After much hype and anticipation, Miley Cyrus has released her fourth studio album, Bangerz, and it has received mixed reviews. My personal opinion? I give it three out of five stars for good effort and the best music Miley has created so far in her career (after more than three years of musical silence). It is clear through the album’s lack of theme or genre that Miley is still “figuring it out.” Yet, regardless of your opinions about the twerking 20-year-old performer, Bangerz reinforces the fact that Miley can sing.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know (and are totally sick of) the album’s two singles, “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball.” I have no shame in admitting that I truly enjoy both of these hits in different ways. “We Can’t Stop” was my party anthem of summer 2013, while “Wrecking Ball” is a powerful pop ballad that is relatable and has a great beat. Bangerz, attempts to blend hip-hop and pop with Miley’s country voice; three contrasting musical elements that give off an “experimental” vibe. The album is a combination of love ballads, breakup songs and “bangerz”- party anthems about letting loose and not caring what anyone thinks about it. My favorite tracks on the album, besides the above-mentioned singles, include “FU (ft. French Montana),” an angry breakup song where Miley belts out to a cheating ex (Liam Hemsworth, anyone?); “Rooting For My Baby,” which has a funky old school sound and acoustic undertones for Miley to shows off her vocals; and the chill love song, “Adore You.” Miley makes several attempts at rapping on this album with tracks like, “Do My Thang” and “SMS,” which features pop legend, Britney Spears.
The star-studded album contains collaborations with Britney Spears, Big Sean, Future, Ludacris and French Montana. Along with big-name collaborations, the album’s production team includes Pharrell, Dr. Luke, Mike Will Made It and will.i.am. Clearly these celebrities endorse Miley’s new image and wanted to contribute to “the movement,” as explained in Miley’s MTV documentary. I’ve found I have a love-hate relationship with Miley Cyrus. One minute she’s annoying me and the next I’m singing along to her songs and praising her live performances. Everyone seems to have a different opinion of Bangerz; I suggest you take a listen to the starlet’s new album and decide for yourself if you love it or hate it!
New Music:
- Justin Bieber- “All That Matters”
- Pitbull ft. Ke$ha- “Timber”
- Paris Hilton ft. Lil Wayne- “Good Time”
- Mike Posner ft. 2 Chainz- “Living My life”
- Lady Gaga ft. T.I., Too $hort & Twista- “Jewels & Drugs”
- Panic! At The Disco- Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die
- Dipo- Revolution
- Iggy Azalea- Change Your Life
- Gavin DeGraw- Make A Move