Miley Cyrus- Endless Summer Vacation
Label: Columbia
Producers: Greg Kurstin, Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson, Mike Will Made It, Jay Moon, Maxx Morando, Jesse Shatkin, Max Taylor-Sheppard, Jerome Williams, BJ Burton, Johnny Coffer, Zwiffa
As the latter half of the 2010s progressed, the levels of Miley Cyrus’ artistry slowly but surely caught up with the heights of her celebrity status, culminating with 2020’s banging pop-rock epic, Plastic Hearts, easily one of the pandemic era’s most sublime but underrated pop collections. Further harnessing that momentum as she launches her eighth studio album is the undeniable runaway-smash status of its first single and opener, “Flowers”. It’s a smoky and infectious break-up anthem that pulls from all the vast influences littered throughout the self-professed musical chameleon’s catalog to date, to form a bold and vibrant pop sound that is all her own. This confessional but bopping hybrid proves to be a foreshadowing and satisfying palate for the entirety of Endless Summer Vacation. Her radiantly raspy pipes showcase all of their guttural reach, whether it be on a passionate power ballad like “Jaded”, a gut-wrenching blend of folk and power pop on the Brandi Carlile feature “Thousand Miles”, or on the sweaty soul seduction of the gorgeous “You”, arguably her finest vocal to date. As promised during the promotion of the album, Cyrus dips back into the more dance-oriented nature of her sound as the record moves into its second act, but not without retaining all of the dark and heartfelt emotional soul of the LP’s first side. Addictive dance gems like the frenetic “Handstand” and the splashy, synth-soaked “River” offer sinister and infectious beats to backdrop as Cyrus proclaims her own sexual identity and independence. This sentiment reaches a fever pitch on the thunderous, piano-driven Sia collab, “Muddy Water”, an absolutely delicious evisceration of a wandering lover. Meanwhile, the shimmering “Island” explores the constant life tussle between the emotional needs fulfilled by both independence and companionship, a rather sobering sentiment to explore in the aftermath of a romantic exorcism like “Muddy”. Finally, Cyrus brings the record full circle with the tender piano balladry of “Wonder Woman”, a reflective and resonant finale that poses a firm argument to my earlier case that “You” is Miley’s greatest vocal to date. It’s an adamant reminder that above all the personal and professional monickers that have been tossed her way across nearly two decades in the public eye, Miley Cyrus is first and foremost a tremendous singer, and one who has glowingly matured into one of modern music’s most stunning and visceral voices. It’s that voice which is the constant thread through the journey that is Endless Summer Vacation, which confidently stakes its claim as a wildly entertaining and moving marvel from the canon of Miley Cyrus.
Track Listing:
- “Flowers” (Miley Cyrus, Aldae, Michael Pollack)
- “Jaded” (Cyrus, Greg Kurstin, Sarah Aarons)
- “Rose Colored Lenses” (Cyrus, Kid Harpoon Johnson)
- “Thousand Miles” featuring Brandi Carlile (Cyrus, Tobias Jesso Jr., Bibi Bourelly, Mike Will Made It)
- “You” (Cyrus, Bourelly, Pollack, Ian Kirkpatrick)
- “Handstand” (Cyrus, Harmony Korine, Maxx Morando)
- “River” (Cyrus, Justin Tranter, Harpoon, Johnson)
- “Violet Chemistry” (Cyrus, Williams, Jesse Shatkin, James Blake, Sia)
- “Muddy Feet” featuring Sia (Cyrus, Pollack, Williams, Bourelly, Hein, Shatkin, Furler, Jesse Van Der Meulen, David Frank, Steve Kipner, Pam Sheyne)
- “Wildcard” (Cyrus, BJ Burton, Jennifer Decilveo, Caitlyn Smith, Pollack, Dani Miller)
- “Wonder Woman” (Cyrus, Pollack, Hein, Harpoon, Johnson)
The 706 
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