by Sam Wolstenholm
The absolute legend that is Miley Cyrus has recently released her eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, on March 10th of 2023. No introduction should be necessary for her. If you don't know her from her days as Hannah Montana, you'll certainly remember her infamous "Wrecking Ball" music video. This new album had me curious because I honestly had no idea what it was going to be like, even after hearing the smash single "Flowers". Now that I've heard the whole thing (probably over 20 times now), let's get into it, shall we?
1. "Flowers"
How can you honestly dislike this song? It took me way too long to hear it, and the reason I did was because I first heard about it’s use of Bruno Mars’s “When I Was Your Man”. I had to check it out from there. Yes, it borrows from that chorus heavily, but it’s so obvious that it isn’t copying (pretty sure permission was also received). So let’s just take that out of the equation. From there, this song is awesome. It’s a self-empowerment anthem. We all know the story by now, but if you don’t, then here: this song is about Liam Hemsworth cheating on her (a major tweak). There’s more to it but yea, read here if you reallllyyyyyy need to know more. It’s a feeling that we can all empathize with, even if we haven’t been cheated on. It’s pretty much a universally accepted bad thing. But the song feels so good, and that’s the point. It’s message of self-love is quite obvious the very first time you hear the lyrics. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. Instrumentally, it isn’t trying to do too much. It relies on the melodic bass line and poppy drums to keep the rhythm and upbeat feel to it. You’ll see later on (in the demo version of the song) how much effect those elements actually have. The only thing I disliked about the song is the little chant thing happening a bit too much. It just feels like a cop-out space-filler. Besides that, amazing song. I cannot get it out of my head.
2. "Jaded"
This one has grown on me. At first, I thought the chorus was powerful but kind of lacking an identity. It seemed too easy I guess. And that’s still true to an extent, but I’ve come around a little bit to appreciate the energy more. It’s rock. It’s loud noise. It’s great singing with a lot of emotion behind it. It doesn’t sound bad at all, just kind of stale. The melodies are a bit behind the rest of the album, in my opinion. The music is also fairly standard. Again, not bad, just getting the job done. The real appeal to this one is the lyrical content. Oh god how I can relate to this one. My last major relationship ended because, well, I guess she was bored. She got jaded. And it’s difficult not to take that personally, so it’s nice to hear this POV. I’M sorry that YOU’RE jaded. It’s definitely possible that I became jaded too because I can see myself in the guy Miley’s singing about too. Either way, it’s an interesting song to dissect emotionally, but this could also be a case of individual relatability trumping other factors of enjoyment. I think it’s a decent song, but it’s nothing special when I look at it from afar.
Oh yes. The sound of this track perfectly captures the child-like innocence and pure goodness we all wish we could have with our relationships. The idea of capturing a moment and a feeling and holding onto it forever is something that is dangerously appealing (I say dangerously because it is nowhere near plausible and it’s much more healthy to fully engage with the broad spectrum of emotions). The fluttering guitars and chanty chorus create this fun and positive vibe. It’s catchy and danceable, but also something to get emotional about. Yea, very good. Going on the playlist for surezies.
I like the idea of this collaboration. Brandi Carlile and Miley have similar vibes (when she chooses to stay in that genre of course). The concept of the song is interesting too. She’s basically accepting the fact that she’s kind of all over the place (both physically and mentally) and doesn’t know exactly what she wants. She’s admitting her faults while also making it clear that she’s comfortable with herself regardless of where she is. It’s a nice sentiment. The guitars sound absolutely fantastic. Magically beautiful, really. There’s a sweetness about it. It’s clearly live because you can hear inflections on certain notes. It’s just got an authentic feel. The harmonica is always a hit too. I don’t really like the drum beat when it comes in though (about halfway through the song), especially the snare. It just doesn’t fit for a multitude of reasons. It’s too synthetic sounding and it plays on the offbeat too much, taking away some of the power it could bring. Besides that though, the singing is fantastic and there are some cool textured details in the overall mix. A solid track, but I wish the drums weren’t so off-putting.
