Miley Cyrus, who now just goes by the mononym Miley, dropped her 10th studio album “Bass Persuades” and fans have been having mixed emotions around the singer’s sound this time around.
This wouldn’t be the first time Miley has released an album with mixed reviews, as the former child-star has lived under the public’s massive magnifying glass her entire life. This time however, the judgement isn’t for her partying, drug consumption or scandalous fashion choices, but instead for her using this album to showcase her relationship with fiance Maxx Morando, her journey with sobriety and aging gracefully.
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, the singer opens up about how awkward and uncomfortable at times it can be moving from her past lifestyle into her new healing era. Describing how in a therapy session she spent the entire time writing the phrase “You don’t have to be high to be famous” over and over until it stuck.
“There was a little bit of discomfort going from that person to who I am now, not just for myself but the expectation of who I was meant to be. Anything I have ever been for a time that I have gotten resistance on- you could say, it always becomes a thing that becomes the new standard. Like when I started partying it was a thing, then when I stopped everyone was saying you like to party that’s your thing? What do you mean you are stopping partying?” Said Miley.
As a long time fan of her work, I was so excited about the prospects of getting another album. I think for many of us that grew up watching her on TV as kids her age, to going through the motions of entering adulthood just as she had, now reaching the bend and entering our thirties, we can have a bit more of an appreciation for the change in her sound that has been offputting and confusing to the more general public.
The album has ten tracks total, with a 37 minute runtime, feeling a little on the shorter end. It opens with the title track and single “Bass Persuades.” The song serves as one of three bangers on the tracklist, that despite its chorus chanting “the kids don’t want to dance” it does in fact make listeners want to get up onto their feet and dance.
The music video paired alongside the track was also a show stopper, paying homage to other music icons like Joan Jett, Michael Jackson, Brittany Spears and Madonna. In the interview with Lowe, the two boast about the unbelievable craftsmanship of the set builders for the video, praising the team for all their hard work and attention to detail, instead of relying on AI to create the art.
Contrary to the opinions of some reviewers, I feel like there are aspects of the singer’s previous albums sprinkled throughout this record. Even if the tracks on this album feel a little disjointed, the theme holds strong throughout the entire work and it’s evident in both sound and lyricism, she is taking inspiration from her previous works. The album has moments that harken back to “Plastic Hearts,” “Bangerz” and “Dead Petz” mixing the beats, alternative sound with deeply emotional lyricism.
Miley shared in the interview this record was not meant for anyone else but herself. As long as she felt proud of it, she would be happy. The singer also goes into depth explaining how for her music can be a “genreless flow.” Praising her partner Morando for being able to understand that and relate with her. “Maxx understands the blur I like to live in when it comes to music,” says Miley.
One track in particular I think will only grow on fans more with time is “Innocent Ways.” This track feels a smidge more sentimental than the rest on the album as it seemingly holds two meanings for Miley. In one perspective, she is singing to her younger sister, Noah “I want better for my sister…She calls me only when it’s late night and she’s high…Her mind is spinning, Eight nights in a row. She’s been in a crisis. She looks just like me, yeah, when she cries. Now that we’re both older, I tried to save all of her innocent ways. Grace comes with age, but don’t tell her.” In another perspective one may spin the lyrics to be Miley talking to a younger version of herself going through the motions and pressures of stardom.
A more palette friendly song on the album is “Lets get married.” Serving as the album’s only other single, likely for the reason it appeals most to the general public, therefore sounding more radio-ready. Having already made its way onto most social media platforms, and being called the next “first dance” song at weddings.
All in all, was this Miley’s most popular album? Definitely not. Was it unusual? Absolutely, but that may just be the charm of the tracks. Give it a solid few listens through, check out her interviews where she opens up about not only the lyrics but the production, and see if it grows on you, just as wisdom has grown on Miley as she continues on her journey towards happiness and healing.