In late 2012, a new Miley Cyrus was introduced to the pop culture world and the reincarnation shocked everyone. With a startling new grunge-chic attire and platinum blonde up do, Miley stomped onto the scene proclaiming that the starlet’s previous alter ego Hannah Montana was no longer. The songstress’ brand new album arrived on October 8, 2013 and delivered a refreshing underground-meets-pop-music sound.

The 13-track album begins with a heartfelt “Adore You”, which has the recurring theme of cherishing love lost. The beautifully orchestrated melody is stunningly synched with Cyrus’ angelic voice. The second track, “We Can’t Stop” was the first single off of the new record and is a fun song about not quitting when everything is against you. This song is definitely a highlighted track on the album. “SMS (Bangerz)” features the iconic Britney Spears and her robotic collaboration voice similar to that of Will.I.Am’s “Scream and Shout”.  Although the track has a legendary featured artist, the song falls short from the rest of the album. “4×4” featuring Nelly has Cyrus’ original country twang to it. The song is identical to Georgia Florida Line’s “Cruise”, which also features Nelly.

“My Darlin’” featuring Future is one of the slower and laid back songs on the generally up-tempo album. Another one of the redundantly themed songs, “My Darlin’” receives its stars from its incredible instrumental. The record’s second single “Wrecking Ball” is the sixth track. This song is amazingly composed and showcases a heart wrenching Miley in one of her darkest songs on “Bangerz”. “Love Money Party” features rapper Big Sean and shows off an even newer, urban side of Miley.  However, the song is nothing special and does not fit the theme of the album.

“#GETITRIGHT” is an extremely fun track and the beat is an instant classic. Listeners may find themselves singing along to the contagious lyrics by their second time listening. “Drive” is one of the best songs on the album. Overall, the track sounds something like if Zedd met the Dixie Chicks and they produced a crazy heartfelt electronic record. The lyrics and pulsating beat give this song one of the most unique features on the album.  “FU” featuring French Montana is a theatrical breakup track that sounds similar to Adele’s “Rumor Has It”. This is the most theatrical and angry songs on the album, but it makes listeners feel like they can take on the world. “Do My Thang” is a powerful electronic pop song about being your own person. Its greatness comes with the incredibly dark and grungy backing track that gives the song another life. “Maybe You’re Right” is another strong record and promises to be a successful break up hit. Miley fans are sure to scream these lyrics at their mate during a fight. The final song, “Someone Else” is a song that has the same emotional feeling as “Drive”, but has much more potential to become a club banger.

As a whole, Miley Cyrus’ “Bangerz” is precisely the best record that she could produce at this point in her life. Although some of the verses fall short of the overall feel of the album, each track delivers a fantastic and fresh idea. This record is sure to push the boundaries and force many other pop stars to work as hard as they can to take risks and make the best art that they can make, which is exactly what Miley did with “Bangerz”.