TRACK REVIEW: Miley Cyrus - WTF Do I Know

TRACK REVIEW:

Miley Cyrus

WTF Do I Know

9.2/10

The track, WTF Do I Know, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqwYgpnCRGA

The album, Plastic Hearts, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0BCjAmbM8ryCM9gxy5yW7h?si=XD3XYOrTRjmWn7zHNmrZDw

RELEASE DATE:

27th November, 2020

GENRES:

Rock/Pop

ORIGIN:

Tennessee, U.S.A.

LABEL:

RCA

PRODUCERS:

Louis Bell/The Monsters & Strangerz/Happy Perez/Mark Ronson/Andrew Watt/Andrew Wyatt

TRACKLISTING:

WTF Do I Know

Plastic Hearts

Angels like You

Prisoner (ft. Dua Lipa)

Gimme What I Want

Night Crawling (ft. Billy Idol)

Midnight Sky

High

Hate Me

Bad Karma (ft. Joan Jett)

Never Be Me

Golden G String

__________

I have been keen to review Miley Cyrus…

because I have been following her music for a while. She just released her seventh studio album, Plastic Hearts, and she has collaborated with a number of great musicians on it. Not only has she joined forces with Dua Lipa on the incredible Prisoner, but Billy Idol is in the frame on Night Crawling, whilst Joan Jett & The Blackhearts make an appearance on Bad Karma. I like the fact that Cyrus has only brought in a few guests - and they add something extra to the album. All too often, artists load in others and it can weigh down songs and make them seem like exercises in boosting those people’s streaming numbers. I think artists like Miley Cyrus have a genuine appreciation of the artists she collaborates with, so that means that the listener gets to hear something meaningful and thought-out. I am not going to review any of the tracks I just mentioned but I thought it warranted a nod. I am going to briefly talk about Miley Cyrus stepping into a more Rock-based territory; she has been known as a Pop artist for a long time. Whilst she has not completely entered the domain of Joan Jett or Billy Idol, there has been this crossover and blend. Plastic Hearts has a balance of more emotional and sensitive Pop numbers with tracks that are bolder and have more of a kick to them! Before I dive into the song I want to review, I thought I should mention a few relevant subjects. I want to bring in an interview Cyrus conducted with TIME in 2015 concerning gender and sexual fluidity. Last year, Miley Cyrus was in the news due to her comments that received backlash from the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community. I think it was misjudged what she said (read the article), but I think that Cyrus is an artist who is gender-fluid and has a lot of affection for the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community. The TIME interview reveals a little more:

“Cyrus counts herself among the people who don’t feel they fit in the traditional boxes, saying she doesn’t like the labels boy or girl or even gender fluid, though she’s settled on the latter for now. “I’m just equal. I’m just even. It has nothing to do with any parts of me or how I dress or how I look. It’s literally just how I feel,” Cyrus says during a break from taking pictures for Happy Hippie Presents #InstaPride in Los Angeles last month. The campaign is a collaboration between Happy Hippie—her non-profit dedicated to helping homeless and LGBT youth—and Instagram, aimed at spreading positive images of gender-nonconforming people and the families who love them.

Cyrus, wearing a yellow jumpsuit that hugs no curves and shows little skin, is talking about how she’s been sexually open for years and felt androgynous long before she heard the phrase gender fluid. She says she was the person other sexually curious teenage girls came to in Nashville: “They all wanted to experiment. I was always the one.” Now, when she does arrive somewhere wearing little but pasties and butterfly wings, she knows there will be critics who shame her for having her “tits out,” as she puts it. But she says she keeps doing it to challenge people: “I’m using it as a power stance,” she says. “It’s funny to see people try to look me in the eye.”

