GRAMMY Nominees: Endless Summer Vacation, Miley Cyrus

There were few songs bigger in 2023 than the lead single, "Flowers," from Miley Cyrus's eighth studio album Endless Summer Vacation. After 18 years of releasing music, Miley Cyrus has finally garnered her first nomination for Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs (along with seven other nominations). Coming off of years of media chaos, marriage and divorce, and a new record label, Miley Cyrus has re-entered the music world more confidently than ever with her longest running chart hit of her career and her eighth Billboard 200 top-five album release.

Stand-out tracks: "Flowers" "Wildcard" "Wonder Woman"

My favorites: "Jaded" "You" "River"

The album opens with Miley's smash-hit "Flowers," the self-love anthem that took the radio waves by storm for it's cheeky "I can love me better than you can" theme and strut-worthy, boppy beat. The follow up tracks are groovy "Jaded" and "Rose Colored Glasses." The former leans back into the Malibu-rock sound that we've heard from Miley on past albums like Breakout and Younger Now. Lyrically, "Jaded" reflects on someone being the instigator of a relationship ending without fully realizing it: "And it's a fucking shame that it ended like that/You broke your own heart, but you'd never say that/We went to hell, but we never came back." These two tracks are classic Miley reinvented for a new era.

We all know and love Miley's 2009 hit "The Climb," and track four "Used to Be Young" is the grown-up version of "The Climb." The production is a little simplistic, but the vocal and lyric components of the song are able to shine, as they reflect on the messy years of young adulthood. Interestingly, "Thousand Miles (feat. Brandi Carlile)" melodically sounds parallel to Miley's own "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" from 2010's Can't Be Tamed. I wish the Brandi Carlile feature on this one was a little more prominent, but the harmonies she provides complement Miley's beautifully.

"You" is Miley's take on the piano ballad; it's rustic and brutally honest, but stunningly romantic in it's own way: "You know I'm savage, but you're looking past it/I want that late-night sweet magic, that forever-lasting love/But only if it's with you."

Miley herself has described Endless Summer Vacation as a love letter to Los Angeles, and interlude-style "Handstand" production-wise perfectly captures the vibe of late-night LA. Distorted whisper-y vocals paired with a jazzy-synth backing track make this one a nice change of pace from the more pop-rock opening of the album. The dance-pop production style continues into "River," which production-wise would have sounded right at home on Can't Be Tamed or Miley's 2009 EP Time of our Lives, and "Violet Chemistry," which sounds like a mellowed-out version of songs like "Drive" from Miley's 2013 album Bangerz.

The next pair of tracks, again, remind me of many of the tracks on Miley's 2020 album Plastic Hearts. The shortest track on the album is the second track on the album with a feature,"Muddy Feet (feat. Sia)," which is followed by "Wildcard," which showcases, dare I say, Miley's best vocal performance in years. If you've forgotten amongst the tabloid drama she's found herself caught up in that she's an incomparable vocalist, "Wildcard" is your not-so-subtle reminder that no other recording artist out there sounds like Miley Cyrus.

The album conclusion is something completely unique to the Endless Summer Vacation album. "Island" and "Wonder Woman" are among the most auditorily immersive tracks on the album, with the former having that classic reggae-style production paired with softly sung lyrics like "I can paint my toenails while I'm soaking up the sea/The only thing that's missing here is you and our TV" and "Am I stranded on an island?/Or have I landed in paradise?/I hear your voice like a song on the radio/All day long 'cause, boy, I be missing ya." "Wonder Woman" is pared back to Miley's soaring vocals and a simple piano accompaniment, illustrating the strength in vulnerability of women. Some of my favorite lyrics on the entirety of Endless Summer Vacation come at the very end: "All her pain is polished/All her tears are planned/But when her favorite record's on and she's dancin' in the dark/She can't stop her eyes from wellin' up/She makes sure that no one's 'round to see her fall apart/She wants to be the one that never does."