5. "You"
I won’t be listening to this after this review is done. The lyrics are pretty cheesy and the whole thing lacks a significant amount of pathos. That doesn’t have to be issue, but the subject matter of the track should inherently bring emotional weight. It’s not here though, and I think there’s 2 reasons for it. The first, as I mentioned, is the lyrics. “I don’t need Jesus, cause baby you saved me” is stupid. “Let’s crash a wedding tonight. Get drunk by the lights” is stupid. There’s more, but I’ll stop there. They’re just so surface level and nonromantic. The other reason for the lack of emotional weight is the instrumental. This is a case of doing too much. There’s weird, unnecessary noises and loud drums. The guitars and pianos are all mixed together. And most of all, the energy is all over the place. At one moment, it’ll feel like it’s building to something then nothing will happen. Miley will get loud and passionate just to go back down to sounding like someone trying too hard. Overall, this track just tried to do too much, and it didn’t work.
6. "Handstand"
I have one thing to say about this song: Hell yes. Okay I’ll say more but still. This is an absolute trip. It introduces and electronic sound that appears numerous times on this album. This song executes it the best though. It almost plays as an interlude because it starts with Miley telling a story or something (she’s speaking about some wild shit) and goes into an abnormal vocal performance where she sings really fast in a weird voice. I don’t know where it came from but I’m a fan. I like the weirdness of this one. Plus, I’m pretty sure the song is about sex (intimacy at least). So that’s always fun. Really though, it’s one of the most interesting tracks on the album, and I find myself humming it without even realizing it. Very creative. I’m impressed.
7. "River"
Uh yea no. The Lady Gaga parallels are way too loud. The synth-pop sound doesn’t really work in this case. The EDM synth sounds are passible on their own, but they don’t really do anything special for me. Like, it would be really basic-sounding if Miley didn’t have the budget that she always does (which helps buy high-quality producers, engineers, mixers, etc.). It’s honestly a song that anyone could’ve sang. I can see this one being a hit, though I don’t think it should be one. Like, how stupid simple? Your love flows like a river…that’s it. How creative. It’s not as sing-along-able as it needs to be either for a song that is so clearly trying to be on the radio. Overall, I’m just not rocking with this one. I’m just going to throw it in the river and let it flow all the way away from me.
This one works. It works well. It’s a similar style to “River” except this one actually executes in that pop/EDM lane (it also gives Lady Gaga vibes for sure). The synths are synthy and the drums are fat. The melodies are catchy. Now, I’m not sure what the ”violet” part of thee title is supposed to mean (I have a guess but still). The song overall seems to be about, essentially, getting with someone at a club or similar venue/event and finding a unique chemistry with them. They seem to have an understanding that this connection is supposed to only last for the party, but Miley wants to try and see what happens beyond the club. The “violet” part is either supposed to just describe the colored lights at a club or represent a cohesive mix of dissimilar things (blue and red make purple). You could also have your very own take on the concept, so let me know. I’m curious about the deeper meanings of this track.
Okay more about the song itself. About halfway through, Miley starts doing a quicker refrain-like thing. It’s the worst part of the song for sure, but the extremely energetic chorus more than makes up for it. It’s just bigger, and it feels fucking good. The synths and drums seem to get louder or something because this chorus acts as a black hole, sucking you in whether you want to like it or not. The transitions between the sections of the song could have been a bit smoother, but it’s not ruining the whole thing for me. That is the case, however, with the next song.
The potential of this track is off the charts. It’s not like it isn’t pleasantly catchy. It’s also got some high-quality sounds in the instrumental including a playful piano that hits both low and high notes. The problem with this track is the fact that it’s made up of like 3 different songs crunched together haphazardly. I swear there’s 2 or 3 hit songs in this span of 2:17. It pisses me off because I like the individual parts, a lot actually. They just do not work together at all. The rock buildup with menacing guitars and a killer raspy vocal performance by Miley sounds fantastic. Except it builds up just to switch into a Macklemore-like piano beat…there’s no payoff anywhere in this track for all the tension that’s built up (and there’s a lot of it). Damnit I really wish I could say I like this song, but it’s honestly hard to get through with all the different tones bouncing all over the place. If this was cleaned up a bit (maybe some better transitions and a more consistent pace throughout), it’d be really really good. It’s just lacking maybe another week in the production phase. Sadly, it’s here like this and it’s what we got. Oh well. (Oh, and the Sia feature is deceiving, didn't really make much of an impact, or even much of an appearance at all.)
