Endless Summer Vacation is perfect for your endless winter semester
By Medina Mohammed, March 28 2023—
Miley Cyrus is back and better than ever with her new album Endless Summer Vacation. The pop album has 13 tracks, two artist features from Brandi Carlisle and Sia and totals around 40 minutes of listening time. Cyrus dropped the single from the album titled “Flowers” on January 13, and it quickly broke streaming records. “Flowers” gave fans a hint of what they would expect from the album, and she delivered on her promises. The title of the album, Endless Summer Vacation, is incredibly fitting as most of the songs on the album are upbeat 80s pop-inspired tracks. This has become a trend for Cyrus — her 2020 album, Plastic Hearts, had the 80s feel and a feature from Stevie Nicks, leaving fans anticipating her next album. After an initial listen, it is evident that underneath the summer vibes of the album, it is, at its core, a breakup album. However, it is also apparent after the first listen that Cyrus was able to showcase her songwriting skills and vocal talents on many of the tracks.
The overall feel for the album is already implied in the title — all of the songs on the album are perfect for blasting on a summer drive to Banff with all the windows down. Compared to Cyrus’ other albums and various Hannah Montana soundtracks, Endless Summer Vacation is her most personal and vulnerable. It is able to showcase the evolution of her musical tastes and styles in one album.
On this album, my favourite three tracks were “Thousand Miles” featuring Brandi Carlisle, “Wonder Woman” and “You.” “Thousand Miles” is a laid-back track and explores the lack of sense of self after a bad breakup. It has an older feel and sounds like it could be on the soundtrack for a romantic comedy from 2004 in the best way possible. “Wonder Woman” is a slow piano ballad that discusses Cyrus’ attempt at being a perfect woman. This song showcases her vocal talents similarly to 2009’s “The Climb.”
Last but not least, “You” is very fitting for Joe Goldberg, the Netflix series of the same name. It is a romantic track that follows all the activities or situations Cyrus would like to be in with her partner. It also showcases her vocal ability in the pop ballad that can be compared to a Bruno Mars song.
Many of the tracks from this album are experimental, and Cyrus has blurred the lines of the genre with her latest album, which has created a familiar feel to her album, something that only makes it more likeable. For me, the track that most stood out, in terms of experimentation, was “Handstand,” a track that can only be described as an 80s pop baby. It reminds me of both “Love is a Battlefield” by Pat Benatar and “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell — a combination interpreted as perfection. All of the tracks on this album follow in the footsteps of “Flowers” being a modern-80s pop hybrid that works perfectly for Cyrus’ voice and image.
All in all, Endless Summer Vacation is the perfect pop soundtrack for summer and features many hits. It is a good example of an experimental pop sound that is able to showcase Cyrus’ talent and ability, and include her past sonically. It is the perfect summer album, but it is also upbeat enough to get you through the day with its warm and familiar feel. She has come a long way from her Hannah Montana days, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.