GRAMMY for Album of the Year

Although Miley has described Endless Summer Vacation as a love letter to LA and the self-discovery journey she's found herself on in the decade and a half that she's lived in the Malibu area, this album more feels like a celebration of every era of Miley's musical past. It alludes to almost every single one of her previous albums either lyrically or production-wise. The fact that the GRAMMYs chose to specifically nominate this particular album of Miley's for Album of the Year is an astronomical achievement for her, as it seems that the album itself honors her entire career thus far.

Compared to other nominees in the Album of the Year category, Endless Summer Vacation doesn't quite have the finesse, cohesion, or volume of massive hits as compared to some of its competition. Quite simply, it's an incredible pop album. It showcases Miley Cyrus's achievements and growth as an artist over the last almost-two decades. As a complete project, Endless Summer Vacation earns its spot in the pool of nominees for Album of the Year, but I can pretty confidently predict that it won't be taking the title.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: OBSESSED WITH SOME TRACKS

SONG SPOTLIGHT: Definitely Maybe Masters the Adult Rendition of Teen Angst on "Are We Having Fun Yet?"

This article is cross-posted on Rock Insider Press (https://www.rockinsiderpress.com/p/definitely-maybe-masters-the-adult-rendition-of-teen-angst-with-new-single).

Chicago-based pop-punk band Definitely Maybe first emerged in 2023, with their EP Better Off Undone and TikTok-viral single "One More Night." Now they're back and better than ever with their new single, "Are We Having Fun Yet?." For fans of artists like The Veronicas, Charlotte Sands, Hey Violet, and Paramore, Definitely Maybe has penned your next favorite hit.

Led by singer Courtney Clinkert's vibrant vocals, and full-toned instrumentals from guitarist Ian Harsh and bassist Sawyer Bengston, the gritty anthem covers, as the band puts it, "a relentless exploration of the toll ambition takes on the soul."

While we all know and love pop-punk teen angst, "Are We Having Fun Yet?" is the angst of your early adult years. From touching on imposter syndrome, the exhaustion of ambition, and professional and social burnout, Definitely Maybe is unafraid to strip away the kiddie fantasy of becoming an adult. Instead of romanticizing success, Definitely Maybe deglamorizes the facade of acting like you having it all: "So close to where I wanted to be/sabotage, I do that in my sleep."

The band makes it clear that they're no stranger to rejection, and they want us to know that the reason we're being held back isn't us, it's that the system is rigged. There's a "Are We Having Fun Yet?" lyric for that too: "They say too much of a good thing is a bad thing/well I think that's bullshit!/Tell me to feel guilty for existing."

The song culminates at the decrescendo into the final chorus, when the instrumental pulls back and the band asks the ever-important question: "When does going after what you wanted/become worth it?" and in shameless pop-punk fashion, close out the pre-chorus with "Cause I'm fucking exhausted/pretty sure I've lost it."

With a refreshing female vocalist, classic sound, and enlightened lyrics, Definitely Maybe is a band with the potential to be the next big thing in the world of pop-punk. With "Are We Having Fun Yet?," the band shows that they're just getting started and they're here to be taken seriously – and maybe they'll have a little fun while they're at it.

Stream "Are We Having Fun Yet?" here, and keep up with Definitely Maybe here.

GRAMMY Nominees: World Music Radio, Jon Batiste

Jon Batiste is no stranger to GRAMMY nominations or wins, having acquired 20 nominations and five wins (including one for Album of the Year in 2022) all within the last five years. He stands out as the only male artist nominated for Album of the Year at the 2024 GRAMMYs for his 2023 album World Music Radio.

