album review
Album: Breakout
Artist: Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus has a lot going for her. The Disney starlet and daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus is the star of the immensely popular TV show Hannah Montana, has reportedly sold over 7 million records, and earned around 3.5 million dollar in a year. And yes, she’s just 15! But with great fame comes great pressure. Heck, just being a teenager is hard enough, let alone having the entire world scrutinize every word you say and every picture you take, and criticize every note you (try to) hit. So, while Miley seems to be handling the pressure fairly well, it would seem only natural that after two Hannah Montana albums (one of which was a split/double disc, half of which ‘introduced’ Miley Cyrus), she would want to “breakout” and establish herself as a legit artist in her own right. That appears to be the point behind ‘Breakout’ – a twelve track record that probably aimed to define Miley’s sound and showcase her songwriting ability. And as far as a pop record goes, ‘Breakout’ is just what Miley fans would’ve wanted. However, as far as breaking out goes, Miley still has a long way to go.
‘Breakout’ doesn’t deviate from the records that preceded it, relying on the same flavour of pop-punk that has not only worked for Miley in the past but has also catapulted other teenage acts to success. There’s a tinge of Avril Lavigne’s style on Full Circle and the (very over-played) single 7 Things, the songs See You Again and The Driveway display a hint of Hilary Duff, whereas Fly On The Wall seems somewhat reminiscent of Britney Spears by way of Ashlee Simpson. And as predictable as the cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun may be, it’ll still work, as Miley fans aren’t likely to remember the original version of the Cyndi Lauper hit anyway. As for the songwriting part, with lyrics like “I've been in a rut/back and forth enough/heart like a wheel/without you around/so uncomfortable is how it feels”, it isn’t hard to believe that Miley co-wrote most of the songs on the album.
So while this record probably won’t be able to help her break away from her Hannah Montana demographics or her mass-marketed pop commodity image, the album continues to deliver what her fans have come to expect of her. And hey, the girl is just 15 and has an entire career ahead of her with plenty of time left to “breakout”. This album, in the meantime, will sell millions, the singles will be hits, and the tween/teen set that worship all-things-Miley will definitely love it. Everyone else, however, is likely to just roll their eyes and reminisce about how much more meaningful music used to be in the ‘good old days’.
– By S.A.
Us Magazine, The News - 15th August, 2008
Album: Breakout
Artist: Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus has a lot going for her. The Disney starlet and daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus is the star of the immensely popular TV show Hannah Montana, has reportedly sold over 7 million records, and earned around 3.5 million dollar in a year. And yes, she’s just 15! But with great fame comes great pressure. Heck, just being a teenager is hard enough, let alone having the entire world scrutinize every word you say and every picture you take, and criticize every note you (try to) hit. So, while Miley seems to be handling the pressure fairly well, it would seem only natural that after two Hannah Montana albums (one of which was a split/double disc, half of which ‘introduced’ Miley Cyrus), she would want to “breakout” and establish herself as a legit artist in her own right. That appears to be the point behind ‘Breakout’ – a twelve track record that probably aimed to define Miley’s sound and showcase her songwriting ability. And as far as a pop record goes, ‘Breakout’ is just what Miley fans would’ve wanted. However, as far as breaking out goes, Miley still has a long way to go.
‘Breakout’ doesn’t deviate from the records that preceded it, relying on the same flavour of pop-punk that has not only worked for Miley in the past but has also catapulted other teenage acts to success. There’s a tinge of Avril Lavigne’s style on Full Circle and the (very over-played) single 7 Things, the songs See You Again and The Driveway display a hint of Hilary Duff, whereas Fly On The Wall seems somewhat reminiscent of Britney Spears by way of Ashlee Simpson. And as predictable as the cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun may be, it’ll still work, as Miley fans aren’t likely to remember the original version of the Cyndi Lauper hit anyway. As for the songwriting part, with lyrics like “I've been in a rut/back and forth enough/heart like a wheel/without you around/so uncomfortable is how it feels”, it isn’t hard to believe that Miley co-wrote most of the songs on the album.
So while this record probably won’t be able to help her break away from her Hannah Montana demographics or her mass-marketed pop commodity image, the album continues to deliver what her fans have come to expect of her. And hey, the girl is just 15 and has an entire career ahead of her with plenty of time left to “breakout”. This album, in the meantime, will sell millions, the singles will be hits, and the tween/teen set that worship all-things-Miley will definitely love it. Everyone else, however, is likely to just roll their eyes and reminisce about how much more meaningful music used to be in the ‘good old days’.
– By S.A.
Us Magazine, The News - 15th August, 2008
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