Album more than breakup anthem
Miley Cyrus’ hit single “Flowers” made even those in a stable relationship sing out loud with conviction. Now, her latest album “Endless Summer Vacation” is much more than a breakup anthem; it’s a rebirth.
While spring alone still seems so far away in some spots across the country, Cyrus’ new album feels like a hot summer day.
Starting with the charttopping “Flowers,” she bids farewell to an old love and begins with contagious confidence and independence. “Yeah, I can love me better than you can,” she sings.
As the sun gets brighter, it’s time to wear “Rose Colored Lenses.” The third track is an upbeat but still mellow song, overflowing with sexy and loving lyrics: “We could stay like this forever, lost in wonderland/ With our heads about the clouds, falling stupid like we’re kids/ Wearing rose-colored lenses.”
The album features two collaboration tracks: One of them, “Thousand Miles,” sees the artist singing alongside Americana star Brandi Carlile, while the second, “Muddy Feet,” is with pop artist Sia.
“Thousand Miles” is infused with Carlile’s folk style, a familiar place for Cyrus, whose legacy includes her father and “Achy Breaky Heart” singer, Billy Ray Cyrus, and her godmother and country legend, Dolly Parton.
The day leaves space for the night, and the album gets racier and dirtier, kicking off the evening with “River.” “I feel you everywhere. Your face is all in my hair/ Covered up in your sweat. It turns me on that you care, baby,” she sings.
Like the artist, Cyrus’ albums can’t be put into a box. In fact, the singer likes to experiment with different sounds and genres over ‘Endless Summer Vacation’
Miley Cyrus (Sony Music)
her more than a half-dozen records.
“Violet Chemistry” is a pop song with electrifying dance notes, a worthy soundtrack for a nightclub dance floor under neon lights. “When the floor is wet. And the lights come on, but you don’t wanna leave,” she sings in a celebration of a passionate summer fling one hopes will never end.
As the sky gets soaked in a ruby sunrise, high heels are carelessly in hand to allow for a more comfortable barefoot walk home, in solitude. “Am I stranded on an island? Or have I landed in paradise?” she asks in “Island,” a song about her isolation being a blessing in disguise.
Finally, the album ends where it began, with a melancholic unplugged demo version of “Flowers” flipping the confident opening on its head to create a sad, soulful coda: to the listeners and to Miley’s old loves.
— Martina Rebecca Inchingolo, Associated
Press
Kali Uchis’ new studio album,
“Red Moon in Venus,” follows her Grammy-nominated Spanish-language album, “Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros Demonios),” which was released in 2020. Since then, Uchis had multiple wins at the Billboard
Latin Music Awards, and “Telepatia,” a highlight from “Sin Miedo,” was a
multiweek Billboard charttopper.
Uchis is an R&B artist who isn’t afraid to lean into her signature vibe, which can only be described as soft, ethereal and fully femme. The record’s tone starts with “in My Garden…,” where the listener is transported to a fantasy land with the soundscape of wind chimes and birds chirping.
“I Wish you Roses” is the first single and second track on the album. The song follows the narrative of the album, which is love and its nuances. The song is about releasing people with love, rather than resentment: “But I wish you love, I wish you well/ I wish you roses while you can still smell ’em.”
Uchis blends R&B seamlessly with soul and funk in tracks like “Blue,” where smooth saxophones sound off with a slow groove. She beautifully weaves Spanish and English in multiple tracks, a standout being “Como Te Quiera Yo.”
The album showcases Uchis’ unique voice with slow R&B beats that highlight the soft quality of her voice. “Deserve Me,” featuring Summer Walker, holds true to the steady R&B arrangement but weaves in Uchis’ breathy voice. Uchis closes the album with a more uptempo vibe in “Happy Now,” where she embraces beats that are reminiscent of sweet melodic pop.