Stand-out tracks: "Be Who You Are (feat. JID, NewJeans & Camilo)" "Uneasy (feat. Lil Wayne)" "Life Lesson (feat. Lana Del Rey)"

My favorites: "Calling Your Name" "BOOM FOR REAL" "Life Lesson (feat. Lana Del Rey)"

The album opens with a radio-static intro in "Hello, Billy Bob," which sets the scene for the global theme of the album and leads straight into "Raindance (feat. Native Soul)" which captures your attention as a reggae/hip-hop crossover. The chorus has an addictive hook, but the Native Soul feature on this one unfortunately detracts from the song as a whole. The end of this track features our radio host introducing track three, "Be Who You Are (feat. JID, NewJeans & Camilo). This one is a little more boppy and electronic, and the features actually really add something to this one by representing different voices adding to the political and global acceptance undertones of the song. "Worship" is divided into an interlude between the first tracks of the album and a drum-heavy chorusing second half that feels like a celebratory gathering call that chants "It's only you that makes you all I am" over and over.

Things slow down a little bit with "My Heart (feat. Rita Payes)". This one has a stunning trumpet instrumental that pairs beautifully with the Spanish-language vocal of Rita Payes. This one again concludes with a radio-style outro that transitions into "Drink Water (feat. Jon Bellion and Fireboy DML)". "Calling Your Name" is a lighter-hearted cruiser of a track with atmospheric, boppy production and simple but effective repetitive "Sun and the stars/Running from fate/All of the while/I was calling your name."

The production takes a turn from electronic to raw instruments with "Clair de Lune (feat. Kenny G), "Butterfly," and "17th Ward Prelude," which makes for a nice change of pace between the beginning of the album and the next string of tracks.

"Uneasy (feat. Lil Wayne)" is undoubtedly a stand-out, from its achievement in instrumentally illustrating incredible feelings of uneasiness and raw and human lyrical composition. While the previous track is a little bit heavier, things lighten up with the host introducing a radio contest to complete our radio-listening experience throughout the beginning of dancey "CALL NOW (504-305-8269) (feat. Michael Batiste)." Following the French-language interlude "Chassol," self-love gets a chance to shine on groovy and gritty "BOOM FOR REAL." The outro on this one is a stunning piano and saxophone duet that leads beautifully into spiritual "MOVEMENT 18' (Heroes).

While both "Master Power" and "Running Away (feat. Leigh-Anne)" have overall important messages lyrically, the album starts to lose steam about 45 minutes in. It needs a high-energy wow moment similar to the beginning of the album to carry into the last 20 minutes of the album, and it unfortunately doesn't have that in either of the prior tracks or the subsequent "Goodbye, Billy Bob" interlude or piano-ballad "White Space."

The closing act of World Music Radio jolts into "Wherever You Are" which is the album crescendo into its finale, complete with our album-long host "signing off" and requesting that we "please be seated" for album closer "Life Lesson (feat. Lana Del Rey)." This one is goosebump-raising and hauntingly gorgeous, telling the story of finding yourself through the relationships you've encountered. It's the perfect credits-roll conclusion to World Music Radio.

GRAMMY for Album of the Year

Listening to World Music Radio is an experience in itself, which shows that Jon Batiste hits the mark in accomplishing the task of creating a concept album; there genuinely is no better name for this album than World Music Radio. Jon Batiste commits wholeheartedly to representing artists of different styles and cultures, the radio playlist-style progression of the album is thorough, and there's a pinpoint-perfect balance between celebrating pure human joy and digging into deep humane issues across World Music Radio. It's ambitious in its attempt to unify and represent global communities of music listeners but falls a little flat on its level of personal storytelling. Maybe that's not the point, but it seems like an album meant to highlight the global human experience through the universal language of music should have some personal investment. Production-wise, World Music Radio is complex and well-executed, excellently representing a diverse pool of instrumentation that remains appropriately cohesive.

Jon Batiste's ambition and intention in creating World Music Radio make it a clear choice as a nominee for Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs. However, does the massive scope of the project drive down the overall quality of each track individually? A little bit. In an attempt to create an album that resonates with everyone, it falls a little short of truly forging a personal connection with anyone. World Music Radio remains one of the top contenders for Album of the Year, but it falls just shy of being a guaranteed victory.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: OBSESSED WITH SOME TRACKS