Many of us have grown up with Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana, later shocking the world with her ‘rebellious’ era as she went through the growing pains so many child actors who embark on the quest for their own identity face. If you look into her discography, she’s been consistently releasing albums releases since as early as 2007, particularly since her album ‘She is Coming’ in 2019. She didn’t disappoint in 2023 with her eighth studio album. Moving away from the raspy, Rock ‘n’ Roll aroura of ‘Plastic Hearts’ in 2020, Cyrus brings us Endless Summer Vacation, a Pop album that doesn’t forget to subtly tip its cowboy hat to her Country Western roots with the use of the harmonica in ‘Thousand Miles’ featuring Brandi Carlie. This release came after Cyrus’ divorce from Liam Hemsworth and seems to confirm past rumours of infidelity. The opening track ‘Flowers’ was released as a single in January 2023 and spent over eight consecutive weeks at the top of the singles charts, taking TikTok by storm and prophesying that Cyrus’ would be the sound of the summer before the full album followed in March.
After my first listen of ‘Flowers’ as a single, there was no question that it was written to be a hit. It’s formulaic, bouncy and empowering. The lyrics ‘Built a house and watched it burn’ acting as a metaphor for her broken marriage and a literal reference to the house shared by her and Hemsworth that sadly burnt down in November of 2018. However, as a big fan of Miley’s recent music, to me it felt almost too perfect, a cookie cutter chart topper, the words got stuck in my head, but didn’t necessarily make me feel something deeper. It wasn’t until the full album was released that I came to appreciate the track as the crown topping the head of a monarch of an album.
The second track, tiled ‘Jaded’ expresses a contrasting emotion from ‘Flowers’. Miley’s vocals are graver, ‘I could have taken you places’ portrays her regret, not for the end of the relationship, but for what could have been. It’s a familiar feeling, loving someone and having empathy for their pain – ‘You’re lonely now and I hate it’ but recognising their fate is self-inflicted and being strong enough to know it’s no longer your job to fix it. The song ends with a repeat of the tag line, ‘I’m sorry that you’re jaded’ which seems to drive home the finality of the situation. To me it’s a more powerful song with a much rawer message.
‘Endless Summer Vacation’, the title track briefly moves on from the breakup and introduces a light-hearted new relationship, presumably with her current boyfriend, fellow musician Maxx Morando. This track hints to a more relaxed romance with ‘falling stupid like we’re kids.’ while Miley reminds the audience that she still has Rock and Roll in her, ‘make a mess of a nice hotel.’
In theme with many of her newer albums, Cyrus hasn’t been shy on the subject of her sex life. ‘You’ is what I’d refer to as the ‘strip tease’ of this album. There is no holding back with lines ‘have wild, wild, wild sex under the moon’ and ‘I want that late-night sweet magic.’ The smokiness of her voice brings a balance and maturity to the song that to me sets it off beautifully, the accompanying harmonies also giving an overall feeling of warmth like smooth whiskey. On the other hand (no pun intended) ‘Handstand’ has a more playful energy. The use of a synth-driven tune is reminiscent of the 80’s dance scene, it could sit quite happily beside Madonna’s ‘Pappa Don’t Preach’ at an 80’s club night. The synth is also heavily used in ‘River’ a song that continues to give the listener insight into Cyrus’ erotic love life.
My personal favourite track is ‘Muddy Feet’ ft SIA. It’s angry, accusatory jab of a song with a harsh, punchy drumbeat throughout. The reverb on Miley’s voice provides a gritty, horse, shout while SIA’s lamenting notes serve as a cry to war to anyone who has felt betrayal.
Despite having an overwhelming number of solid tracks, there are some songs that fell flat for me personally. ‘Violet Chemistry’ feels too ‘clubby’ for the album to me, much like ‘Wild Card’ it feels out of place from the rest of the album. I do however appreciate the use of bright, unique drum beats as opposed the heavy droning ones used by many ‘club anthems’ but this is down to that genre being out of my personal taste.
The album is rounded off with ‘Wonder Woman’, why Cyrus after the passing of her maternal Grandmother in 2020, to whom the singer was very close. It describes the matriarch of a family who stays strong for the benefit of her loved ones until she is alone and ‘She can’t stop her tears from welling up.’ It’s a grieving tune that’s sung in a way that could be felt by any woman in the world. It’s a testimony to the women in Cyrus’ life who gave her the strength to endure the heartbreak she expresses, as well as the strength to fall in love again.
This album take us through volatile emotions of the breakdown of a relationship, It’s the kind that you can both dance and cry to, whips you up and reassures you the you have the right to feel whatever you’re feeling. Although it showcases both highs and lows, it stays cohesive melodically. Yet another triumph for Cyrus.