Story by Vanessa Real
Former Nickelodeon and Disney Channel stars Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato all released new music last Friday.
These girls have been holding my childhood in a chokehold since appearing in late 2000s television shows such as Hannah Montana, Victorious and As the Bell Rings. Throughout the years I’ve seen all 3 girls branch out to start record breaking music careers.
Following her breakout role in 2010s Victorious, Ariana Grande won multiple awards and starred in her own spin off show Sam and Cat. Ariana’s debut album “Yours Truly” was released in 2013 and launched her music career with having over 138,000 units sold in its first week of release.
Demi Lovato won over 60 different music awards over her career, and her debut album “Don’t Forget," released in 2008, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Miley Cyrus’s debut album “Meet Miley Cyrus” was released in 2007 and reached No.1 on the Billboard 200. Since her rise to fame she has won multiple awards including four American Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award and more.
I have seen Ariana Grande grow up and become famous in front of my eyes. While watching Victorious as a child I just knew that Ariana Grande would be the one to branch off from the show and become a pop success. Anytime there’s a new song from her I’m quite excited and prepared to listen.
Miley Cyrus - Used to be Young
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⅘ stars
I have never given Miley Cyrus’s music a chance since I started hearing her pop music on the radio. Her song “Flowers” was catchy but just not my type, so I started to stray away from the idea of listening to Cyrus’s new music.
With “Used to be Young” coming out last Friday, Cyrus seemed like she really wanted her audience to relate to her. The song tells the story of people telling her that she’s lost her wildness and fun, and how time has changed her personality.
In her song she talks about her experience of people comparing her to her younger self. She explains that those times of being fun and crazy were for when she was young. “I say I used to be young,” and “That’s ‘cause I used to be young,'' are lyrics that are repeated multiple times in the chorus.
Cyrus being 31-years-old doesn’t make this relatable to me, it’s the idea of getting older and not being seen as valuable because you aren’t young, fun and hot enough anymore once you get to a certain age.
I read the lyrics as a beautiful concept about starting to get older and more mature, and to leave relationships where people do not celebrate growth with you.
I feel a certain level of comfort hearing Cyrus affirm and defend herself by saying that even though she doesn’t act or dress the same as her younger-self did, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any more fun in her life.
During the chorus a lyric says, “That’s fine, I’ve had a good run," clarifying that she acknowledges the fun and wild stages in her life, but with age doesn’t need to continue with her past actions.
This song made me realize I need to give her music more of a chance, and that even if it isn’t a song I can listen to on shuffle over and over again throughout the day, that doesn’t mean I can’t like and appreciate this song. I think I will listen to her upcoming album.
Demi Lovato - Rock Version of her Songs
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5/5 stars
Demi Lovato has dropped yet another single of a rock version of her song “Confident” on Friday.
Lovato has scheduled to release the full album, “REVAMPED," on Sept. 15, having each song of hers on the album being the rock remakes of previously released songs.
I was already a fan of Lovato’s music when she released “Heart Attack (Rock Version)” as a single last March. After listening to “Heart Attack," “Confident," "Sorry Not Sorry," and “Cool for the Summer," I can proudly say that I will be anticipating the rest of the album.
Listening to her songs being turned into rock songs made my age rewind for a second. It put me into my tween era again, but now I’m bobbing my head up and down and playing air guitar, which I never did to the originals.
I am more than ready for Sept. 15 to hear all that Lovato has in store for us, because when I listen to these songs it feels like she was waiting to make them into rock songs.
Ariana Grande - Yours Truly (Tenth Anniversary Edition)
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⅗ stars
It has officially been 10 years since Ariana Grande released her album “Yours Truly." She has since given her fans a 10th anniversary edition of her album, where some specialties have been added to older songs and adding some songs she had performed live in London onto the album as well.
As a pretty big fan of hers, I was anticipating her to release some newer music. There’s currently an unreleased song of hers floating around the internet called “Fantasize” that a lot of social media, especially TikTok, have shed light to and made a hit.
Any friend of mine that is an Ariana Grande fan and has TikTok has heard “Fantasize” by now, and fans have been anticipating an official release. With that being said though, I am definitely not disappointed with her re-releasing “Yours Truly.”
I had to download all the Live from London versions of “Honeymoon Avenue," “Baby I," “Tattooed Heart," “Right There," and “The Way," because hearing Ariana use different melodies, notes, and riffs in these versions of the songs makes you appreciate her talent even more.
Having to rate these old Nickelodeon and Disney Channel stars based off of the music they have all recently released, I am going to start with Ariana Grande in third.
I am a big fan of her and while I love and appreciate her anniversary release I can’t help but want to see a newly released single from her.
I have already been a fan of “Yours Truly," there was no new surprise factor to the album, even though it was very enjoyable. Miley Cyrus’s ‘Used to be Young’ has to be second.
I am just shocked at myself for how much I genuinely appreciated and enjoyed this release since I am not her biggest fan when it comes to her other music.
She deserves second ranking because listening to this song has made me realize I need to get on the Miley Cyrus train and give more of her music a chance.
Demi Lovato had to be first when it comes to this ranking simply because of my excitement level for the rest of her “REVAMPED” album.
I had never considered myself to be a big fan of rock, but knowing that Lovato has an incredibly talented voice, and myself being a fan of the original pop versions of “Heart Attack” and “Confident," I couldn’t help but listen.
She’s been teasing the songs since March of 2023, so she has kept me on my toes for months now. Hearing their older music turned rock, is the most right feeling ever, especially because Lovato has a voice made for rock, it is beyond fitting for her
Being as difficult as it was to rate each of the Nickelodeon and Disney girl’s newly released music, it’s still easy to say that Demi Lovato has convinced me with these song releases that I need to watch and listen to her more.
With her teasing a couple of the rock versions of her songs before the rest of the album comes out, she has lured me into what else “REVAMPED” can and will be, and why I should be excited.