Like a college student exploring gender and sexuality in a very public seminar, Cyrus is combing back over the experiences of her youth in search of new kinds of understanding. Many of the people she’s photographing at the #InstaPride shoot have been on long journeys to find themselves, too. Greta Martela came out as a transgender woman late in life while living as a 44-year-old single dad. Tyler Ford, a close friend of Ariana Grande who grew up with the star in Boca Raton, came out as a transgender man before they (Ford’s preferred pronoun) stopped taking testosterone and started identifying as agender—meaning they feel they have no gender at all”

She traces her fluid feelings about relationships and gender back to her own parents, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and producer Tish Cyrus. “I don’t associate men and protection necessarily,” Cyrus says. “I think that’s what’s given me the openness of sexuality. Not that my dad wasn’t an awesome protector, but I trust my mom to save me. She’s the prince. I never had that fairy tale.” She recalls crying before dates as a teenager, stressed about people noticing flaws like a pimple. Now she says she’s much less concerned with the superficial stuff. “F—ing is easy. You can find someone to f— in five seconds,” she says. “We want to find someone we can talk to. And be ourselves with. That’s fairly slim pickings”.

Not to read too much into Plastic Hearts, but I guess one cannot avoid the fact that Cyrus had her divorce with Liam Hemsworth finalised earlier this year. I do think that this permeates songs on the album. I will bring in an article where Cyrus discussed her divorce but, first, an interview in ELLE from last year - where Cyrus talked about bodily autonomy and how people reacted to the fact she was married:

“ELLE: It sounds like you’ve been thinking a lot about women’s bodily autonomy.

Miley Cyrus: Yeah, too much. I’m such an over-thinker. But at this time of my life, I feel the most powerful I’ve ever felt. I like the way being sexual makes me feel, but I’m never performing for men. They shouldn’t compliment themselves to think that the decisions I’m making in my career would have anything to do with them getting pleasure. I don’t think that because some guy thinks I’m hot he’s going to buy my record. It doesn’t help me.

And then there’s the idea that if you’re a woman, your life is over when you get married.

I think it’s very confusing to people that I’m married. But my relationship is unique. And I don’t know that I would ever publicly allow people in there because it’s so complex, and modern, and new that I don’t think we’re in a place where people would get it. I mean, do people really think that I’m at home in a fucking apron cooking dinner? I’m in a hetero relationship, but I still am very sexually attracted to women. People become vegetarian for health reasons, but bacon is still fucking good, and I know that. I made a partner decision. This is the person I feel has my back the most. I definitely don’t fit into a stereotypical wife role. I don’t even like that word”.

PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE

It is sad that her marriage broke down, and I do not want to speculate why it did. It must have been hard living in the public eye and not only having people obsesses over the relationship when it was healthy, but to speculate and judge when it broke down! It is hard to look at an album like Plastic Hearts without, in some way, thinking about the split and how it affected Cyrus. One has to feel huge sympathy, as it is hard enough making any marriage work, let alone one that is so in the public sphere! Recently, she spoke with COMPLEX and talked about her divorce:

"I recently just went through a very public divorce that fucking sucked," she said. "What really sucked about it wasn't the fact that me and someone that I loved realized that we don't love each other the way that we used to anymore. That's OK. I can accept that. I can't accept the villainizing and the, just, all those stories. It's just amazing to me that the public kind of thinks that there's no gap of time that they didn't see that could possibly be what led to this. Like, it's not 'One day you were happy on the [red] carpet and the next day you were making out with your friend in Italy, what the fuck?' There was a lot of time in between that that you didn't see."

"It can happen with things like love," she said. "I've even felt that too. When it's, like, been the most stressful times in my life, I can't reach for drugs anymore, I don't want to reach for bad food. Alright, I'm gonna reach for someone to love me." Cyrus added that, when people are in love, "you do feel like you're high on drugs" during those early months. "It's the same drip," she said.

From there, Cyrus got more specific when noting the hangover-like effects of finding yourself in that situation.

