By Raegan Scharfetter/managing editor
From every young girl’s role model as Hannah Montana to every parent’s worst nightmare as the naked girl on a wrecking ball, Miley Cyrus has proven one thing – she will have an audience no matter what she sings.
Cyrus’ new album, Younger Now, is an anthem to the past yet not allowing the past to define who one is as a whole, which was Cyrus’ goal.
“I think when you are a teenager, young adult, you’re trying so hard to be cool or to prove something or to be something away from who you’ve been as a kid,” Cyrus told Complex. “And I guess as I’ve gotten older — what Younger Now says is, even though it’s not who I am, I’m not afraid of who I used to be.”
Besides “Younger Now,” the two most popular songs on Younger Now are “Malibu” and “Inspired.” Both are strategically placed at the beginning and end of the album, creating the rise and fall of the mood.
“Malibu,” being the first single Cyrus released off her album, is a love song directed toward long-term partner Liam Hemsworth with sweet and relatable lyrics and an upbeat melody.
However, toward the middle of the album, songs “Rainbowland” featuring Dolly Parton, “Week Without You” and “Bad Mood” are a little more cheesy and careless.
Younger Now has created a bit of controversy since its release with speculation that Cyrus is appropriating hip-hop culture. Artists are constantly changing and reinventing their music to stay relevant in today’s industry, and there is nothing wrong with Cyrus reflecting on her Nashville roots.
Although Cyrus’ image is not typically associated with the country genre, she nailed Younger Now overall with a balance between playful and serious. After all, Cyrus is known for her crazy antics and outfits, so maybe the cheesy and carelessness in her album was planned.
As said in the song “Younger Now,” change is a thing we can count on, especially, when it comes to Cyrus’ music.
