Music Review: Can't Be Tamed
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that on this CD, Miley Cyrus makes a
clean break with her younger, more carefree,
Hannah Montana days. While there's very little swearing
and no graphic sexual descriptions, some songs have clear
references to sexual situations, with lyrics that mention two
people spending the night together. Even the love songs are
more emotionally complex -- all of which should make parents of
younger kids think twice before buying this record.
- Parents can talk about what makes young musicians take different paths as they grow and mature. Why do some girls like Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears choose to start dressing provocatively and singing about sexual situations?
- Why do other girls like Taylor Swift continue to dress and act more modestly while keeping their songs free of adult content?
R.I.P., Hannah Montana: there's no trace of her on CAN'T BE TAMED, the latest album from Hannah's real-life alter ego, actress-singer Miley Cyrus. From the belly-baring cover photo to the song lyrics that mention two people spending the night together, the CD is a clear departure from earlier, more innocent Cyrus releases. Though it's a far cry from super-explicit records by young women like Lady GaGa or Ke$ha, this music isn't for the youngest among the Hannah Montana fans.
It's ironic that Miley Cyrus is now dressing more (revealingly) like Britney Spears, since the two have always had something else in common: weaker vocals than their peers. And when you don't have the chops to make anything sound good (i.e. Christina Aguilera), everything else about your album -- from the arrangements to the beats -- has to be tight, which is unfortunately not the case with this record. The styles jump all over the place, with some songs ("Liberty Walk") resembling Miley's old power-pop, while others ("Permanent December," "Can't Be Tamed") sound like knock-offs of Ke$ha and Britney. Add in some auto-tune, and the whole thing ends up sounding like somewhat of a mess.
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