"Actually, [the one] I called the love of mine who I was with and we got divorced, it was almost like a pacifier," she told Rogan. "It was that thing that I just needed. Not because we were in love anymore but because of the comfort and because my brain said 'Oh, this feels better, this is comforting.' But actually, knowing that I was giving in to an addiction made me feel way worse. I had the hangover. … It felt like a relapse every time I'd go back".

Just a little bit of a detour for a second but, as Cyrus appeared in an episode of Black Mirror called Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too, I wanted to mention that. Some criticised the episode. The plot follows Ashley O (Miley Cyrus), a Pop star who is creatively restricted by her management team, and Rachel (Angourie Rice) and Jack Goggins (Madison Davenport), teenage sisters who struggle with the recent loss of their mother. Many felt it was overcooked but I think that Cyrus’ performance was terrific. Many do not know her as an actor (she is famous as Hannah Montana), but she did put in a great turn in Black Mirror. She spoke with The Guardian last year about the series:

“Were you a fan of Black Mirror before?

Huge. Seen every episode of every season.

What was your favourite episode?

Nosedive.

What drew you to the script?

I think it’s an important story that needs to be told, such a realistic take on what it’s like working in the music industry. It really portrays the overt exploitation of artists and that numbers usually eclipse the creative most of the time.

How much did you contribute to the formation of the character? Did you suggests things that weren’t in the script?

It was a great collaboration, but there is a part of Ashley O that is not a character. I worked closely with Anne, the director and the show creators to share some of my personal experiences and help craft the episode.

Was the world of pop it portrayed familiar to you?

Eerily so … yes. You can see it playing out in the media right now. There’s huge similarities with what we see in pop music today”.

PHOTO CREDIT: WSJ. MAGAZINE

Not to focus too much on darker and more serious aspects but, not only is it important to talk about Miley Cyrus’ divorce but, also, her sobriety. Addiction is something that affects a lot of musicians and I do think that it is commendable that she has, it seems, won her battle with alcohol. I can only envisage the pressure huge Pop stars are put under - and it is all too easy to slip into excessive drinking or drug-taking. I think that Cyrus is a model and inspiration for others that are battling addiction! She was asked about her sobriety in an interview with Variety this year:

“You mentioned living a sober life. Are you sober sober?

“I’ve been sober sober for the past six months. At the beginning, it was just about this vocal surgery. … But I had been thinking a lot about my mother. My mom was adopted, and I inherited some of the feelings she had, the abandonment feelings and wanting to prove that you’re wanted and valuable. My dad’s parents divorced when he was 3, so my dad raised himself. I did a lot of family history, which has a lot of addiction and mental health challenges. So just going through that and asking, “Why am I the way that I am?” By understanding the past, we understand the present and the future much more clearly. I think therapy is great.

That’s great. I’m celebrating my sober birthday on July 7. It will be seven years.

Congratulations. It’s really hard because especially being young, there’s that stigma of “you’re no fun.” It’s like, “honey, you can call me a lot of things, but I know that I’m fun.” The thing that I love about it is waking up 100%, 100% of the time. I don’t want to wake up feeling groggy. I want to wake up feeling ready”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Apple Music

One great fact about Miley Cyrus is that Dolly Parton played her godmother in Hannah Montana! I have recently featured Dolly Parton on my site, and I think she is an artist who has impacted so many. Really, she is someone who deserves to live forever because, more and more, she is revealing herself to be superhuman! I can understand the positive effect she has had on Miley Cyrus. In this interview, we learn how Cyrus has followed Parton’s wisdom:

“Long-term fans of Cyrus will recall that Parton actually played Cyrus’ godmother in her hit Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana. The “Jolene” singer guest-starred numerous times in the show as herself and offered Cyrus’ character, Miley Stewart, tons of advice on how to navigate fame, the music industry, and romantic relationships with boys. But Parton’s advice wasn’t limited to Hannah Montana. Cyrus has been very candid about how influential Parton has been in her life.

