Here's perhaps the craziest thing about Miley Cyrus: From all the million-word think-pieces written about why she's great, why she's horrible, why she's whatever, has anyone actually stopped to listen to her music? I mean, Miley does put on quite the visual spectacle, that much we can be certain of. But two points here: 1) Is it really so difficult to consider her nearly absurdist-comedy take on hip-hop tropes in the mainstream as part of the total Miley Cyrus Crazytrain package? And 2) Miley is 20. Let her live her life, amiright? She's reinventing herself, not the wheel; and this is entertainment, not the altar, so err'body calm down.
Bangerz is, like many great coming-of-age albums by female pop stars, both uneven and almost aggressively confident. (Click here to buy on iTunes, because you should.) I mean, think Christina Aguilera's Stripped era or when Britney was lip-synching on green-screened mountaintops about not being a girl or a woman. Both albums by these legends were wildly experimental, so I believe this sort of criticism is unfair. Bangerz is no different, and watch: Once all the craziness surrounding Miley cools down, this album will probably be retrospectively deemed iconic, maybe even classic. It'll be seen as something that captured a provocative moment in pop-music history, rather than some sort of abomination. Right, Brit-Brit?
Here's 6 reasons Bangerz totally rules:
1. That aforementioned throw-spaghetti-at-the-wall-to-see-what-sticks approach is all over this album and that takes a certain kind of fearlessness, no? Take oddball collaborations like "4x4" with Nelly, a honky-tonk romp through the mud produced by Pharrell, or the ridonkulous cabaret shtick of "FU" with French Montana. You'll listen and be like, "What in God's name is this?" But again, Miley's got the verve to pretty much pull it off.
2. Bangerz is likely the most schizo-eclectic album you'll hear for the rest of 2013, which means that it is chock-full of personality and, by extension, oodles of originality. Like, who else even sounds like Miley right now? I'll be waiting. ;)
3. Speaking of sounds, Miley's voice is in fine form throughout this thing. It's elastic and twangy and full of grit—from the hushed, yet lush, opener "Adore You" to duh "Wrecking Ball" to the breezy sex jam "#GetItRight." (What's with the hashtag?)
4. Miley and Britney Jean Spears, National Treasure, give Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" a bratty, roboticized upgrade! Do you hear what I'm hearing?!?! This is so weird/bonkerz, yet amazing.
5. Anyone who can successfully rhyme "strange" with "orangutan" is a hero in my book. See: Your new bad-bitch anthem "Do My Thang."
6. Miley receives cowriting credits on a bulk of these tracks, and yes, many of them seem to be about ex-fiance Liam. Take "Drive" or "Someone Else," for example. But again, she sings with her soul on these heartbreaking tracks, and I don't know about you, but the mix of affecting personal touches and bad-bitch declarations on Bangerz cements my status on #TeamMiley. Should we all get jerseys made?
What do y'all think of Bangerz?
