Miley Cyrus - Singer-songwriter

"Bangerz," Cyrus' fourth studio album and RCA Records debut, is, for better and worse, the sound of a singer following a pair of enormous singles with a full-length completely from the perspective that birthed those two hits. In other words, the album finds Cyrus working with who she wants to work with, singing about what she wants to sing about, as if she's a kid in an arcade with a pocket of limitless quarters. Sometimes, the 20-year-old's vision needs to be adjusted, as on the manic French Montana collaboration "FU" and on "Someone Else," which feels like the album's hundredth dramatic breakup song and plays for nearly five minutes. But more often than not, Cyrus' daring attitude guides her to invention: "4x4," a country-tinged mash-up with Nelly, sounds awful in concept but is executed efficiently; "Do My Thang" could have been a sneering declaration of independence but invites the listener to share Cyrus' youthful glee. "We Can't Stop" still knocks, but "Wrecking Ball" actually hints at where Cyrus' career may take her next, since the vocalist expertly handles the mid-tempo ballad without a whiff of gimmickry. Could Cyrus fashion a long musical run based on these big-hearted roof-rattlers? Probably, yes.
"Every time I do something, I want to remember, 'This is what separates me from everyone else,'" Cyrus says in the upcoming MTV documentary "Miley Cyrus: The Movement." "Bangerz" is neither the best nor worst pop album released this year, but it's inarguably the most fiercely individual. Never mind the "z" at the end of the album title, because one thing Miley Cyrus' "Bangerz" won't do is put you to sleep.