Girl power and overcoming substance use is what reigns in the newest EP from Miley Cyrus.
In a recent video circulating online, she was questioned about her infamous Disney character Hannah Montana. She simply replied: she is coming. A mysterious, yet incredible way to promote what we’ve now had the opportunity to listen to. This is a new strategy for an artist to try contemporary music styles, beats and collabs.
This time, Miley took time off to tackle personal matters: her taste for controversial substances, the fire that took her house in Malibu, plus she also got married. You can taste her growth since the release of her last album in 2017 as you move along the new EP. Songs like ‘Mother’s Daughter’ denotates embracing her true self as a warning to you to not mess with her freedom, and addresses labels that media has often used to refer to her: “witch”, “freak” and “nasty”. She is sick of those adjectives used for her, as she struggles to have some peace. The track has a mystic vibe, with a bass at the back that is hard to not feel driven by.
It seems like Miley kept a bit of her recent Black Mirror appearance for ‘Unholy’, an anthem for pop culture: drinks, parties, sex and the never-ending searching for privacy that artists are craving for (but isn’t everyone else too?). As she sings the chorus it sounds like she’s trapped in a repetitive mysterious carousel. The next track, which at first sounds like a classic pop song, features heavy vocal sounds leading to the cheesy chorus where she introduces you to the aftermath of lonely party life, ending with an “extra” collab from Ghostface Killah. It teases you with the catchy “cash rules everything around me”, replacing ‘cash’ with ‘drugs’ in Miley’s turn. This way of featuring music artist is loved and hated, depending on who you ask. It’s almost as if they didn’t want to be mixed in the same tune; instead they had their own time to take part on it, resembling one of those rare hidden tunes at the end of albums that was mainly used in the 2000s.
A similar thing occurs on ‘Cattitude’ ft. RuPaul. Both artists are heavily involved in the lyrics of this song, mixed amongst a drum runway tune. It's almost as Miley is regaining her power here as she embraces her feminine side. She’s rooting for her country background, but remaining grateful for the path she’s taken. Although this tune feels a bit off the beat with the rest of the EP, you can feel the story she's trying to tell you of standing up for your values. This is emphasised by RuPaul being there, given his status as a role model of uniqueness.
The next track is a celebration of Miley coming back from the ashes of her reputation. ‘Party Up The Street’ is a low beat song, with minimal use of instruments. It’s perfectly delivered with Swae Lee’s soft tone voice (a.k.a. one half of Rae Sremmurd). You would have heard his voice recently overplayed on the radio as part of Post Malone’s ‘Sunflower’.
Finally we have the grand finale: a love anthem for someone that hasn’t stopped believing in her. As she sings on ‘The Most’ it’s hard not to think this as a continuation of her song ‘Malibu’, allegedly written in honour of her now-husband Liam Hemsworth. Basic lyrics and a repetitive chorus ornament the clapping sound in the background.
This EP is a commemoration of strength and perseverance. Miley uses her voice in high notes on the last song, which reminds us that love is what has enabled her to carry on at her lowest points. She proves that she is still human, she makes mistakes, and through it all there has been someone who has been kind to her. The album ends with a strong to-be-continued sound, introducing you to what is yet to come. She Is Coming is the first taste of a 3-part EP, leading up to what is going to be her 7th studio album, and by far her best piece of work. The message throughout the entire EP is simple: she is still just being Miley.
