Miley Cyrus' eighth studio album has arrived shrouded in mystery, which is unusual for an artist who is not exactly known for being shy and retiring. Cyrus is a straight-talker who is normally game for a laugh on the promo circuit, but she has been keeping a low profile since co-hosting a televised New Year's Eve special with her godmother Dolly Parton. Until the week of its release, all that was known about "Endless Summer Vacation" was what Cyrus had told us on the chart-topping "Flowers," its inescapable and fundamentally self-possessed lead single: "I can love me better than you can."
If "Flowers" finds Cyrus rebuilding herself after a break-up, then the album feels like a messier, more complex extension of this process. On the dreamy "Rose Colored Lenses," she looks back at the best days of a relationship when "somehow the bed sheets are dirty like sticky sweet lemonade". But the fierce "Muddy Feet," which features Sia on backing vocals and sounds like Lana Del Rey jamming with Kings of Leon circa-2016, finds Cyrus wronged and fighting back. Cyrus' ire is completely riveting.
"Endless Summer Vacation" is one of Cyrus' more subdued efforts, musically, but it is also peppered with surprises that recall her brasher previous eras. "Rose Colored Lenses," one of six songs Cyrus co-wrote with Harry Styles' producers Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, climaxes in a psychedelic swirl that sounds like something from "Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz," the experimental 2015 album she made with The Flaming Lips. The infectious second single "River," which Cyrus has described as a "dancefloor banger" with "nasty" lyrics, feels like a relative of her Stevie Nicks-inspired hit "Midnight Sky." And, in a way, "Violet Chemistry" is a cooler, more alt-leaning update of the bolshy electro-pop sound that Cyrus mined on her underrated 2010 album "Can't Be Tamed."
Cyrus has called "Endless Summer Vacation" her "love letter" to LA, the city she moved to as a teenager when she landed her career-launching role in the Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana." She has also said the album is divided into parts: an 'AM' opening portion "representing the morning time, where there's a buzz and an energy and... a potential of new possibilities," followed by a 'PM' closing section with a "slinky seediness and kind of a grime but a glamour at the same time." The split isn't super-pronounced, but with the exception of "Flowers," the album's second half contains its most obvious hits. Cyrus is a seasoned genre-hopper, but the lovely, reggae-flecked "Island" feels like something brand new for Cyrus.
Generally, the opening stretch finds Cyrus in more familiar musical territory. "Thousand Miles" is a country-dappled collaboration with Brandi Carlile; "You" allows her to show off her powerful throaty vocals, and "Jaded" contains echoes of '90s alt-rock anthems like The Cranberries' "Zombie," a song that Cyrus has covered in the past. The album's major curveball comes right in the middle: "Handstand," a psychedelic fever dream co-written by transgressive American film director Harmony Korine. The song's trippy production and cryptic lyrics feel like another nod to the "Dead Petz" era.
Overall, 'Endless Summer Vacation' showcases Miley Cyrus in a state of introspection and self-exploration, both musically and personally. It's a potent reclamation of power that sees Cyrus take charge of her narrative, with songs that navigate the complexities of relationships and identity in a nuanced and relatable way.
Fans of Cyrus will find much to appreciate in this album, which manages to balance experimentation with familiarity in a way that feels authentic and organic. The production is top-notch, with each song benefiting from the keen ear of the talented producers and collaborators who worked on the project.
In short, 'Endless Summer Vacation' is a strong addition to Cyrus's discography, and a welcome reminder of why she remains one of the most exciting and versatile artists working today. Whether you're a longtime fan or a curious newcomer, this album is well worth a listen.
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