Pop rock, flashy noodle R&B, country disco: What hasn’t “Miss Versatile” Miley Cyrus done? In doing so, she has followed in the footsteps of all the shapeshifters like David Bowie or Madonna who have helped shape pop music history. UK critic Nick Levine notes on “BBC” that Cyrus built these personality stunts into a personal brand. As the consummate modern pop star, she would have taken advantage of the “blurring genre boundaries of the 21st century.” Quite a child of a pop era in which eclectic Spotify playlists resonated more with listeners than traditional – and mostly genre-defining – playlists from format radio.
It’s easy to forget that she began her career 17 years ago when, as a teenager, she personified a fictional pop star on the Disney series Hannah Montana. Already as a fictional character, Cyrus marched through all genres. Now 30, the singer, actress and multi-icon has delivered one of her biggest hits of all time with “Flowers.” A lighthearted celebration of self-love, vaguely reminiscent of Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.
As the pre-single to the new album, “Flowers” is characterized by vocal and musical restraint. “I can love me better than you can,” she sings in the wistful chorus of the slow-to-middle disco track, which has topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for the past seven weeks. With “Endless Summer Vacation”, her eighth studio album, she actually enters her “imperial phase”.
After “Plastic Hearts” (2020), it still seemed as if the Miley saga was coming to an end. The naked “Wrecking Ball” ride on the wrecking ball in the epochal video seemed ages ago. A shrill ex-child star who is “sold out” in adulthood.
The artist herself seemed to think so too, changing her record label and releasing an interim with “Miley Live” from 2022. A breather on the coastal road that leads to new shores. Similar to her local colleague Lana Del Rey, she describes her new opus as a “love letter to LA”. Thanks to the inspirational atmosphere of the City of Angels.
In order to give the eighth album a special tension and drama, Cyrus divides the whole thing into two mood levels: “AM” and “PM”, i.e. day pieces and night pieces, as a small hearing aid for the millions of viewers.
Cyrus previously shared, “When it came to the order of the ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ tracks, I split it into two parts: ‘AM’ represents morning associated with energy and a bouquet of possibilities. The sound of a new day.”
And further:
“The night, ‘PM’ feels like there’s a raunchy, seedy vibe. Dirt and glam at the same time. Evening is a great time to rest to recover. Or it’s the time to go out and experience the wild side. In LA, the night has a special energy. You can actually feel anger rising to the surface; which is very inspiring.”
Overall, “Endless Summer Vacation” is a rather thoughtful work. It’s not full of upbeat pop and summery singalongs. So the title is meant to be a little ironic. Cyrus usually leaves her fans in the dark about where she’s headed stylistically, and this is no different.
For the acoustic ballad “Thousand Miles” she brings country rocker Brandi Carlile on board. Here, pop, Americana and country merge seamlessly into a tightly arranged and well-performed number. Carlile’s vocals are only used for the harmonies, but blend in well with Cyrus’s vocals. The song even closes with an accordion or harmonica “riff”.
The bluesy ballad “You” is even softer. A sparse arrangement of keys and drums. “Let’s crash a wedding tonight/ Get drunk by the light/ And I’ll pick a fight to make up on the floor of your room/ But only if it’s with you,” she sings about the back-and-forth with a lover .
“Handstand” acts as a sonic turning point, taking the album into another bend. It starts with synthesizer pads and a spoken intro. A combination of spacey loops, electronic sounds and a heavy beat follows. A successful attunement to the exhilarating synth sounds of “River”. Again with a pulsating beat and pop hooks. The “rule of restraint” also applies here.
One of the highlights of the album comes quickly. And goes fast, continues on her new path: “Muddy Feet” is a mix with Sia, who again takes on a kind of cameo role. A raw stomper with the classic rock tones of “Plastic Hearts”. “Am I stranded on an island/ Or am I in paradise?” asks Cyrus.
The record ends with “Wonder Woman,” a piano ballad about resilience, the urge to travel, and overcoming life’s ups and downs. A nice and somber note to finish.
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