Review : Breakout By Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus wanted to break away from Hannah Montana with her own debut album, Breakout and I’m happy to say she did just that. While most of the songs are “manufactured” with guitar-laden riffs and with it’s Pop Rock homage, it is a step away from the Disney Pop of Hannah Montana where Miley is clearly known for. Breakout has 12 tracks to boot and Miley co-wrote 8 of them including the Rock Mafia Remix of “See You Again” which happens to be the song that made me take notice of Miley.

A more comprehensive review of the album after the fold…

While it may not be the album to help Miley get Grammy nominations (I’m hoping I’m wrong)  since it doesn’t have the voice of Pop Music belters like Christina Aguilera or Mariah Carey, it’s a Pop Music album in all it’s glory. You got the beat, the riffs, the slightly emo lyrics, the dancy tunes and most songs are teen relatable. Adult as well, if you’ve ever gotten your heart broken , I mean .

Breakout – the album title track talks about being tired of the mundane days spent in school. Something any teenager in school has experienced. Didn’t we all just want to break out of school to party (or go to the mall) instead?

7 Things — as we all have heard is an anthem after breaking up with a boy. Hate him all you want, you know you still miss and love his little ways.

The Driveway — a quintessential pre-break-up song. You know it’s over and there’s nothing else to do and nowhere else to go but say goodbye.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun — Miley’s version of Cyndi Lauper’s girl power anthem in the ’80’s. Again, I apologize to Cyndi Lauper coz I absolutely love Miley’s version. Her team were very smart to infuse their modern pop twist coz it worked perfectly. There’s a difference from the original which  is a brilliant move. It has a faster beat. I hope Cyndi hears it, she probably has, and gives it her two thumbs up because Miley did great in making it her own. I hope it’s her next single.

Full Circle — one of Miley’s mellow song on the album. A little too deep for me to comprehend that a 15 yr old girl is singing about life coming to full circle. But who cares. It kinda makes sense if you’ve experienced a lot in life. Hence a 31 yr old like me likes it .

Fly On The Wall — one of my favorites. It’s pretty much self explanatory. I enjoyed the lyrics. It’s quite apropos with Miley’s paparazzi filled daily life even though the song is brilliantly disguised as something for a jealous boyfriend. My favorite part is when she rips, “a little communication…..”. She gives that powerful, commanding voice. I love it.

Bottom Of The Ocean — a more mature emo song about a lost love and wishing him all the best. If you’re an adult fan *ahem* of Miley, you could probably relate more to this song.

Wake Up America — Miley gets patriotic, political and earth conscious. You know, being green and all. What I like about this is that Miley didn’t pretend to know everything and admits it by saying, “I wanna learn what it’s all about. But everything I read’s, Global Warming, going green, I don’t know what all this means. But it seems to be saying Wake Up America“. Maybe this would teach young people to conserve and recycle. *knock on wood* It’s a little bit preachy but told in a pop dance beat.

These Four Walls — I call this as Taylor Swift meets pop emo angst Avril Lavigne. Think of a mellow song that Avril puts out as as second single from all her albums, with a country vibe to it. Hence the tune of Taylor Swift. With Miley’s signature scratchy “rock” voice. That’s how the music sounds like to me. Oh yes, it’s another love lost song. *Sigh*

Simple Song — Miley is singing about everything is crammed in her ears and throat and it’s only 7am. Hmm, working too hard perhaps? All Miley really want to do is hear a “simple song”. Haven’t we all been there before?

Goodbye – Miley is lamenting about saying goodbye. What else could Miley be singing about. She remembers their kiss, the time they danced with no music playing, you know, the simple things. It’s more like an unrequited love kind of song. Hmmm, was it because Papa Disney said to break it off?? Uh Huh! It’s very heartfelt and almost biographical, heh. You could actually hear the pain in Miley’s voice.

See You Again (Rock Mafia Remix) — it doesn’t sound all too different from the original one. Well maybe a little bit. There’s some added mix tunes into it to make it more rocky and dancy. It’s still one of my favorites from Miley.

Anyone who buys Breakout (bravely or otherwise) will enjoy it. I’m so proud of Miley and her management. They did a great job. This is Miley’s music. She co-wrote most of the songs which explains why it’s all about love or losing love for that matter. Except for Wake Up America which is more earth-friendly (hehe). And that in itself should give her a little bit of credit. I don’t think they could’ve created a better debut album than this. Trust me, it’s pretty good. If you’re into Pop Music and understand what a Pop Music is, of course.

(Image : Amazon.com)