At their foundation, resolutions are motivated by a desire for change, whether it be intellectual growth, physical gain or emotional clarity. Sometimes, people take these resolutions a step further and use them as an opportunity to completely redefine who they are. You know the saying — “new year, new me.” Few artists embody this idea of transformation, of rejecting who they were in favor of an entirely new persona, like Miley Cyrus. With the release of Bangerz, Cyrus sent the world a very clear message: she is not Hannah Montana anymore. But then, who is she? Bangerz may have made a scandalous splash, but at its heart, it is really an intimate portrait of the new Miley Cyrus, the one we would come to know and love in the years to follow.
Bangerz starts off softly yet powerfully with “Adore You,” one of my favorites on the record. Cyrus beautifully complements the subtle R&B instrumentals with crisp, electric vocals. “Adore You” almost sounds like something a young Justin Bieber would have put out, but it sounds so right with Cyrus’s voice. “We Can’t Stop” was the first single off Bangerz — the first taste of the reconceived Miley Cyrus. She sings “Hands in the air like we don’t care” in a callback to “Party in the U.S.A.,” but this song is a definitively adult approach to a party song; it’s poignant in a way that Cyrus’s earlier songs couldn’t be. This was the goal of the song, according to a conversation with Cyrus linked to Spotify, in which she describes the song as her divergence from Hannah Montana.
“SMS (Bangerz)” features the one and only Britney Spears and a fun Salt-N-Pepa “Push It” sample. It’s essentially the title track and, true to the name, sees Cyrus strutting her stuff. It takes the album for an unexpected electronic turn and includes copious amounts of cursing and references to weed and men. As some might say, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” “4x4” features Nelly and is tinged with that characteristic country sound so commonly associated with early Miley Cyrus. Nelly explained, “It’s a kind of country, hip-hop, pop feel, if you can believe that. It’s about having fun; kind of how a 4x4 truck symbolizes rebelliousness … you know, mashing out, wanting to ride with the bad boys.”
Future hops onto Bangerz in “My Darlin’.” It’s an unexpected duo, but it works. Cyrus and Future’s voices create an interesting contrast when put together. This song is squarely in the hip-hop category but with some delightful southern charm. Cyrus’s vocals absolutely soar — a sign of what is to come in “Wrecking Ball,” Cyrus’s first number-one single. Undoubtedly the most well-known track off Bangerz, “Wrecking Ball” is a ballad that boils over with emotion. Listening to this song after such a long time was an interesting experience, but it was a stark reminder of why it became so popular — it demonstrates a lucidity that we hadn’t previously had access to, one that was obscured by the Hannah Montana persona.
“Love Money Party,” which was partially written by Future, features Big Sean and brings back the earlier trap-country blend — a difficult balance to strike with these particular genres, but somehow she does it flawlessly. Next is “#GETITRIGHT” — the most sexual song on the album, and the final step in shoving Hannah Montana aside. It’s punchy, poppy and refreshing. “Drive” is more of an electronic ballad and focuses on Cyrus’s relationship with Liam Hemsworth. Cyrus said of the song, “I wrote [“Drive”] while I was working on Valentine’s Day. Emotionally it was such a hard time. It is about needing to leave someone but not really wanting to completely cut yourself off from the relationship. It’s a time when you want to leave but you can’t. It’s also about moving on.”
French Montana contributes (minimally) to “FU,” in which Cyrus details Hemsworth’s cheating and puts him in his place … and I’m sure you can piece together the rest of the message. The lyrics are especially notable in “FU” — for a song whose title does not actually involve any spelled-out words, Cyrus was careful in her writing here, with lines like “I found the love that I thought was gonna last / Then I accidentally saw a few things in your cell / I even LOL’d” and “I don’t really have much to say / I was over it the second that I saw her name.” “Do My Thang” simultaneously touches on the freedom of being single and further illustrates Cyrus’s range. Her voice is smooth and rich during the chorus, and she raps the verses. She piles onto the bad-girl image heavily here: “Bang, b*tch / You think I’m strange, b*tch? / It’s bananas, like a f*ckin’ ’rangutan, b*tch / Don’t worry ’bout me / I got it all arranged, b*tch / Mind your business / Stay in your lane, b*tch.”
“Maybe You’re Right” is an echo of the Miley Cyrus of before. She suggests her ex thinks she made a mistake leaving him, but reflecting on her relationship proves otherwise. “Someone Else” is another genre-bending project, crossing from an electronic ballad, to country, to pop. “Rooting for My Baby” is a Bangerz highlight. It’s bluesy and speaks to working through the relationship even when things are difficult, and has even been compared to the work of Fleetwood Mac. The Pharrell-produced “On My Own” is another favorite and the funky precursor to the 2023 hit “Flowers.” Bangerz closes out on a happier note in “Hands in the Air” with Ludacris — another catchy opportunity for Cyrus to show off her incredible vocal ability.
Bangerz is a concrete testament to the metamorphosis of Miley Cyrus. If you take anything out of this, let it be the inspiration to stick to your resolutions. It’s what 2013 Miley Cyrus would have wanted.
Test Spins is a fortnightly throwback column reviewing and recommending classic and underrated albums from the past. It runs every other Friday.
Sydney Levinton is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at slevinton@cornellsun.com.
