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Advocate for the community; make policy. Earn your MA in urban and public affairs; University of San Francisco
A&E | March 16, 2023

Miley Cyrus prepares for summer

Illustration by Hannah Gregoric

While Miley Cyrus’s 2020 album “Plastic Hearts” was a snooze, “Endless Summer Vacation” is a breath of fresh air that contains experimental sounds with breezy contemplations and
upbeat melodies.

“Endless Summer Vacation” came out on Friday and I cannot get enough of it.

Cyrus dives into her feelings regarding her divorce with actor Liam Hemsworth and gives listeners hits to bump during the summer.

Since her 2013 album “Bangerz,” I have been a stan of both her music and who she is as a person, from what I’ve heard and read about her career.

A stan is an overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity, according to the Oxford Dictionary.

“Flowers” and “Jaded” are just two of my favorite songs on her recent album, both of which revolve around love.

“Flowers” was an early release that caused controversy and made its way onto Billboard Global 200 for a reason.

A sampled hit from Bruno Mars’s 2013 recognizable song, “When I Was Your Man,” inspired “Flowers,” where she sings about being a strong woman and not needing a partner to do the things
she enjoys.

“Jaded” is a strong follow up, delivering intense feelings for both parties of the failed relationship that gave a glimpse of what didn’t work when
they were together.

Cyrus manages to look at both sides of the relationship and admits she had some faults, but we can still blame Hemsworth for his cheating ways.

While the album includes
13 songs, it only two had features, “Thousand Miles” featuring Brandi Carlile and “Muddy Feet” featuring Sia.

I enjoyed them both as they contrasted each other. “Thousand Miles” has more of a calm relaxing feel, while “Muddy Feet” is an angry bop in regards to infidelity.

If I had to choose, I would side with “Muddy Feet” because I enjoy more angry
heartbreak songs.

As the album continues, Cyrus switches from her tragic love story to how she perceives herself and what it’s like to be on top.

“Island” is a three minute song that fills the listener in on her thoughts as a popstar in a different way than any other song on the album.

The entire song makes me feel like I’m sipping on a sex on the beach cocktail, until I actually start listening to
the lyrics.

“Am I stranded (Am I stranded)/ On an island? (On an island)/ Or have I landed (Have I landed)/ In paradise?” got me in the sense where she talks metaphorically about being a stranger who’s lonely or seeing she has everything people want, money and excess fame.

Undeniably, I know Cyrus has the talent to write compelling songs and sing with her
unique voice.

Even though she is mainstream, I fear she doesn’t have the power to stay as relevant with her music and is only known for her name now.

I loved this album as much as “Bangerz” and am a huge fan of hers, but I still sense that she’ll end up lost in my playlist.

I have a feeling her hype will pass when comparing her to all of the other artists in my
music frequently.