Experimental, Thrilling and Captivating
Endless Summer Vacation is the eighth studio album released by Miley Cyrus on March 10, 2023. The record has received endless praise as the opening track and only single from the album, “Flowers” has gone viral. The album as a whole feels exactly as it is titled with a mix of influences from various pop subgenres. It has elements of disco, dance pop, early 2000s vibes, and is overall incredibly groovy. It is one of the most impressive albums from Cyrus in terms of production and vocal performance. As she has dabbled in the rock genre in the past, this album is quite a change from that but her raspy and powerful vocals reminds the listeners that rock is still a significant influence for her.
The first track, “Flowers” is a classic pop song with disco influences. The strings in the instrumental especially make this clear along with her whispery vocals in the post chorus. She also ends the album with a demo version of this song that is incredibly stripped back and reminds the listener that despite the upbeat instrumental, it is still an emotional song at heart.
The second track “Jaded” has raw, emotional rock-reminiscent vocals paired beautifully with interesting production that keep the vocals at the forefront. The rhythm of the vocals in the verses are fascinating and add a new element to an already jam packed song. The next track “Rose Colored Lenses” also includes interesting production that still highlights the vocals. Towards the end of the song, Cyrus’ vocals and an electric guitar solo intertwine beautifully depicting how wonderful the mixes are on this album.
“Thousand Miles” featuring Brandi Carlile has country and early 2000s pop influences carrying the track. The harmonies between the singers are tasteful and create a riveting listening experience. Both Cyrus and Carlile are masters at bringing emotion to each track they lend their vocals to.
“Handstand” is the most experimental song on the album. It feels like it could be on a Tame Impala album with its synth filled instrumental. In the beginning of the track, Cyrus simply talks instead of singing but then transitions to singing about halfway through. This is something new to a mainstream pop album but it still fits in perfectly with the album’s sonic theme.
“Island” sounds exactly like the title. The tropical vibes are extremely apparent and groovy. This is something new from Cyrus but she works with the track flawlessly. The beat has trip pop and old Bjork influences which also makes it an incredibly experimental song for the mainstream pop artist.
The last track “Wonder Woman” is the most stripped back and emotional. The instrumental is primarily piano which allows Cyrus’ passionate vocals to stand out. Since this album is a break up album, this kind of track makes sense especially since most of the other tracks are quite upbeat. Overall, the album is cohesive, experimental and simply interesting coming from an artist like Miley Cyrus.
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