Miley Cyrus Is The Voice In Rock We Never Knew We Needed: Here’s Why

Posted On October 28, 2020

Samantha Colleran, October 2020

Miley Cyrus has been in the music world for a very, very long time. She’s had a number of different musical eras, some loved by her fans and the general public, and some that caused people to criticize her to no end. Now, Miley is in a new era, and it’s one that took me by surprise, but I’m so glad it’s happening.

Her newest single, “Midnight Sky” is inspired by 1980s Stevie Nicks. Think “Edge of Seventeen” with a Miley Cyrus twist to it. It’s got the synth elements, the impeccable vocals, the bit of Miley weirdness that’s hard not to love or appreciate. Everything about this single was a solid choice to lead fans into her new musical style. I mean, if Stevie inspired it, it’s bound to be incredible! 

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks and aren’t fully caught up with music news, I’m here to fill you in. It’s extremely important that you know Miley covered “Heart of Glass”, originally sung by Blondie, for the iHeart Festival. To say she absolutely killed it would be an understatement. She breathed new life into it, she introduced a new generation to Blondie, and she sounded incredible doing so. Every note that came out of her mouth was effortless. There’s something about the way Miley owns the stage that’s so mesmerizing, you can’t take your eyes or ears off of her. 

Miley’s voice has always been amazing, but there’s something about her covering a song like “Heart of Glass” that makes it stand out. Maybe it’s the badass Debbie Harry energy that Miley can emulate so perfectly, maybe it’s the years of criticism pouring out into a gritty rock driven persona. Whatever it is, Miley’s got it, and I firmly believe that this cover was the unexpected surprise 2020 so desperately needed.

If you thought that “Midnight Sky” and “Heart of Glass” marked the end of Miley’s rock journey, you’re mistaken. For the Save Our Stages Fest (SOSFest), Miley covered the Cranberries hit “Zombie” live from Whisky A Go Go. She also covered The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry”. I genuinely can’t decide which I like better. How can I when she puts such an incredible spin on both?

“Zombie” has the same raw energy as the original, if not more. I forgot for a second while listening that this wasn’t actually a Miley original. She made it her own and gave her all in this performance. Her voice is smooth in all the right places, and she gets gravely in other parts that make this performance so solid. Her all black outfit and glittery eyeshadow ties everything together. You can also tell how much fun her backing band is having; they all have little headbanging moments as Miley serenades an empty Whisky A Go Go. (There was also some headbanging on my end, but it wasn’t as cool or effortless as Miley and co.). 

Everyone knows this classic from The Cure, and a Miley twist added a new layer of awesomeness to an already fantastic song. First of all, she struts on stage with one of the most incredible hats, and she launches into the song like she’s been singing it for years. She’s got a bit of a smug tone when she sings this one, but if I sounded as good as her when singing I would definitely be a bit smug about it. She also drags out one of her “boysss don’t cryyyy” in the second chorus and it’s probably my favorite part of the entire performance. 

More recently, Miley covered The Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane” for MTV Unplugged. It’s a slower rendition of the original, but it still has that perfect rock element that Miley has perfected. She still has that perfect rasp in her voice when she sings louder. The vibe of her backyard ties it all together, it feels cozy and inviting, it’s almost like a personal concert. I also can’t name many people who can effortlessly pull off green eyeshadow, but Miley has this cool energy that allows her to pull off just about anything (musically or fashion wise). 

If you’ve listened to all of these and still aren’t convinced Miley Cyrus has what it takes to bring much needed attention to the rock genre, then I don’t know what to say to you. I don’t care if you agree or disagree, the fact is that Miley’s highly anticipated rock album titled Plastic Hearts that was recently announced, is precisely what the world needs right now. (Seriously, my parents and I have been obsessing and bonding over any and all Miley rock covers we can find). What better way to start saying our goodbyes to this year full of madness than with a powerful Miley rock album? (You can all expect a review of Plastic Hearts at the end of November!)