With a mix of covers and Miley’s music, both new and old, “Attention: Miley Live” reflects the complexity of Cyrus as an artist.
The album, which was released April 1, is Miley’s first live album. What makes it unique is that the tracklist is curated by her fans and it’s all very audience-oriented.
Cyrus wrote on Instagram, “I asked my audience what songs they’d like to see me perform at upcoming shows and this is the setlist YOU created! From fan favorite covers to some of my oldest songs, newest songs and original unreleased songs “YOU” & “ATTENTION!” I was doing a minimal amount of live shows this year and wanted the MAXIMUM amount of fans to experience ME LIVE!”
At the ending of “23,” Cyrus addressed the audience and discussed how she was scared to perform since the pandemic started because it feels new again.
“Something that used to feel so natural just doesn’t anymore. I just want to be honest … I’m finding my feet on this platform again,” Cyrus said.
She thanked her fans for their understanding and loyalty as she navigates life.
“[I am someone] who over the last 15 years has been a lot of different things, a lot of different identities. And all of those identities that I’m trying on to see if they fit me, like the skin that I’m in right now, you all stood beside me and grew with me and watched me evolve. And I hope that we get to do that over and over again for the rest of my life,” Cyrus said.
The album feels very personable and full of variety. As a long-time Miley fan, I was very content with how her first live album turned out.
Of course, she had to add some old fan favorites like “The Climb,” “Party in the USA,” and “7 Things.”
She introduced “7 Things” and said, “I wanted to let you know how grateful I am for the loyalty from all of you that has provided me this type of longevity and not a day goes by that I’m not thankful for each and every one of you. And, this next song I dedicate to everyone in this arena tonight that’s been there for me since the beginning.”
“7 Things” continues to age like fine wine alongside Miley’s ever-changing style, and this most recent live album proves that to be true.
From her latest album, “Plastic Hearts,” Miley performed the title track, “Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix),” “High,” and, for the first time, “Never Be Me.” “Never Be Me” has always been my favorite song from that album solely because of the emotion in her vocals, and the live version did not disappoint.
She also included unreleased music. “You,” which is a phenomenal track and arguably the best on the album, first debuted at NBC’s “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party.” The title track “Attention,” which was also unreleased, first debuted at the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Festival. Unlike “You,” this track did not hit the mark. I understand she’s trying to be edgy, but it’s not working.
A lot of her influences and styles come together for this live album — spanning from Madonna, The Pixies, Dolly Parton and Janis Joplin.
“I hope this show is a representation that you never need to choose who you want to be, and you don’t need to fit into any boundaries or into any boxes. You can be anything and everything that you’ve ever wanted to be all at the same time,” Miley told fans at the end of “Jolene.” “Everything that contradicts itself can coexist in harmony.”
Although she did a lot of stand-alone covers, the thing I loved most about this album is that she integrated these influences into her own songs. She eloquently mixed “We Can’t Stop” with The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?,” “See You Again” with Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang,” and “Wrecking Ball” with Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
For the stand alones, she sang Dolly’s “Jolene” — which no one should find surprising. She also sang Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” and Janis Joplin’s “Maybe.” With these covers, more specifically “Maybe,” I’m starting to think Miley sings other artists’ songs better than her own.
“Attention: Miley Live” is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services.