Miley Cyrus is back and she’s not here to mess around. Lead single ‘Flowers’ from Endless Summer Vacation, is at the time of writing, still at number one in the UK chart – a spot it has clung to for seven weeks so far. The single has reached number one in 35 countries and smashed the record for the most streamed track on Spotify in one week. Oh, and she dropped the song, which references her divorce from Australian actor Liam Hemsworth, on her ex-husband’s birthday.
On Friday, while Hemsworth was probably eating a TimTam and seething, Cyrus released her eighth studio album Endless Summer Vacation, her most hotly anticipated work to date. On the album cover, Cyrus looks glam and defiant, sporting a swimsuit, red lipstick, sunglasses and stilettos while holding onto a trapeze bar. But as the songs on the album start to suggest, elevation also comes with isolation.
I’ll come clean – Endless Summer Vacation is not the collection of back-to-back bops that ‘Flowers’ primed us for. In a way, the runaway success of ‘Flowers’ and the fact it is the first track on the album sets a really high bar that the rest of the album can’t quite match. However, in her latest offering, Cyrus explores her conflict between choosing independence and staying in an unsatisfactory relationship in a way that is more frank and nuanced than your standard pop record.
The album deconstructs the idea that in order to be empowered, you have to have fully moved on from your previous relationships. In ‘Island’, she tells us that the ‘perfect’ life she has built for herself is also lonely, setting a tropical, upbeat sound against lyrics that discuss feeling haunted by a past love: “Yeah, I’ve got treasures buried underneath the sand / But I’m still wishing for the love that I don’t have”.
The tracklist as a whole encompasses the wide spectrum of emotions that surface during and long after a breakup. While ‘You’ is wistful, ‘Muddy Feet’ is angry, ‘Jaded’ is empathetic and ‘Wildcard’, like ‘Flowers’, is defiant.
‘Rose Coloured Lenses’ is the most interesting track, as it seems to be creating a dialogue with Cyrus’s earlier music, particularly her 2017 hit ‘Malibu’, which painted a favourable picture of her relationship with Hemsworth. Like ‘Malibu’, ‘Rose Coloured Lenses’ also explores a summer romance, but this one is tinged with sadness, as the singer is aware of its impermanence. The title suggests that Cyrus knows she is ignoring the realities of the relationship, an idea that also crops up in the chorus: “Wearing rose coloured lenses, let’s just play pretend / Wearing rose coloured lenses, pretend we’ll never end”.
It’s telling that we find the title of the album buried in this song. Cyrus shatters the idyllic premise of an ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ by suggesting it’s a fantasy that she hides in to avoid the truth.
‘Muddy Feet’ is a deep dive into the collapse of her marriage, which alleges infidelity on Hemsworth’s part. It’s a punchy track that I feel Cyrus definitely could have carried on her own, rather than roping in Sia. The ‘Chandelier’ singer makes a cameo so brief, it makes Lana Del Rey’s whispered contributions to Taylor Swift’s ‘Snow on The Beach’ look positively overbearing.
‘Thousand Miles’ which features Brandi Carlisle, also lacks impact. The song, which is dedicated to Cyrus’ younger sister Noah, celebrates their sibling bond. Given that Noah Cyrus is now an established artist in her own right, it’s surprising she didn’t make an appearance on this album and this song seemed like a great opportunity for the two sisters to collaborate. Sonically, this track has an Americana/country feel, with harmonica interludes. Like piano ballad ‘Wonder Woman’, it seems a little out of place with the rest of the songs, which are led by synths and hazy, reverberating guitars.
Fans seemed bemused by Cyrus’ choice of collaborators as soon as the tracklist was revealed. Bearing in mind she has previously teamed up with Dolly Parton, Dua Lipa, Joan Jett and Britney Spears, their dissatisfaction is valid. Many people have been calling for a SZA duet, a choice which makes a lot of sense given that SZA’s latest album, SOS, has similar themes to Endless Summer Vacation.
Overall, I like the tropical, bittersweet flavour of this album. The overall concept is strong and I wish it had been pushed further. ‘Handstand’ plays with spoken word and it would have been interesting to have included more of this in other tracks, along with some better features from other artists to add texture and make the album more cohesive. Some of the songs feel either too similar or out of place and in the case of ‘Thousand Miles’, over long. Musically, this is not Cyrus’ best work but her vulnerability and message of empowerment will resonate with a lot of people. Not only will the songs make great additions to a summer playlist, they also discuss relationships and womanhood in a way that feels refreshing and relevant in 2023.
Words by Lucie Richardson
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.