Viewpoint: Miley Sounds Like a True Artist on Latest Single

December 3, 2018 Music

I don’t preach that I’m a Miley Cyrus fan but there are moments when I truly admire her as an artist.  When I saw on Twitter that she had a new single and video, I was left with a silly little smile of excitement to see what I was about to get into as I clicked the link.

All I knew is that it was Miley, and the video had a car crash in it, and that whatever I was expecting this to sound like, I would be completely wrong. This was Miley Cyrus after all.

Sure enough, I had the same reaction I do every time I come across a new song by miss Miley.  It wasn’t what I expected. It was in a completely different direction then everything else I’ve been hearing on the radio.

Also, I couldn’t help kinda like it.

Upon first listen, my heart felt lifted. It’s strange to be crazy about something that can be classified as a possible breakup song, but that wasn’t my first thought.

My mind went to the fact that Miley was recently affected by the very same fires that threatened my own California town. In fact, she had just lost her house to the flames. She lost a home and I’m sure countless personal items. Then, the first thing she does after that is release a song that talks about how none of those material things come close to the pain of love.

It’s not shocking that she would want to do something to inspire others and try to shed light in a particularly dark time. While I can’t say this song is exactly uplifting, it handed me the backbone that many in our shared community had lost in the ashes.

This song is not the sound of defeat. It’s a persistent drum beat that rallies the remains.

The guitar stings are a lasso from her country roots that bring back the idea of home and a community. The music video references gun violence, as she crashes though buildings and homes while the police chase her across the city. Miley has her free spirited, non-conformative self on full display once again.

So yes, my heart felt lifted that despite her recent losses and the emotional impact that she must have been through, Miley delivered.

It takes a true artist to honestly pour their heart out even when there seems to be nothing left

Tags:
Rachel Cross
Author:
Rachel is a Journalism and Communications major student in Southern California. She has also studied briefly at Arizona State University. She started her journalism career in high school where she attended and competed in 3 consecutive years at the JEA/NSPA National Higher Journalism Convention. Currently, Rachel is working to finish her degree, and in her free time she enjoys hiking, going to the beach, and fueling her love for coffee and books.

You may also like