it's an April shower, it never stops raining and then it started raining down love."
  
  "'River,' sometimes we just need a dance floor banger," Cyrus added cheekily. "Aka they don't want me to talk about the fact the song is about [bleep]. It's f---ing nasty."
• Over pulsating synths, Cyrus starts the song innocently.
  
  I got a new dress just to meet you downtown
  Can you walk me through the park just to show it off?
  I can pull my hair back in that tight way that you like
  If you wrap me in your arms and never stop
  
  But the chorus is far raunchier, as Cyrus compares her lover to a river,
  
  You're just like a river
  You go on for ever
  
  Cyrus' partner has amazing sexual stamina and can carry on all night long.
• In the second verse, Cyrus sings about wanting to start a family with her boyfriend.
  
  Blowing bubbles in the bath, I can't stop from thinking lately
  You could be the one, have the honor of my babies
  Hope they have your eyes and that crooked smile
  Was a desert before I met you, I was in a drought
  
  The "Midnight Sky" singer is likely referring to her drummer beau Maxx Morando, whom she started dating in late 2021.
• Cyrus released "River" as the second single from Endless Summer Vacation on March 10, 2023. Recorded mainly in Los Angeles, the singer describes the album as a love letter to Los Angeles that showcases her newfound confidence since focusing on her mental and physical well-being.
• Cyrus wrote "River" with pop songwriter Justin Tranter (Justin Bieber's "Sorry," Hailee Steinfeld's "Love Myself," Selena Gomez' "Good For You") and the song's producers, Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson. Harpoon and Johnson produced six out of the 12 tracks on Endless Summer Vacation, including the smash hit "Flowers."