Miley Cyrus has learned a lot from her godmother, Dolly Parton

In an interview with NPR, Cyrus got candid about how much she’s learned from her godmother. Citing, that the 9 to 5 star had shared many lessons with her over the years, Cyrus revealed one of the most important lessons that Parton taught her. “The best thing that she does is she’s not afraid to laugh at herself,” Cyrus shared about her godmother.

The ‘Midnight Sky’ singer has applied Parton’s advice to her career

Cyrus, like Parton, has certainly managed to push boundaries of her own. However, it seems that Cyrus isn’t fixated on doing things for shock value. Instead, she’s learned from her godmother to just do things with honesty and authenticity. “And to remember that you want to make music for the people that love your music for your honesty, and for your fans,” Cyrus shared about what she’s learned from Parton. “Otherwise, just have fun and make the music that you love”.

I am going to end on a Rock tip and discuss Billy Idol and how Miley Cyrus’ music has changed over the past couple of years. Before that, I want to bring in something that caught my eye. Again, it is a little random, but I think that it warrants highlighting. Many musicians have spoken about the pandemic and how it has affected society and, recently, Madonna said that the pandemic was a great equaliser. In a sense, we are all in the same position and going through the same thing, but we are also divided and, to be honest, the situation is different for everyone! An article in Billboard highlighted how Cyrus responded to Madonna’s comment:

“Miley Cyrus appeared on a Scandinavian talk show on Monday (Nov. 2) to promote her upcoming album and speak out about how the coronavirus pandemic has made life anything but a party in the U.S.A. during 2020.

The topic came up when the host of the Oslo, Norway-based chat show Skavlan asked the pop star if she agreed with Madonna's controversial comments earlier this year that the global health crisis was the "great equalizer."

"I don’t agree with that,” Cyrus told Fredrik Skavlan. “I think that we’ve seen more divide recently than I have in my lifetime, just because we are really understanding the division between race and wealth, and that wealth and health can actually be the same thing. And I think that’s unfathomably wrong and that is why our election is so important. So no, I don’t believe COVID has been an equalizer in any way".

PHOTO CREDIT: WSJ. MAGAZINE

I am going to end the pre-review section with a talk about Rock. As I said at the start, Cyrus is viewed more of a Pop artist, but I like the fact that she has moved more to Rock. She is a big fan of heavier music but, maybe, there has been pressure to produce more Pop-oriented songs. The fact she has Billy Idol and Joan Jett on Plastic Hearts means there is respect for her from them but, in turn, she has a true love of their music! It would be good to see Cyrus embrace Rock more, as she has a really powerful voice - and it will be interesting hearing her in that mould. In an article from Rolling Stone, we learn about Cyrus discussing Billy Idol (whilst she was being interviewed by Zane Lowe):

“Miley Cyrus talked collaborating with Billy Idol — who features on the track “Night Crawling” from Cyrus’ new Eighties-inspired album Plastic Hearts — during an upcoming interview with Apple Music 1 host Zane Lowe.

“Me and Billy have known each other, I think the first time I ever did anything for Billy Idol was in like 2013,” Cyrus says. That year, the Cyrus performed “Rebel Yell” at the VH1 Divas concert; three years later, Cyrus and Idol performed the song together during an iHeartRadio concert.

“His music… the way that he married rebellion but also his music where he had incredible hooks. And he showed me that I could have balance, that I could make music that I and other people love. And sometimes I’ve lost that and I’ve found that again where it’s like, ‘I want to make music for me.'”

Cyrus added that, before working on Plastic Hearts, the Idol hit “Eyes Without a Face” “actually followed me around for like a year”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Harry Durrant

Just before I get to reviewing, I want to talk about Cyrus sort of transitioning from a pure Pop artist to someone with a bit more grit. Of course, there has not been a complete transformation, but one can hear a slight shift. Maybe this has been influenced by her divorce or battle against addiction, but I feel it is more Cyrus evolving and embracing new sounds. I think Rock is an evolving and broad genre, but one only needs to listen to Cyrus’ recent Rock covers to know that she is has this whole other side to her! This article explains more:

“As of late, Miley Cyrus has been dropping rock covers, such as “Heart of Glass” by Blondie and “Zombie” by The Cranberries. For Cyrus, this is nothing new. She's been doing covers for many years now, considering her versatility in the music industry.

