It’s been 10 years today since the legendary Bangerz album was released by Miley Cyrus. Breaking records and stigma around her Hannah Montana image, this album was a shift in Miley’s career. It reminds us how well she can transform and reincarnate herself. A decade later, we celebrate all of Miley’s eras by going back into her most iconic eras.
"Meet Miley Cyrus" (2007) and "Breakout" (2008): Disney Princess to Pop Sensation
Miley Cyrus arrived on the music scene with her debut album, "Meet Miley Cyrus" At this stage, she was best known for her role as Disney's Hannah Montana. The album showcased her transition from a child star to a pop sensation. On the cover, she had to put Hannah's face as well as her brunette version, to make sure her audience would recognise, she is still then very associated with her character.
The Breakout album featured a more mature sound, with a focus on pop-rock elements. Her look shifted towards a more edgy, rock-inspired style. During that period, the film "Hannah Montana: The Movie" was released, uncovering the famous "Hoedown Throwdown". Miley herself has referred to it as an early version of tiktok dance trends.
One of the album’s most successful singles, “The climb” is up there. In honour of the inauguration of Barack Obama as the President of the US, Miley has the opportunity to perfom the song in 2009.
"Can't Be Tamed" (2010): Electropop Transformation
She embraced a provocative image and experimented with an electropop sound. The album is about liberation, rebellion, and self-expression, with bold fashion choices and the beginning of provocative stage presence.
"Bangerz" (2013): The game-changer album, celebrating its anniversary
It featured hip-hop and urban pop influences, and the unforgettable provocative visual aesthetic. Her image became associated with twerking and a fearless approach to pushing boundaries in pop music. She recently expressed her feelings about this period, explaining that at the time she was “judged for so long for (her) choices, and (she) was just exhausted”.
“Wrecking Ball" topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, becoming Miley Cyrus's first number-one single on the chart. She wins a VMA award for the video clip of wrecking ball and uses the platform to start her foundation Happy Hippies, whose mission is to support and empower young people who are experiencing homelessness and other vulnerabilities, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. https://www.happyhippies.org/
Talking about her Bangerz tour, Miley says : “I didn't make a dime on this tour because I wanted the tour to be excellent. Everyone kept saying, 'Why are you doing this? You're going to do like 100 shows and you're not going to make any money. I said ‘there's no one I would rather invest in than myself’. So, I paid for it all to make it exactly what I thought I and the fans deserved." The tour of 80 concerts made $70 million in ticket sales (Forbes).
Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz (2015): The psychedelic and experimental era
Another risk taken by Miley, with this surprise and self-funded album. The aesthetic is experimental, psychedelic, dreamy, colourful, and trippy, reflecting her creative freedom. The album is a tribute to her pets that passed away. Miley is famous for her love for her animals, and decided to celebrate them. Her “Twinkle song” SNL performance is dedicated to her dog and a friend’s cat. The piano was designed by the artist Bradley Kenneth.
Younger Now (2017): The Country-Pop Rebirth
The album featured a more country-pop sound with a retro-inspired aesthetic. It is a softer, more introspective and intimate era in her career. She recorded it in the rainbow land studio in her malibu house. A house that burned down during the Californian fires of 2018, while she was filming an episode of Black mirror.
Plastic Hearts (2020): The Rock 'n' Roll Revival
The album featured a mix of rock, punk, and pop elements, with a rebellious aesthetic: leather jackets and edgy stage presence.
Endless Summer Vacation (2023): Celebrating yourself era
It's a joyful anthem that encourages us to embrace the thrill of the moment, leave our worries behind, and dance our way into the endless summer of our dreams. Miley decides to take a step back in this album and find lessons to learn from her past. About her single “Flowers”, she explains she decided to use trauma and make something celebratory.
Miley announced recently she won’t be touring anytime soon because of the energy it requires to go on such a journey for sometimes a few years. To cope with the sad news, we created a Miley’s era poster. Don’t hesitate to download it !
🎵 Do you like Miley's music? What is your favourite era?🎵
