On October 6th, Miley Cyrus released a soul-moving, body-rocking cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”. This cover quickly took over the internet, going viral on TikTok, and every other social media platform. In the last month, it has racked up more than fifteen million views on Youtube alone, between the video and audio versions of the cover released on Miley Cyrus’s Youtube account.
Singer of pop hits “Wrecking Ball” and “Party in the U.S.A. ”, Cyrus has long been labeled a pop star. Recently, her skills in multiple genres have become apparent to everyone who’s listened to her new releases. “Midnight Sky”, released on December 23, is an anthem for anyone who feels strongly about their own independence. Though “Midnight Sky” is labled as pop, it definitely carries rock undertones. In the world of pop music, which caters strongly to the “throw away everything for love” mentality, a song about autonomy and self-love is an important genre-breaker. In “Midnight Sky”, Cyrus sings, “I was born to run/I don’t belong to anyone/Oh no, don’t need to be loved by you.” It goes without saying that these lyrics are enormously beneficial for young people to be hearing. The message that one does not need to be loved by another person in order to be important is one that is almost never conveyed to young pop fans. The song itself is fast paced, with a beat that feels like running; racing through a city’s streets at midnight. Personally, I’ve found that this song gets you moving, writing fast, running fast, and doing the dishes fast. “Midnight Sky” includes a lot of Cyrus echoing herself, her own voice joining in support in the background. Just as her lyrics emphasize her independence, so does her singing back-up to herself. Cyrus needs no help, and takes no prisoners.
On November 6th, Cyrus released “Edge of Midnight”, a remix of “Midnight Sky” featuring Stevie Nicks, singer in the band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood Mac, like Cyrus, have recently stumbled into virality and new popularity among teenagers and young adults. Stevie Nicks’s feature in this remix emphasizes Cyrus’ divergence into rock. Nicks adds a whole new verse to the song, singing, “And the days go by like a strand in the wind/In the web that is my own/I begin again/I sing to my friend/Nothing else mattered.” Fans of Fleetwood Mac will be excited at this new release, and possibly trepidatious at the prospect of listening to Cyrus. Nicks and Cyrus seems like worlds colliding, and it’s up to fans of both artists to decide if the collision sounds good.
Be on the lookout for Cyrus’s new album “Plastic Hearts”, releasing on November 27th. This album has come a long way. According to Cyrus’s Instagram post on October 22nd, she started the album two years ago, only to be interrupted by her house going down in fire. Since then, she has “found herself in the ashes”, and felt that she must add more to the album. Now, it’s finally ready. She has hinted on Twitter that this will be (at least partially) a rock album. As her last album, 2017’s “Younger Now”, had distinct country elements, rock will be quite a far leap. However, it’s just what her recent releases have been leading up too… look forward to Cyrus breaking hearts and genre expectations right in time for the end of 2020.