I feel no shame in having judged Miley Cyrus harshly for her Video Music Awards performance. That being said, after listening to “Bangerz,” the former Disney Channel star’s latest studio album, I’ve been forced to acknowledge that Miley is far, far more than what she seemed two months ago — so, she’s at least more than a dancing teddy-bear with a lot of hip action.
Released Oct. 4, “Bangerz” features the hit singles “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball,” each of which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart when released. Most of the other tracks on the record, however, fail to live up to this standard. The album is by no means consistent. Cyrus, as a 20-year-old pop star with an indefinite future in the industry, is still trying to find her niche, and “Bangerz” seems to reflect this search.
From the surprisingly countrified “4×4 (ft. Nelly),” to the heartfelt and passionate ballad “Adore You,” Miley shows off a tremendous range of creativity and talent in her music. She’s out to prove that she’s more than a twerking party girl who engages in ridiculous stunts with married men, and at times she does a superb job.
“My Darlin (ft. Future)” is a ‘60s throwback, sampling the King classic “Stand by Me,” while “FU (ft. French Montana)” mixes contemporary rap with a jazzy style. Even dubstep makes an appearance in “Bangerz” with “Drive.” Towering above the rest of the record, however, is previously released single “Wrecking Ball,” which stands out for its blend of raw emotion, powerful vocals and sheer catchiness.
Cyrus tries a little bit of everything — Keith Urban would be proud — with “Bangerz,” and while this approach makes for an all-inclusive range of styles and themes, it also lends itself to inconsistency. For instance, in “We Can’t Stop” and “SMS (Bangerz) (ft. Britney Spears),” Cyrus celebrates a lifestyle of hard partying and a partying-till-you-twerk-yourself-to-death mindset, whereas “Love, Money, Party (ft. Big Sean),” a much more emotional track, asserts that “partying ain’t nothing but a party, when you party every day.” Lyrically, it becomes impossible to tell whether Cyrus is disavowing her party-girl label or embracing it.
Ultimately, the album comes across as a little bit hypocritical. After her VMA performance and “Wrecking Ball” music video, her claims that there’s more to life than partying, money and sex sound laughable at best. She’s solidified herself as a post-Disney party animal, so she may as well commit to her new label.
Regardless of the inconsistent messages, “Bangerz” is well worth a listen. It’s emotional, passionate and funny, and it is sure to challenge your expectations. If you have an hour or so to kill, it’s a great wild ride into Miley’s next era of music. She may not be Hannah Montana anymore, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
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