Might those days be over?
I thought it was just the adults who realized she was looking desperate and trashy rather than edgy or innovative. Yet, I’ve heard plenty of kids throwing a bit of shade at her as well, realizing this is who they do not want to idolize. Yet, her singles are highly successful and I imagine “Bangerz” is going to fly off the shelves. Why? Because underneath it all, Miley is a distinctive singer who knows how to record successful pop songs. Which makes her recent sex-crazed, tongue thrusting, Robin Thicke humping persona all the more disturbing. She probably didn’t need to do it.
The fact is, Miley Cyrus has a track record of making hits. Whether it’s the playful summery song I mentioned above, the inspirational The Climb or even the rock/pop teeny bopper tracks on the Hannah Montana soundtracks, she’s good at making songs any girl can sing along with. So it’s no surprise that her new songs are making their way up the charts.
So does “Bangerz” live up to the hype?
The album opens with a ballad surprisingly. I was expecting something really brash and in your face but instead I it’s a dreamy love song with cooing vocals and sensitivity. Adore You captivates the listener with a reliance on simple emotion and straight forward lyricism. This leads into the first single We Can’t Stop with Miley’s draggy voice declaring, “It’s our party we can do what we want.” The song is a catchy one with a laid back “kicking it with friends” vibe. The song seems fairly standard with its declaration of independence and desire to engage in some hedonistic pleasures. If this song had been by anyone but Miley Cyrus, I doubt it would have even made much of a controversy. Of course, the video definitely upped the ante as well.
Wrecking Ball is a strong single with a lot of appeal (if you can block out the image of a naked Miley swinging on a giant wrecking ball). This track is a power-pop anthem and quite frankly, it’s a good one. Cyrus has a distinctive voice, the melody is pretty and it sticks with you; showing a vulnerability that haunts the listener. Cyrus nails the chorus coming out with a gritty, pain-driven belt that really grabs the listener. Get It Right is a fun track featuring whistling, a playful delivery, and a knockout pop melody. I wish Love, Money, Party, featuring rapper Big Sean, was even half this good. Drive is a song that could be a big hit as well. The production is distorted but there are some good things going on. Cyrus’s vocals are really good towards the end of the song and on the anthem-like chorus.
The rest of the album is a mixed bag as well. FU is one of the most interesting songs on the album. Channeling a bit of Lady Gaga’s flair for the dramatic, the song is a bombastic kiss-off. I don’t know if I would call it a good song, but I appreciate how different it is. Do My Thang is another mixture of countrified-pop with hip hop influences. Miley raps on the track. Imagine Ke$ha’s redneck cousin and you get the idea. It’s not her finest moment for sure.
Maybe You’re Right is the best moment on the tail end of the album. Miley hijacks the melody and concepts from You May Be Right from Billy Joel and turns it into a power-pop anthem for a new era. There’s undulating piano and a blossoming chorus and it’s an odd little jumble of sound. It works within her unique style.
“Bangerz” definitely has its flaws but not surprisingly, it has some definitive pop moments. I wish she had confidence in her abilities so she could just ditch the crappy desperation and stick with what she does well. Songs like Wrecking Ball are good enough that she doesn’t need to twerk or stick out her tongue like Gene Simmons’ bastard child. Just sing, work with the voice you have and keep it real. Of course, people are eating this up so the chances of her returning to sanity anytime soon are slim to none.
Of course, maybe she knows exactly what she’s doing.
3 comments
Trey Stone says:
Oct 6, 2013
Was all this “Miley goes hip hop” talk preceding “We Can’t Stop”/the fact that Mike Will Made-It did the beat, then the song came out and just sounded like generic pop to me, with none of the sounds Mike Will typically uses.
I kinda want this thing to flop on principle but I’ll sample it out of curiosity
MJ says:
Oct 7, 2013
I want it to flop on principle and don’t want to go near it for fear my ears will catch an STD.
Funny thing is-if not for all this nonsense-I might have given the album a shot.
GG says:
Oct 7, 2013
I streamed it and I’d say that as generic pop albums go, it’s not bad at all. However, there are some horrific songs that are exactly what you fear.
The strength is on songs like Wrecking Ball, which is really good.
Out of all Miley’s strengths, music is her least, which is why they feel she needs all the press I guess.