After an angry album, ‘Plastic Hearts,’ Miley Cyrus has now processed her divorce. The result is a lyrically strong pop album. The previously released single, ‘Flowers,’ has been topping the charts worldwide for weeks. Expectations for ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ are, therefore, very high.
After a tumultuous divorce, Miley Cyrus sought musical revenge on her ex, Liam Hemsworth. In a catchy song, the singer expresses that she’s better off without him. It’s a clever lyrical choice reminiscent of Bruno Mars’ ‘When I Was Your Man,’ perfect for going viral on social media these days. It’s no wonder that ‘Flowers’ has become such a massive hit. The second single, ‘River,’ will likely struggle to match this success.
Not too remarkable
Unfortunately, after this strong opener, Miley Cyrus’ ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ doesn’t maintain the same level. It has become a typical pop album with not too many remarkable tracks. This work can be placed in the same genre as ‘Malibu,’ a previous song by Cyrus. The sultry, mellow pop sounds recur throughout ‘Endless Summer Vacation.’ Particularly, ‘Rose Colored Lenses’ seems very similar, but ‘You’ and ‘Island’ also share some similarities.
However, compared to her previous album, Cyrus has taken a different path. The divorce has been processed, and new loves have come and gone. Only ‘Muddy Feet’ still recalls ‘Plastic Hearts’ lyrically. It’s a strong track discussing her cheating partner. Whether this is about her ex-husband is unknown. According to her fans, who come up with theories for every line, this seems to be the case. So, it’s a revenge song, co-written and sung with Sia. It’s a shame that Sia’s fantastic voice isn’t fully utilized here, with just a few ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ at the end of the song being her contribution.
Sia isn’t the only collaboration on this album. Cyrus is heard with Brandi Carlile on ‘Thousand Miles.’ However, Carlile is little more than a background singer. Again, a missed opportunity. It seems to be a trend to announce collaborations with great fanfare and then minimally collaborate. Just listen to Lana Del Rey on Taylor Swift’s ‘Snow On The Beach.’
Lyrics on Endless Summer Vacation
Musically, ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking. However, lyrically, Cyrus shows why she considers herself a singer-songwriter. The lyrics are diverse and original. Still, there’s room for improvement in the song endings. Too often, the easy way is taken by endlessly repeating one or two lines and using them as outros. This works well for one or two songs on an album but not for nearly every track.
Vocally, Cyrus, with her raspy voice, shines on ballads like ‘Jaded,’ ‘Wildcard,’ and ‘Wonder Woman.’ Her vocal tone has evolved significantly over the years, but the sound she has now is unique and suits her music well. It’s clear that the former Disney star can sing. She closes the album with a bold choice, ‘Wonder Woman,’ a ballad that works very well.
With ‘Endless Summer Vacation,’ Miley Cyrus has released another strong album, this time embracing pure pop. Expectations were high after the success of ‘Flowers,’ and while they haven’t been completely met, the album certainly holds its own among contemporary pop albums. Cyrus excels particularly in terms of lyrics and vocals. With more space for collaborating artists and stronger outros, Cyrus could create the perfect pop album. But that’s something we can hope for in her next album, which will undoubtedly arrive in a few years.