Cyrus’s music career propelled since her debut in "Hannah Montana" on Disney Channel, but there’s more depth to her origins. She grew up in a musical environment right outside of Nashville, Tennessee, known for its diverse music scene.

Her family life offered an even more musical upbringing for Cyrus — her dad is Billy Ray Cyrus, a well-known country artist most known for his song “Achy Breaky Heart.” To add to her extensive music background, Cyrus's godmother is Dolly Parton, another very well-known country star, with bops like “9 to 5” and “Jolene.”

Cyrus's rock covers have been blowing up all over the internet, with fans remarking on how versatile she is and how amazing she sounds no matter what genre she decides to sing.

More specifically, her rock covers have become largely popularized from the use of her audio on TikTok. Many users are utilizing Cyrus's cover of “Heart of Glass” to empower themselves and feel confident for being who they are. After all, Cyrus is the type of person who promotes being carefree and embracing one’s self. It can be seen through the way she dresses and presents herself”.

I guess one only needed to see her performance at Glastonbury last year to realise she is a powerful performer! It will be interesting to hear what her next album sounds like.

Opening with some funky bass, WTF Do I Know is one of the more intense and electric tracks on Plastic Hearts. I like the brief introduction because there is this looseness and tightness all at once from the bass. Cyrus’ voice is really cool on the track! There is a sort of moodiness and heaviness, but one feels a lot of strength and potency in her voice. I am hearing elements of inspirations such as Joan Jett - and WTF Do I Know is a real highlight from Plastic Hearts. The first verse definitely summons images and impressions: “I'm not tryna have another conversation/Probably not gon' wanna play me on your station/Pourin' out a bottle full of my frustration/Here to tell you somethin' that you don't know/I'm the type to drive a pickup through your mansion/I'm completely naked but I'm makin' it fashion/Maybe gettin' married just to cause a distraction/Here to tell you somethin' that you don't know”. Listening to that verse, and one can hear some of the frustrations that have come from media attention and, perhaps, her split with Liam Hemsworth. Also, I know she uses the words ‘pouring out’ as a metaphor, but one cannot help but to think of alcohol and perhaps the sort of wild-child response to a stressful situation! Soon enough a catchy drum beat hooks onto the bass and the song goes up another gear. For those who dismiss Miley Cyrus as Pop fluff or someone who is quite effete need to listen to this track. Plastic Hearts has other songs like WTF Do I Know, but I think this song is a sign of where she might head on future albums. Her voice is fantastic when it is has a combination of sexiness and cockiness! The speed and catchiness of the song gets the feet beating, and one cannot help but be enticed by the song! When we get to the pre-chorus, you imagine impressions of Cyrus’ marriage disconnection: “Am I wrong that I moved on and I/And I don't even miss you?/Thought that it'd be you until I die/But I let go”.

