YOU ARE HERE: zharth.net / Zharth's Music Log / Week 177 (Undercover Rock Star)
(Originally finalized on December 25, 2025)
Preface: Given my typical musical tastes (and the fact that they're not very broad), you might be surprised to learn that I follow a big pop star from the 21st century. Truth be told, I wasn't always a fan of Miley Cyrus. When she was Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel, I remember thinking how obnoxious it was that you couldn't turn a corner in Walmart without seeing something branded with her logo. (Disclaimer: I went back and watched the TV series after becoming a fan of the artist, and enjoyed it very much).
Ironically, it wasn't until she started acting out and courting controversy - to the chagrin of parents who'd welcomed her as a role model for their daughters (and wanted her to stay that way, forever) - that Miley Cyrus appeared on my radar. Now, I'm not too keen on the drug-related aspects of her reputation (although that's never stopped me from listening to what many consider to be "stoner music"). But an unapologetically sexually confident woman? This is something our culture loves to condemn, but that I wholeheartedly champion.
Whether it's posing topless for a magazine cover as a teenager, or pole dancing onstage. Whether it's swinging naked on a wrecking ball in a music video, or twerking on a foam finger in her underwear at the MTV Video Music Awards. I'm there for it. And before you accuse me of being superficial (my philosophy is that beauty isn't everything, but it is something - and also that you cannot tread the path of Beauty without Eros keeping company with you and appointing himself as your guide), this girl's got pipes. And good taste (although you might find that surprising). She's smart, too.
Having covered some of my favorite artists (and some others you would never have guessed) in concert and in the studio (including the likes of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Tom Petty, Courtney Love, and a whole host of others), she understands good music when she hears it. She even manages to extract the best elements of popular music from one of my least favorite decades (the '80s) in some of her own recordings. In most cases, I agree with public opinion on the subject of her best songs. But this week, in lieu of a predictable greatest hits reel, I want to highlight some of my favorites from her discography that don't get as much attention.
Monday: See You Again [Meet Miley Cyrus, 2007] & Fly On The Wall [Breakout, 2008]
Comments: For what they are, I can appreciate the upbeat, inspirational songs Hannah Montana sang for her young audience. In fact, the opening theme from the TV series - The Best of Both Worlds - actually inspired me to pick up my guitar again after years of inactivity! But Hannah Montana's second album is backed with Miley's official debut as a recording artist, and I noticed right away that the songs were a bit darker, more mature - just more interesting overall. I could do a whole theme on this early period of Miley's career, but I'm trying to keep this list concise.
"I knew you were something special when you spoke my name. Now, I can't wait to see you again."
"A little communication - that'll go a long way. You're getting misinformation; too much hearsay."
Tuesday: Obsessed [The Time Of Our Lives (EP), 2009]
Comments: Although just an EP, The Time Of Our Lives notably includes the release of one of Miley's all-time biggest hits - the party anthem Party in the U.S.A. (which I've seen her perform live!). I acknowledge its appeal (although from this era, I would have to say I prefer The Climb), but I would have to concede that it's a little over-played. The EP kicks off with a rocker, but my favorite track is the ballad Obsessed, which is relatable (even when the target of your obsession isn't a person) and, to my pleasant surprise, actually features a guitar solo!
"Am I obsessed with you? I do my best not to want you. But I do all the time - want you all the time."
Wednesday: Liberty Walk [Can't Be Tamed, 2010]
Comments: Can't Be Tamed was my official introduction to Miley Cyrus. Released when she was still 17, and before Hannah Montana had even ended, this was Miley's declaration of independence - a liberation from the Disney machinery, and the expectation that had been placed on her to continue to be a good, clean example of purity to the generation that grew up watching her on TV. Decked out in edgy black leather, she brought to life the symbolism of a caged bird breaking free in the title track's music video (also, we see an early inkling of her support for queer culture in the motley band of outcasts that form her flock). Needless to say, I sat up and took notice.
"It's a liberty walk. Free yourself, slam the door. Not a prisoner anymore."
Thursday: Someone Else [Bangerz, 2013]
Comments: With its unconcealed allusions to drug culture, and hip-hop influences, I wasn't immediately convinced of the value of Miley's boundary-pushing album (her antics during this period are well-documented), Bangerz. But when she posed nude for a skin cancer charity - myself being a visual artist working to combat the stigma surrounding the human body as a subject for art - I decided that this was a person who deserved my support. With time, I fell in love with the album, and even went to see Miley in concert during this tour. I think Wrecking Ball deserves to be one of her all-time greatest hits, and the fact that she's naked in the music video only makes it sweeter.
"Love is patient; love is selfless; love is hopeful; love is kind.
Love is jealous; love is selfish; love is helpless; love is blind."
Friday: Twinkle Song [Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, 2015]
Comments: Always one to confound expectations, Miley followed up the runaway success of Bangerz with the most inaccessible album of her career (perhaps anticipating this, she initially released it to the public free of charge). Recorded with The Flaming Lips at what one can only assume was the height of Miley's stoner phase, and partly a tribute to pets she'd lost along the way, it is at times uncomfortably intimate. I was not enamored with it upon first listen, but there are some unexpected bright spots that reward closer attention.
"What does it all mean? I had a dream, but what did it mean? What does it mean? I just... wanna scream."
Saturday: Mother's Daughter [She Is Coming (EP), 2019]
Comments: If it's true - as I would argue we've just witnessed - that pain makes for great art, then what does that say about happiness? In 2017, Miley released her country/pop album Younger Now, in the midst of her relationship with Liam Hemsworth. But honestly, the music fails to inspire me, and the breakup song she would eventually release, Slide Away, is better than anything on the album. From that post-breakup period also comes one of my all-time favorite Miley songs, Mother's Daughter. It has a kinda creepy vibe - imagine if Britney Spears walked onto the set of a Nine Inch Nails music video - but the queer-friendly message of female empowerment never fails to bring a tear to my eye.
"Look at her - she got the power. Don't fuck with my freedom. I came up to get me some."
Sunday: WTF Do I Know [Plastic Hearts, 2020]
Comments: As much of a dumpster fire as 2020 was, there were a few good things that happened that year. Trump was voted out of office. I had a white Christmas. And Miley Cyrus released Plastic Hearts. With guest appearances by Billy Idol and Joan Jett, it's the closest she's come to manifesting rock stardom. Out of her whole discography, it's my favorite album, and the one with the most songs that I relate to on a personal level (and habitually sing along with). I'm trying to stick to less recognized songs this week, but I think Midnight Sky is another one of Miley's career highlights.
"I'm completely naked, but I'm makin' it fashion."
Epilogue: Lockdown [Something Beautiful (Deluxe), 2025]
Comments: In 2023, Miley followed up Plastic Hearts with Endless Summer Vacation - the leading single, Flowers, earned her a couple of Grammy Awards. I like the song, and I like the album; I just didn't like it as much as I liked Plastic Hearts. I'd be hard-pressed to even pick a favorite track, although You would be a definite contender. Moving forward, Miley's latest album was released just this year. Dubbed a "pop opera", and conceptually inspired by Pink Floyd's The Wall, it constructs a sonic soundscape that defies simple categorization. I'm still in the process of familiarizing myself with it, but I love everything about this epic, 13-minute long bonus track that was included with the deluxe version of the album.
"I don't know if it's day. I don't know if it's night. I don't need to go out. I wanna stay inside."
