Oh She's Just Being Miley
Here's my confession: I love Miley Cyrus #sorrynotsorry As a lover of pop culture (and by implication pop music) I have been fascinated, at times confused and generally in awe of Ms Cyrus since she first caught my ear with Party in the USA, a song that was particularly poignant for me as it was released around the time that I was preparing to move to the US. It became a theme song of sorts for me that helped "the butterflies fly away". A few years later We Can't Stop was released, showcasing a different but no less fun side to Miley. Drug use aside, the song resonated with me because it throws the middle finger to judgmental people who have no business sticking their noses into anyone else's business. Has she gone too far at times? Perhaps. But didn't we all do things we later regretted as we tried to find ourselves in our 20s? In Miley's case, she has had to grow up with the eyes of the world on her, with every choice, good or bad, magnified and scrutinized by the public.
Indeed, Miley faced some harsh criticism for her behaviour, statements and attire (or lack thereof) around the time of the release of her Bangerz album back in 2013. It seems like just the other day she was twerking her way from Hannah Montana to the weed-smoking wrecking-ball-riding adult Miley. She is not the first child star to use what can be considered a coming-of-age album to break free from their squeaky clean adolescent persona to establish a sexier, stronger and self-empowered adult one. For Christina Aguilera, it was leather chaps and mud wrestling from the Dirrrty era. For Britney it was her self-titled album featuring I'm a slave for 4 U and Boys, accompanied by a more daring wardrobe - and a snake around her neck.
Despite the questionable title and some gratuitous fucks dispersed throughout the album, Bangerz is actually a really good pop album. The deluxe edition included some amazing bonus tracks which showcase what Miley really has to offer as an artist as well as stickers - yes, stickers! The huge hit Wrecking Ball, and what some called a controversial video (though I prefer to call it iconic) featuring a naked Miley on a giant wrecking ball, suggestively licking a hammer, became a part of pop culture history as soon as it was released. Controversy aside, the song suggests a vulnerability and a sense of loss that anyone can relate to and remains one of my favourite songs of this decade.
Bangerz features a couple of party-all-night don't-give-a-f*ck songs (see the lead single, We Can't Stop) but there are also tracks that explore heartbreak and a softer side to Miley: Adore You, Someone Else and Rooting for my baby. There are songs that suggest resilience and strength, which Miley has had to have in light of the aforementioned onslaught of criticism and degrading comments about her: FU (featuring French Montana) and Do My Thang. However, the backlash from her overt display of sexuality, in her videos and public performances, also called into question the extent to which blatant sexism contributed to the criticism. If she were a male, would the public have reacted so strongly to her boundary-pushing self-exploration?
The album does include a couple of bizarre (but no less enjoyable) songs such as 4 x 4 (featuring Nelly) in which Miley sings that she is about "to piss on" herself and SMS featuring Britney Spears, in which the word "bangerz" is repeated multiple times. And the one song on the album I just don't get and can't bring myself to listen to is Love Money Party featuring Big Sean.
I recently watched several episodes of the new season of The Voice, on which Miley is a judge, and I realised that, while she might talk a lot, she knows a little something about music and there is a reason that she is a star: she is talented, she is willing to push boundaries and she does not apologise for "doing her thang". Plus, Dolly Parton is her godmother - it doesn't get much cooler than that! So I will continue to defend Miley. Can we get a new album already?
Comments
Post a Comment