People may criticize Miley Cyrus for her recent overtly sexual displays at the VMAs and in her “We Can’t Stop” music video, but her new album Bangerz is awesome. People may think her behavior is simply an effort to draw attention to herself and it may well be, but the the quality of the music on her newest album speaks for itself.
With much hype, the album dropped on Oct. 8. The 20-year-old’s fourth album has gained much momentum in its first few weeks, reaching the coveted number one spot on both the US and UK charts.
It has been three and half years since the release of her last album, “Can’t Be Tamed,” and during this time Cyrus has continued her transition from Hannah Montana to adulthood. “Bangerz” is a sensational album putting the saga of Cyrus’ relationship and breakup with Liam Hemsworth into song. On The Ellen Show, Miley described the album as telling a “real story,” and her description is true to form.
The album begins with the song “Adore You,” a ballad in which Miley proclaims her love for Hemsworth and that their love will never end. She continues to profess her love for him in the more sexual song “#GETITRIGHT” in which she sings, “I feel so alone when you were gone/ Feeling right back home when I’m in your arms.”
As the album progresses, Cyrus’ adoration and love transition to anger and rage as she details to listeners the pain and betrayal Hemsworth’s cheating on her has caused. In her song entitled “FU,” the 10th song on the album, Cyrus sings “Oh, you broke my heart/ I told you I was weak for love/ but then you went around/ And did what you wanted to do” and “I got two letters for you/ One of them is F/ And the other one is U.” She makes clear to all that her heart has been broken and that she has been wronged.
Cyrus’ emotional journey continues through the end of the album. Concluding “Bangerz” on a more positive note, she sings about how she will make it and how she does not need anyone else. Her newly discovered independence shines through as she sings, “Don’t be afraid to do it alone/ You’ll get it done on your own!” in the second to last song of the album.
Aside from providing fans with an intimate look into the Cyrus-Hemsworth relationship and its subsequent destruction, “Bangerz” delivers fans with catchy and fresh tunes to jam out to. It provides variation in style and form as the album contains ballads, rap and pure pop. The album is further diversified by its features of Britney Spears, Nelly, Big Sean, French Montana, Mike-Will-Make-It and Ludacris.
Overall, Bangerz is an incredible album. With many good songs and an ultimate theme of empowerment through difficult times, fans have and will continue to flock to it. I know I will be blasting it in my car for several weeks to come.
