Bangerz
Sony
In the ugly aftermath of Sinead O’Connor’s open letter to our dubious heroine, which warned not to let anyone make her feel that her sexuality was more valuable than her talent, there was a common sneering response: ‘Talent?’
This isn’t a sneer I can join in on. Bangerz too rarely requires it, but Miley Cyrus has a hell of a voice, best in evidence on the rambling melodicism of the opener, Adore You. It elicits a quiet optimism, which Cyrus immediately sets about undoing with a pair of bland party anthems – We Can’t Stop recycles a melody from Jessie J and every ‘throw your hand in the air’ cliche from 1990, and the bratty SMS would sound dated even if it didn’t involve Britney Spears.
Unsurprisingly, there’s a hashtag song title, the Prince-lite #getitright. Surprisingly, it’s not terrible. There’s enough talent here (the winningly odd 4×4, a countrified club banger, points to what a distinctive Cyrus record might sound like) to suggest she may leave the world more than just another tawdry debate about exploitation.
But there’s too much cynicism and calculation to think that’s likely.
_ CHARLIE LEWIS