10. "Wildcard"
There’s a few parts in the song where the guitar plays the same melody as the chorus, and it almost sounds like a voice. It’s really dope. Easily the best thing about the song. Besides that though….ummmm. Yea it’s pretty basic. There’s a little rock influence, but it’s your average decent pop song in my opinion. It’s kind of a track that you can take or leave. Personally, I’ll be leaving it. You though, feel free to take it wherever you go. There’s just nothing that makes this song any more worth listening to than, for example, “Violet Chemistry”. That track has everything this one does X2. So yea.
11. "Island"
I don’t quite see what this one is going for to be honest. Conceptually, it’s somewhat interesting. It’s exploring the idea of being alone and cut off from what you are used to depending on. Is it a bad thing or a good thing? That’s the premise, and it’s interesting enough. However, that’s about as far as it goes with me. The chorus here is extremely simple and repeats soooo many times. “Am I stranded on an island? Or have I landed in paradise?” The melody of the chorus is really simple too and never changes up. It also sounds pretty cheery and positive even tho it’s an an uncertain headspace being described. Tight, tropical-sounding production comprised of a lot of percussion creates a vibe that reminds me of something that’d be in a video game. Almost every element of this song clashes in some way. Either that, or it happens too much. Either way, I’m just glad I don’t have to listen to it any more.
12. "Wonder Woman"
This one though, is a great song. It’s really big while having a stripped-back, ballad style. It relies heavily on Miley’s vocal performance and lyrics, and she does not drop the ball. The track celebrates womankind and the difficult lives they live, often on the sidelines without people really noticing. Lines like “She’s a million moments. Lived a thousand lives” and “All the pain is polished. All the tears are planned” speak to human experience. We are all complicated people struggling to be the best we can. That often means hiding how we are truly doing. I know I do this, a lot. It isn’t healthy. Miley isn’t making it seem like a healthy lifestyle either. She’s just making those people know they’re seen. It’s powerful. It’s possible Miley is singing about herself. However, the way she’s phrasing everything makes it clear that she’s trying to hit on some emotional points for people in general. I’d even say the audience for this song goes beyond just women. It’s about recognizing those who go think they must mask their struggles in order to appear stable or agreeable in the eyes of others (often men). It’s a good track with good vocals and a pretty instrumental. The message is emotionally powerful and it makes me feel something. A fantastic ending of the album (if you don’t count the next track, and I don’t, but I’m reviewing it anyway).
13. "Flowers (Demo)"
Many of the points I made on the single version of this track still stand. It’s catchy and relatable. Miley’s singing really well. This version, however, is a lot smaller. It’s only vocals and piano. It makes the experience a little more personal, yes, but I see the inclusion of this on the album as a statement from Miley herself. I feel like this is more of an expression from her as an individual whereas the other version is the studio’s expression. That’s the money-making one. This is the one that makes Miley cry and is what you’re supposed to learn how to play on the keyboard in your bedroom. Beautiful in its own way.
Overall
Ehhhh this was alright. Individually, we've got a few gems. However, the overall strength of the tracklist just doesn't hold up over its 43 minute run time. There are too many duds and bland attempts at making solid pop songs. Not a lot of risk-taking going on (besides maybe two or three songs). The biggest problem I have with the album though is its tonal inconsistency. There's some rock songs, some pop-rock, some synth-pop, a ballad or two, and whatever the hell "Island" was supposed to be. These songs were not made to be part of a larger, cohesive project. And if they were, then I'd have to say Miley Cyrus failed miserably. Luckily, she's talented enough of a singer and songwriter to make songs that are enjoyable enough on their own. "Handstand", for example, doesn't follow your typical song structure, but it kept my attention the whole time. I recommend listening to the project once and taking away whatever you want. If you're already a fan though, you'll probably enjoy this record. I took a few songs, but it just isn't for me. I wish she would've stuck with either the rock sound or the electronic sound. They don't blend well (at least across this specific project they don't).
6.2/10
Have you listened to Endless Summer Vacation ? I want to hear what you think. What'd I miss? Did I tear apart your favorite song? Or give too much credit to one that doesn't deserve it? Any questions or comments? I'd love to respond. Feel free to drop review requests too! I will strongly consider them.
Peace and love.
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