The pre-chorus sees the intensity build and, by the time we get to the chorus, the band kick in; Cyrus’ voice is at its most exhilarating and emotional. Her anger is clear and, whilst she never really hits her raw best, there are definitely signs of her Rock best! Such a versatile singer, one gets so many emotions in a very naked and honest chorus: “What the fuck do I know? I'm alone/'Cause I couldnt be somebody's hero/You want an apology? Not from me/Had to leave you in your own misery/So tell me, baby, am I wrong that I moved on?/And I, and I don't even miss you/Thought that it'd be you until I die/But I let go, what the fuck do I know? (Oh)”. Maybe this song relates to someone else but, really, it has to concern her split. Some are nervous about being so personal in songs - and feel it best to keep private - but, as music is a way of being able to express and reveal personal experiences, I do feel that there is catharsis in the song! There is a great sonic blend of Rock from the 1970s and Pop-Punk from the early-2000s. One does not hear a lot of it in modern music, and it is a really pleasing blend! The second verse really interests me: “Tryin' to see the stars through the new pollution/Think that I'm the problem? Honey, I'm the solution/Maybe all the chaos is for your amusement/Here to tell you somethin' that you don't know/Put you on a pedestal, you're cravin' the spotlight/Desperate for attention, nose is bloody, it's daylight/Wakin' up with people that we met for the first time/Loved it, then I hated it, and I let you go”. Those lyrics are really intriguing; a blend of the direct and slightly more oblique means that one will play the song a few times to get to the truth. With some cool riffs and standout electric guitar sections, there is definite intensity and explosion in WTF Do I Know. For those who feel Plastic Hearts is a little too plastic and not quite as Rock-y as it could be really need to listen to WTF Do I Know. I do admit that not all of the songs on the album hit the mark, but this is a definite winner! With a broad and interesting composition and Miley Cyrus at full throttle, WTF Do I Know certainly braces you - and, with its affecting and direct lyrics, it is one of Cyrus’ most personal songs on Plastic Hearts!

There are a couple of things I want to raise before ending the review. I will come to a fascinating project Cyrus is working on at the moment but, as I mentioned addiction and being thrust into the limelight at the start, I want to, now, talk about the touring life of a huge Pop artist. In an interview in INTERVIEW Magazine, Cyrus and Rick Owens (a fashion designer) raised the subject of touring and the effect it can have:

“OWENS: When you’re on tour, are you in your own personal space? Are you on a tour bus or flying private?

CYRUS: They always get hotel rooms and I never stay in them. I always stay on my bus. I make it my zone and do a lot of drawing and painting. I started working on sculpture, which is hilarious to do in a moving vehicle.

OWENS: You ended up customizing your environment inside the bus?

CYRUS: Yeah. The thing that I liked about sculpture was making art out of things that didn’t mean anything to anyone else, things that were considered trash. I think that came from my mom. She was adopted and, in a sense, given away, and she didn’t feel a lot of value. But I totally worship her.

OWENS: That’s a really tender creative expression. But when you perform, it’s more of a powerful blast. Your songs are tender, but your performances are strong.

CYRUS: I usually feel pretty bottled-up, and performing is the only time I get to be myself in my fullest form. It’s a fucking addiction, because when I’m not doing it, I just wish that I was”.

Just before closing, I want to highlight how Cyrus is working on a Metallica covers album. This has been rumoured for a bit, but considering Cyrus has done a few covers this year, I am not shocked that Metallica are next up! I am looking forward to the album and discovering how she interprets the work of Rock/Metal gods! This article from SPIN explains more:

“Leave it to Miley Cyrus to seamlessly become this year’s cover queen. The pop star revealed that she’s in the process of creating an album of Metallica covers.

“We’ve been working on a Metallica cover album and I’m here working on that,” Cyrus told with California-based fashion designer Rick Owens in a chat in Interview magazine. She also revealed that’s why she wasn’t at home; she was somewhere working on the record.

“We’re so lucky to be able to continue to work on our art during all of this. At first, it felt uninspiring and now I’ve been totally ignited,” she told the magazine.

Cyrus has already covered Metallica in the past, performing a faithful version of the band’s 1991 hit, “Nothing Else Matters” at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival. Listen to that below”.

I would urge people to check out Plastic Hearts as it is one of Miley Cyrus’ best albums and, if like me, you are a fan but not a massive convert, then this album offers new sounds and different sounds to her. I think she will continue to develop as an artist - and the best is definitely yet to come. Considering the career that she has already, and the fact Miley Cyrus is only twenty-eight, it is…