When it comes to longevity in popular music, there is no denying that several factors come into play. In fact, more often than not, an artist requires much more than talent to stay relevant in the music scene. One crucial component to the successful formula is the ability to constantly reinvent your public persona. And no one knows how to do this better than Miley Cyrus.
From a sweet teen idol to a scandalous and controversial pop star, Miley Cyrus has constantly redefined what it means to be a pop star throughout her singing career. Now, after a personal whirlwind of a year, she is back to once again redefine what it means with her seventh studio album, “Plastic Hearts”.
The full-length record consists of 12 original songs that discuss the aftermath of her public divorce with Australian actor, Liam Hemsworth last year. The album starts with the energising banger “WTF Do I Know”. Written with famous producers like Ryan Tedder and Louis Bell, the rock tune does an excellent job as an introduction to the album. With lyrics like “You want an apology? Not from me. Had to leave you in your own misery,” Cyrus is clearly discussing her stand on the aftermath of her divorce.
However, unlike the tracks in “Bangerz” (2013), “WTF Do I Know” interpolates heavy guitar strumming for a lively and energetic sound. With this song, “Bad Karma” and “Angels Like You” in particular, the influence of Metallica can be heard with the choice of the guitar strumming and production of the songs.
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Having said that, the standout of the record was definitely her duet with Billy Idol. Charged with a heavy 80s synth-rock beat, “Night Crawling” will forever be remembered as one of the best songs from her catalogue. Its catchy chorus and fun lyrics just begged for it to be played on radios, clubs and live concerts over and over again. In fact, we can even see this being a soundtrack to an upcoming sci-fi TV series.
Apart from this, the tune also showcases a different side of Cyrus – one that we have not particularly seen before. From the vocals to the production, the track surely added an interesting flair to her persona. While the lead and second singles were entertaining, it is worth highlighting the ballads in the record. More specifically “Hate Me” and “High” which reminded us of her earlier works.
The choruses and emotions to the tunes will remind you of certain songs in her sophomore album, “Breakout”. This was very nice and comforting to hear considering how Cyrus has now been more comfortable with her Disney days and earlier works rather than being ashamed of it.
Though most of the tracks were very pleasing to our ears, the final track to the standard edition “Golden G String” wasn’t particularly our favourite. Although we understand the importance of the message behind it, the slow beat was a bit draggy. Hence, it sounded more like an interlude to the album, especially when compared to the upbeat songs.
But overall, “Plastic Hearts” was a good piece of work. With the killer tracks on the album, “Plastic Hearts” definitely did a good job of delivering the goods to us. Although it took a while for us to get here, Cyrus’s smooth transition to “Plastic Hearts” was definitely worth the wait.
