Pop star Miley Cyrus to release new album on Friday endless summer vacation. Guardian‘s Shaad D’Souza talks about some standout tracks.
Michelle Martin, host:
And finally today, Miley Cyrus has been in the public eye for nearly two decades. Since leaving the show in 2011, she has released eight albums. Her latest, ‘Endless Summer Vacation,’ features her smash hit, ‘Flowers.’
(song soundbite, “Hana”)
Miley Cyrus: (singing) I can buy myself flowers, write my name in the sand, talk to myself for hours, say things you don’t understand. See what you don’t understand.
Martin: “Flowers” was the #1 song in the world for six weeks.
(song soundbite, “Hana”)
CYRUS: (singing) Will you love me more? You can love me more, baby
SHAAD D’SOUZA: “Flowers” I was a little overwhelmed. But yeah, it’s this blockbuster, like her biggest hits, and I think it’s very comparable to her 2013 heyday. I found it very interesting.
(song sound bite, “Hana (demo)”)
CYRUS: (singing) Paint my nails cherry red to match the roses you left behind. No regrets. I will not regret it. I forgive every word you said.
D’SOUZA: I was listening to it and it felt like this made the song sound really sad. And then at the end, I kind of like going back to, oops, maybe this song was actually very depressing. And I really liked that duality.
(song soundbite, “You”)
CYRUS: (singing) Let’s wreck the wedding tonight, let’s get drunk on the light. Then I pick a fight to make up on the floor of your room.
D’SOUZA: There’s a great ballad called “You” in the middle.
(song soundbite, “You”)
CYRUS: (singing) I brought my luggage. Let’s do some damage. I’m not made for horses and carriages. You know I’m a savage, but you’re overlooking it increase.
D’SOUZA: I think they are really, really strong. I think it’s pretty sad. The whole album is so sad and I think that’s what makes it so appealing. And I think her voice is so ragged that it really sells her emotions. And “You” has the rebellious spirit of her early music, but in this strangely mature way, which I think is a very compelling combination. It’s a thing.
(Soundbite of the song, “Rosy Lens”)
CYRUS: (singing) We could be like this forever, with our heads above the clouds, lost in wonderland and foolish like children. Let’s play pretend.
D’SOUZA: I really like “Rose Colored Lenses”. There’s such a lyrical and musical nod to “Total Control” by The Motels, but it’s kind of an inversion of that song’s theme, looking back on relationships, trying to control someone else’s emotions, or something like that. thing. So it will be helpful. Let’s make it sound like the pre-chorus of “Total Control.” But I quite like it. I think it’s very attractive.
(Soundbite of the song, “Island”)
CYRUS: (singing) I’m on an island dancing dirty in the sun.
D’SOUZA: And there is a song called “Island” at the end, which is also a very sad song. I think it’s presented as something of a more upbeat track. But hooks are really crazy…
(Soundbite of the song, “Island”)
CYRUS: (singing) Am I stranded on an island or have I landed in paradise?
D’SOUZA: …it’s a dark and weird tone. A lot of the album for me feels like more positive songs, very introspective. Like, I guess you could read it as a record of a breakup, but almost equally from a long time in the future or something. Like “Island,” this strange mix of sad and nostalgic tones is what I find very appealing and something you don’t get very often in pop music.
(Soundbite of the song, “Island”)
CYRUS: (singing) Mama said, girl, if you smoke, smoke. Brought the writer back home with all the problems.
D’SOUZA: The weird and interesting thing about Miley is that no matter what she does, she’s not convincing in a good way. She’s kind of like Madonna in that respect, making things like a costume. She’s always been someone more famous than she is, so I think she’s going to be really good, really interesting music. I think she’s really licensed to do different things. I think the sound of “Endless Her Summer Her Vacation” is a mix of country, Fleetwood, Her Mac, Her style of rock and a bit of disco, and it works very well. think. But I don’t think that’s necessarily what she sounds like. I think it’s likely she’ll change a lot into something else on her next record.
MARTIN: It was music critic Shaad D’Souza. “Endless Summer Vacation” has been released.
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