From Disney to Twerking to “Younger Now”

Over the past decade, Miley Cyrus has gone through drastic changes, from her innocent teenage “Hannah Montana” days to her controversial, wrecking ball-swinging “Bangerz” era. With her sixth studio album, “Younger Now,” released on September 29, 2017, Cyrus has returned to her country-pop roots in order to reveal a more mature and honest side of her.

The title track exemplifies Cyrus’s journey in search of her identity. Beginning with a simple country tune on the guitar and the lyrics, “Feels like I’ve just woke up / Like all this time I’ve been asleep / Even though it’s not who I am / I’m not afraid of who I used to be,” the autobiographical song describes how Cyrus’s past identities have helped shape herself and how she embraces her growth. It’s a much more raw self-reflection compared to some of her past songs, such as “Bang Me Box” from “Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz,” a song purely about lesbian sex, or “Do My Thang” from “Bangerz,” an admittedly catchy song in which Cyrus declares her nonchalance towards the public’s opinions on her.

Though not as powerful as some of Cyrus’s past songs like “The Climb,” “Malibu,” the album’s lead single, is a simple love song dedicated to Cyrus’s fiance, Liam Hemsworth. With just Cyrus’s breezy vocals accompanied by a mid-paced guitar melody, “Malibu” is an innocent, refreshing break from her bolder past of hip-hop and psychedelic songs. As she recalls her memories in Malibu with Hemsworth, her affection for him sounds clear and genuine.

Love is a powerful theme in Cyrus’s album. Possibly one of the album’s most emotional songs, “She’s Not Him,” depicts Cyrus’s love triangle. Accompanied by gentle strings, she displays her masterful lyricism, singing, “Even though we’ve gone to outer space / Still no way you can take his place.” In a high-pitched, yet soft voice, she regretfully laments that despite her infatuation with her female lover, speculated to be model Stella Maxwell, who Cyrus dated for a brief period of time, Maxwell could never match her true love, Hemsworth.

While much of the album is rooted in mellow beats and depicts an overall image of a more placid Cyrus, some of the defiant spunk from her more provocative days resurfaces throughout the album. She snarls, “And it’s time for this queen to go and find another throne / When I give it up, I give it all,” in the feisty break-up song “Love Somebody,” and, “It’s getting late, I’m starting to obsess / You got me crying and looking like a mess,” in the infectious rock-based “Thinkin’,” in which Cyrus displays her paranoia and obsession over a lover.

The album does have its weaker moments, such as “I Would Die For You,” a sweet, tender love ballad that disappoints with its somewhat cheesy and melodramatic lyrics. In addition, “Rainbowland,” a more uplifting, catchy tune featuring Cyrus’s godmother and icon Dolly Parton simply seems unmemorable in comparison to the other intimate tracks.

However, Cyrus has truly shown her versatility and surprised the public with a much more vulnerable side with “Younger Now.” Let’s just hope she doesn’t revert back to the nudity and sledgehammers.