Album Review: Miley, Bass Persuades

Miley's tenth album finds her reaching for something darker, dirtier, and more experimental.

The title track opens with a shot at Gen Z - "The kids don't wanna dance" - before launching into spoken-word instructions reminiscent of Lady Gaga and Madonna. Its buzzing production immediately raises the question: is this a club record?

'Different Religion', featuring Model/Actriz, suggests it could be. Her smoky, raspy vocals match Cole Haden's sultriness, while jagged production creates a grubby, industrial atmosphere reminiscent of Miley's Plastic Hearts era.

'Let's Get Married' trades the album's industrial pulse for soft-rock romance, abruptly breaking its momentum. The Fleetwood Mac-inspired harmonies are a highlight, but its repeated "Let's get married" refrain never develops into anything more emotionally revealing. Even with inspiration from dream-pop legends Cocteau Twins, the track feels out of place.

The genre-bending continues, with 'REDLIGHTS' and 'Innocent Ways' bringing the darkness back, while 'Snow' delivers one of the album's strongest ballads through penetrating synth bass and vivid imagery.

Throughout Bass Persuades, a darker, industrial Miley is fighting to be heard. The album is at its best when she gives that side room to breathe. So is it a club record? No - but maybe it should've been.