4/5
Cyrus vs the Virus
Double plastic like Dolly. That's what artists albums go these days with the surge of Spotify and streaming. But not Miley. She can go a little bit country ('Younger Now' in 2017). Or you know, a little bit rock-n-roll. Moving millions like units. Pink punking out in a Sex Pistols cropped top that if it was on a dude that said "never mind" to jeans would end up revealing the bollocks. She's the dogs. But back on the dance floor in this age of 'Plastic Hearts', Billy Ray's kid is back to her 'Bangerz' best, whilst everyone else is still twerking in the club. The former Disney Princess, Cyrus can't be tamed like ten years ago. 'She Is Coming' again too, back like last years EP and one of the biggest and best songs of not only her career, but pop as a whole. What more could you expect from this 'Mothers Daughter' who made it because she was always told she would and can Charlie around with Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey like 'Don't Call Me Angel' and still go ten rounds in the ring with both? Licking at their heels like she does Miss 'Thank U Next's' cheek. Following Grande's grand surprise album and whenever we'll see 'Chemtrails Over The Country Club' from the Del Rey, gangster Nancy Sinatra (does that make Miley a gangster Madonna?), Queen of Staten Island's new home in the Hollywood Hills. Back up, back up, back up back up boy like a brother of Thor. You can't f### with her freedom corona. She came to get her some as she sings 'Gimme What I Want'. Following her most introspective, inspired single like reflection of bottles in the swimming pool ('Slide Away') after telling us with Mark Ronson, 'Nothing Breaks Like A Heart', the biggest alternative pop star is back with her first full length in three. No longer a 'Prisoner' as she uncages a dynamic duet of the same name with the biggest breakout pop star of the last few years, Dua Lipa, before Plastic Ono owning these hearts and bringing legends from Billy Idol ("no way") to the Queen of Fleetwood Mac along for this Gambit ride. Forget the rumors, there's never a dull moment with Miley under the neon of this 'Midnight Sky'. Work Miley, Miley. Work.
Wrecking balls wreak havoc on everything. Even COVID-19 in 2020, as this has been the year to fight like a girl again with these 'Women In Music' like the 'Part III' of Haim's greatest, Grammy nominated record and our album of the year for sure. This is a calendar that has seen more collections from Norah Jones than her last half decade, or even generational great of this one Phoebe Bridgers' work like a 'Punisher'. A 'Copycat Killer' EP new version of her own Grammy family nominated album came out last week, not to mention a Christmas cover that proceed benefits homeless women looking for shelter. And we haven't even begun to talk about her vote rocking campaign downloading cover of 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls with the one and only Maggie Rogers. The 'Alaska' singer who had the best album of last year right out of the January gates of you 'Heard It In A Past Life' (with all due respect to the 'Cheap Queen' runner up of King Princess who already has a a sick, second album, sophomore single with 'Only Time Makes It Human') and will close out this one with some 'Notes From The Archives' B-sides and rarities (oh, please let us see 'James' again Maggie). Quarantined in a space like isolation, Lady Gaga, a star reborn took us out of this world and back to the dance floor with 'Chromatica'. Best Coast returned for some California love like a hotel on the Hollywood hills telling us in this year of despair that there's 'Always Tomorrow'. Taylor Swift took it back to her roots, locking down 'Folklore' at a a social distance. Whilst 'Lianne La Havas' and 'Alicia' Keys got even more personal with their beautiful, self-titled namesake albums. All this and more with J-Pop singer Aimyon and South Korea's Blackpink taking over the world like BTS with their album. And we're still yet to hear the 'Echo' from the new EP from KATIE coming next week for 'Our Time Is Blue'. Even Aussie Jezabel Hayley Mary went solo for her 'Piss and Perfume' extended play. But pissing on all the competition with her own scent is Miley Cyrus marking her own territory and pop style that grunges genre together like Cobain and Courtney were still in a Hole of Nirvana.
Prisoners you only have to see it in the new video with Dua Lipa for an underground, quarantined party that goes dirtier than Christina Aguilera and Redman smashing something. Determined to get you moving even in sweatpants as Dua and Miley both sing together, "Strung out on a feeling, my hands are tied/Your face on my ceiling, I fantasize/Oh, I can't control it, I can't control it (I can't control it)/I try to replace it with city lights/I'll never escape it, I need the high/Oh, I can't control it, I can't control it (Oh)" in a time were longing for neon, we're just saying "hello walls" like Willie Nelson. Still, it's the stunning single, 'Midnight Sky' that's really evocative disco pop. Yearning for the American lights of Springsteen singing, "I was born to run, I don't belong to anyone, oh no/I don't need to be loved by you (By you)/Fire in my lungs, can't bite the devil on my tongue, oh no/I don't need to be loved by you/See my lips on her mouth, everybody's talkin' now, baby." In that same neon vain, there's amazingly atmospheric tracks like the tears of, 'Angels Like You', storming Los Angeles like circling the drain of a bar tab. Or the classic couplets breaking up on 'Never Be Me', before she takes us top of the city 'High' with her studio chronic for her ashtrays and heartbreaks like her duet with Snoop Dogg back on that one day he called himself Lion. Then as she says, "Go ahead, you can say it's my fault/If it still hurts at all/I thought one of these days you might call/When you were feelin' small" on 'Hate Me' she takes to task the haters or anyone that doesn't know hot to mind their business to all the gratuitous gossip. But it's the 'Golden G String' that's really the diamond as she primal scream sings, "There are layers to this body/Primal sex and primal shame/They told me I should cover it/So I went the other way/I was tryin' to own my power/Still I'm tryin' to work it out/And at least it gives the paper somethin' they can write about." Aiming for something higher than the spotlight of headlines. 10 million and change. Bringing out the big guns in this time of hearts made of plastic and glass, she pistol whips with Billy Idol, 'Night Crawling' like Jake Gyllenhaal stalking a Steel Panther in Hollywood. All before having 'Bad Karma' but a classic collab with Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, as this young idol more than a Hot Topic t-shirt, knows the greats like she knows how to party. 'WTF Do I Know' she asks on the outstanding opener of this pure pop album that's f###### fun. Apparently...everything. Especially when it comes to making and taking inspiration from great music. Even the 'Plastic Hearts' title track is a platinum smash, gold standard record. Now if this Sex Pistol rocking with punk idols like Billy wasn't enough, then just wait until the 'Edge Of Midnight' and Fleetwood's Stevie Nicks remixes her 'Midnight Sky' like a brand new day. All before Miley herself takes it back to the golden 80's to 90's, rocking covers of classics live with love for a set we miss. Gigging greats from The Cranberries 'Zombie' in her head, paying tribute to the late Dolores O'Riordan, to a Blonde 'Heart Of Glass', rocking like Debbie Harry. Blonde on blonde this artist is as real and raw as it gets. Plastic fantastic. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks : 'Prisoner (Feat. Dua Lipa)', 'Midnight Sky', 'Angels Like You'.
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