Hannah Montana is no more. Since Disney Channel’s hit TV series “Hannah Montana” premiered in 2006, America has witnessed Miley Cyrus’ downward spiral—or, rather, her collapse—into the world of adulthood. Miley’s appearance and music have matured as the years progressed, but at times Miley has tried a little too hard (let’s not forget her recent terrifying performance at this year’s VMAs) to conform to what she apparently believes is expected of a young woman of 20. Miley’s outreach to maturity, however, has shown just how immature she still is. The release of Miley Cyrus’ new album, entitled “Bangerz,” on October 8 solidified Cyrus’ new wild-child image and simultaneously pushed away a large portion of her fanbase.
The first track on “Bangerz,” titled “Adore You,” is a soft love ballad in which Miley expresses her love for her ex-fiancé Liam Hemsworth. Sweet lyrics such as “When you say you love me, know I love you more, When you say you need me, know I need you more” reach out to the hearts of teenage girls everywhere and make the song relatable for the majority of Cyrus’ audience. “Adore You” is easily in the top three of “Bangerz,” but do not let the first track fool you. The album quickly plummets with “We Can’t Stop” and “SMS” featuring Britney Spears, which have meaningless lyrics and only seem to serve the purpose of showing that Miley knows how to be crazy. By far the raunchiest song of the album, “#GETITRIGHT” explores Miley’s sexual desires and is overall just uncomfortable, earning its position of worst song on the album.
“Wrecking Ball” is the silver lining in Miley’s trainwreck of an album, as Cyrus’ raw emotion is palpable and her vocals are beyond impressive. Also on the better end of the album is “Maybe You’re Right,” in which Miley admits to her relationship mistakes but asserts that what’s done is done and there is nothing she can do to fix things now. “Maybe You’re Right” is Miley’s most genuine song on the album and is definitely worth the $1.29 on iTunes, as it has meaningful lyrics and focuses on Cyrus’ vocals.
“Bangerz” has received mixed opinions, mostly because Miley has completely changed her sound and fans are not yet accustomed to the switch from sweet teen pop sensation to independent, assertive young woman. Although “We Can’t Stop,” “SMS,” “4×4,” “#GETITRIGHT,” “Do My Thang,” and “Hands In the Air” are probably not even worth listening to, Miley deserves some credit for going out on a limb to create her own unique reputation with confidence. Miley’s vocals are amazing, but they are overshadowed when she uses her talent to sing songs that seem like a desperate cry for recognition as an adult, but portray Miley as immature instead. If Miley could evoke more emotion from listeners by highlighting her vocals in her songs, “Adore You,” “Wrecking Ball,” and “”Maybe You’re Right” are a source of hope for fans who love the old Miley, but three good songs out of an album of sixteen won’t be enough to keep old fans from searching for someone new to listen to.
Listen to these tracks from the new album:
