Breakout- Miley Cyrus
1. Breakout
2. 7 Things
3. The Driveway
4. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
5. Full Circle
6. Fly on the Wall
7. Bottom of the Ocean
8. Wake Up America
9. These Four Walls
10. Simple Song
11. Goodbye
12. See You Again (Rock Mafia Remix)
You probably think Miley Cyrus is yet another Disney actress who was sort of forced into the music industry and whose music is consequently meaningless feel good fluff- the sort of stuff parents of 8 year olds have to hear over and over again in the car, but no one else really cares about. And up until now, while I wouldn't have agreed, I would have understood where you got that idea. However, the same cannot be said after Miley Cyrus's third studio effort, Breakout, which hit stores on July 22nd.
This is Cyrus’s first CD not to include any taint of Hannah Montana, and the album is rightfully named. From a fifteen year old whose previous musical projects consisted mostly of charmingly sugary pop, Breakout comes as quite a shock. While the songs are obviously not written by anyone over eighteen (the title track is about waiting for the bell to ring at school so you can get the hell out), promising songstress potential is displayed (see Full Circle). And if the songwriting was a pleasant surprise, then the sound of Cyrus’s voice is a kind of revelation. While it is somewhat lacking in finesse, she sounds remarkably huskier and older than she’s been projected as.
And of the album’s two covers, they are better than a Disney Channel star should really be making. The sped-up and an octave lower version of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, originally recorded by Cyndi Lauper, is not a disaster as you might have expected, and in fact may end up in your head for the next week or two after first hearing it. And These Four Walls, a cover of a song by Cheyenne Kimball, demonstrates Cyrus’s voice when it is at its best- with a slight country twang and a gravelly undertone. The only real clunker is an environmentally-conscious song, Wake Up America, which while rather catchy, somehow makes the end of the earth sound cute.
In short, while Miley Cyrus cannot be said to be a lyrical or musical genius in any respect, she is definitely on the right track.
Must-haves: Fly on the Wall, Full Circle, Simple Song, Goodbye.
4/5 stars.
I actually liked some of the songs! :D
Goodbye gives me shivers all the time.
ROSLYNN, August 29th, 2008 at 08:25:30pm
I'm not into her at all, all I know is that my sister loves her/Hannah Montana, and I admit I've been too quick to judge her because of her being a "Disney actress". After taking a listen to my sister's CD, I admit she's better than I thought, but I still don't like her. And that's just because it's not my type of music. I think she seems really talented and all, but not just exciting to me.
Good blog though : D
Lissie!, August 27th, 2008 at 12:08:05pm
I don't listen to her, but I like how people on here listen to her.
Skippy., August 27th, 2008 at 02:48:49am
yeah i actually like it a lot but in technical interests, it's kinda cheesy
i love it despite the cheese factor but well there you go
Miley Cyrus, August 26th, 2008 at 09:12:22pm
i love this album [:
i even like wake up america, although its a bit...idk really what it is. =/
Sweeney Todd., August 26th, 2008 at 09:04:42pm
I bought this album for my two younger cousins and they LOVE IT.
I downloaded Simple Song, Goodbye and Bottom of the Ocean so far and I'm waiting for the others.
I'm not the biggest fan of her, but she really has out done her self as a musician in this album and it's only her second. Her range has been tweaked and broadened and she's singing about older aspects which make the song and the situation older as well..
I'll say 3/5 stars.
Deernt., August 26th, 2008 at 08:39:38pm