The Aporia · Keep Miley weird! But maybe not this kind of weird, this is bad weird

This article critiques Miley Cyrus's latest album "Bass Persuades," describing her musical style as eccentric and unpredictable. The review highlights collaborations with indie provocateurs like Cole Haden but finds the resulting tracks often confusing or poorly executed, such as the song "Neon Signs." Despite its flaws, the writer appreciates Cyrus’s commitment to her unique artistic vision.

Written by AI on 2026-09-24, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Miley Cyrus, a 33-year-old veteran pop star whose career peaked when she was 20, continues to be recognized as one of pop's most eccentric figures. Critics describe her as akin to a psychedelic '60s artist who might have collaborated with Charles Manson. Recently, Miley hosted a TV special in Solid Gold sequins and has been working with avant-garde artists like Wayne Coyne or Ariel Pink on her music projects.

For her latest album, titled Bass Persuades, Cyrus dropped the last name and shifted towards club sounds, collaborating with Cole Haden of Model/Actriz. While some tracks feature daring elements like grinding distortion and queer themes, the overall project is seen as a mixed bag by critics. The titular single attempts to inspire a generation out of apathy but fails to achieve its goal, reminiscent of Different Religion, Orbit, and Innocent Ways. Despite her unconventional approach, Miley’s music often ends up sounding like ABBA or Bruno Mars-style AM-soul rather than groundbreaking work.

Written for “Miley Cyrus Controversy” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Miley Cyrus Controversy

Entertainment · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

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Robert Moran

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🔮 Currently wrapping up the ACO’s 50th anniversary with a national tour of Beethoven’s Pastoral (aka Symphony No. 6), his mind’s already deep in the orchestra’s program for 2027, which will be led by Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion.

2026-10-28 · assertive framing · ‘It’s totally depressing’: Richard Tognetti on the state of music education

🔮 Such precious self-seriousness could leave early fans wondering if the DC now stands for “Doing Coldplay”, if not for the fact their songs are still underpinned by their nervy post-punk.

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🔮 Maybe I do need to get on it.

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🔮 A veteran at 33, whose career peaked by the time she was 20, she’s a cultural figure of the psychedelic ’60s kind, the kind of pop star who definitely would’ve written a song with Charles Manson.

2026-09-24 · assertive framing · Keep Miley weird! But maybe not this kind of weird, this is bad weird

🔮 But revisiting the rest, just to write this piece, was a torture I wouldn’t wish on my nemesis (you know who you are).

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🔮 But he has a simple response for anyone who might be confounded by his sudden, and unexpected, pivot to hardcore punk.

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A veteran at 33, whose career peaked by the time she was 20, she’s a cultural figure of the psychedelic ’60s kind, the kind of pop star who definitely would’ve written a song with Charles Manson.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-24

2026-09-24 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Keep Miley weird! But maybe not this kind of weird, this is bad weird · assertive framing

It’s about time Miley Cyrus was recognised as pop’s prevailing kook. asserted

Cyrus → ’ → kook

who → peak → Manson

One day she’s out here hosting a tacky TV special in Solid Gold sequins, the next she’s inviting outré weirdos like Wayne Coyne or Ariel Pink or Harmony Korine into the studio to collaborate. asserted

she → ’ → studio

With those bona fides, you’d imagine you could play her albums backwards and summon Satan, but somehow they always just sound like ABBA cast-offs or Bruno Mars-style AM-soul. uncertain

they → imagine → offs

I don’t get it. asserted

I → get → it

On Bass Persuades, she’s dropped the last name and gone full club mode, enlisting indie provocateur Cole Haden of Model/Actriz as a partner-in-crime. asserted

she → drop → crime

His queer carnality and penchant for grinding distortion brings a daring touch to the (potentially) blasphemous Different Religion, Orbit and Innocent Ways. asserted

carnality → grind → Religion

But in typical Miley fashion, it’s mostly a wreck. asserted

it → ’ → fashion

The titular single, with its faux-Gaga disco stomp, is an odd attempt at spurring a generation from its apathetic malaise, a sort of Kids in America for the post-monoculture era. asserted

single → spur → era

But its limping melody and confounding lyrics (“Ghosts went to Bermuda ’cause there’s no one to haunt”) inspire less abandon and more furrowed brow. asserted

Ghosts → go → abandon

And then there’s Neon Signs, which might actually be the worst song ever, a bizarre tilt at Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin’s orgasmic Je T’aime... Moi Non Plus, recorded with Oscar-winning Miike Snow singer-songwriter Andrew Wyatt, who is 22 years Miley’s senior. uncertain

who → ’ → Wyatt

At a time when Slovak breakout Adela is crafting chart-toppers with Cyrus’ peak sound, you’ve gotta admire Miley for sticking to her own weirdo wavelength. asserted

you → craft → wavelength

Someday, something good will come of it, surely? asserted

something → come → it

An exquisite dichotomy exists between the sweetness of Leah Berry’s voice and the worldliness of her words. asserted

dichotomy → exist → words

“I move slow,” she tells us, “since the last time I found warmth in your embrace.” asserted

I → move → embrace

Yet, at the end, she’s affirming, “You’ll stay in my dreams.” asserted

You → affirm → dreams

This complex love song about clinging to passionate memories is called The Gift, and the music was penned by pianist Mike Nock as a wistful instrumental. asserted

music → cling → instrumental

Berry sent her lyrics to Nock, and a collaboration was born. asserted

collaboration → send → Nock

She set words to eight more tunes, and they also used Jo Lawry’s lyrics to Nock’s exotic Nata Lagal. asserted

they → set → Lagal

Embracing You is a variation on The Gift’s lyrical content, this time about a glance, a smile, an affair, and another love that will live on post-fling, like a soul that’s left its body. asserted

that → embrace → body

The terminated affair in Sunshowers sparks more overt bitterness, Dawn Bird is a poetic account of awakening in New Zealand’s Haast Pass, and Thinking of You is a reverie about a parent. asserted

Thinking → terminate → parent

Nock, revelling in having words set to his music, responds with some of his most lavish lyricism, superbly supported by bassist Jonathan Zwartz and drummer Laurence Pike. asserted

words → revel → Zwartz

Pop’s wiliest boy-genius now sounds in need of a proper sea change. asserted

genius → sound → change

She’s long spun art out of provocation. asserted

She → spin → provocation

Now pop’s messiest star is contemplating motherhood and domesticity. asserted

star → contemplate → motherhood

- Jem Cassar-Daley: How the daughter of a country music icon became one of Australia’s sharpest pop songwriters. asserted

daughter → become → songwriters

Keep Miley weird! But maybe not this kind of weird, this is bad weird

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