It’s been two years since she released 2020’s glam rock statement Plastic Hearts, but Miley Cyrus is back with another record of brazen self-discovery: Endless Summer Vacation.
The pop star has always had a penchant for chasing different sonic palettes, but ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ – her first new album since signing with Columbia Records – is the boldest and most uncompromising yet. Despite its lack of an overarching narrative, the album feels organic and cohesive; there’s a naturalness to it that ‘Plastic Hearts’ often felt like it was trying to force into place.
This is the kind of sonic evolution that Cyrus has been hungry for, ever since her deep-experimental 2015 debut ‘Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz’ and her subsequent ‘Can’t Be Tamed’ era. It’s a rebuke to the conventionality of her earlier work, in which she’s chased the ‘party girl’ persona that has become her signature.
Some moments feel as though the ‘Miley’ sonic identity has been refashioned for this age of social media speculation: tracks such as Jaded, which lets an ex have it with both barrels, and Rose Colored Lenses, a slow-burning ode to the sweet and intimate moments of a relationship. Ultimately, this is Cyrus’s most honest and vulnerable album to date; it’s the first time she’s taken her real-life experiences and transformed them into an album that’s less a product of her imagination than something entirely her own.
Music Analysis
The album’s production backs up that sense of authenticity. There’s a healthy mix of genre-bending talent here, from Bangerz producer Mike WiLL Made-It (‘Violet Chemistry’) to indie refractor BJ Burton, who worked on Harry Styles’ 2022 album Harry’s House. The record also features contributions from Sia and Grammy award winner Brandi Carlile, whose duet on ‘Thousand Miles’ is particularly memorable.
Songs such as ‘River’ and ‘Muddy Feet’ are particularly strong, replete with the same grit that has fuelled her career: a vocal performance that is raw and direct yet still very, very catchy. ‘Muddy Feet’, in particular, is one of the few songs on this record that manages to grab your attention: its trap-infused retro-futuristic soul riffs and piano-assisted instrumental remind you that this is Miley who can deliver a killer chorus.
A ‘PM’ section that starts with the wistful ‘Jaded’ and ends with a sultry ‘Rose Coloured Lenses’, and an outro featuring some more vocally luscious guitar licks, makes this a great listen for anyone who has been waiting to hear some more of Cyrus’s vocals in a while.
It’s no secret that Miley Cyrus is a huge fan of country music and keeps this in mind throughout her new album. For example, her own take on ‘Muddy’ has a touch of the late, great Dolly Parton about it. She even gets a little bit of country on ‘Thousand Miles’, a track that sees her reunite with Brandi Carlile for an incredibly moving and highly catchy duet.