Album Review: Miley Cyrus’ “Endless Summer Vacation”

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Heidi Krull, Staff Writer

Friday, March 10, Miley Cyrus released her new and long awaited album, “Endless Summer Vacation.” Her previous album was released back in 2020, and fans have been anticipating this album since she dropped her initial single, “Flowers,” back on January 13, 2023.

For the past decade, Cyrus has made new music rather consistently, releasing albums in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 and now, 2023. However, each of these albums have had a vastly different feel from one another. From pop, to rock-influenced and hip-hop, Cyrus has shown her  diversity and proven herself in the industry to be a powerhouse. This album is no different.

“Endless Summer Vacation” sounds exactly like what the title entails: bright, poppy music that makes the listener long for warm weather. Unlike her recent albums, Cyrus adds a vintage, nostalgic vibe to her tracks, even including vinyl-esque dissonance to a few tracks at the beginning of the album. She doubles down on her past country-inspired music in one of her tracks, titled “Thousand Miles,” which features a fun, country twang and features folk-rock singer Brandi Carlisle. Even while tackling a new sound, Cyrus manages to add variety to each track to engage the listener even further.

While the sounds of Cyrus’s album exuded range, the content of her lyrics aimed to have a more cohesive feel. Her initial release of her single, “Flowers,” raised curiosity across her fan base because the release date was the same day as her ex-fiance, Liam Hemsworth’s birthday. The other songs in the album do suggest a breakup theme, but not in the typical, angry fashion that has been popularized. In “Rose Colored Lenses,” the lyrics look back fondly at a relationship while recognizing the relationship’s toxicity. In contrast to that, the song “Muddy Feet” has an accepting tone that is less happy, but still suggests that Miley is better off having moved on.

With this album, Cyrus has proven to the public that she has an incredible range of genres. Her past music, in addition to this new release, have all had vastly different vibes, sounds and lyrics that take her listeners on a journey with her. While there were questions about the longevity of her career in the early 2010s, all questions should be squashed at this point in time. Fans and casual listeners alike should expect “Endless Summer Vacation” to be the anthem of Summer 2023.