Endless Summer Vacation

マイリー・サイラス 約2年半ぶりとなるニュー・アルバム『エンドレス・サマー・バケーション』 世界中で大ヒット中のシングル「フラワーズ」収録!

全米1位を6度獲得、累計SNSフォロワー数2億人以上、世界的人気を誇るポップ・アイコン=マイリー・サイラスの約2年半ぶり通算8作目となるオリジナル・アルバム『エンドレス・サマー・バケーション』。
2023年の年明けと共に配信リリースされたアルバムからの先行曲となる最新シングル「フラワーズ」は、発売日が元夫リアム・ヘムズワースの誕生日であり、事前に公表された歌詞が「I CAN BUY MYSELF FLOWERS(私は私に花を買うことができる)」「I CAN LOVE ME BETTER THAN YOU CAN (私はあなたよりも私自身を愛することができる)」といった失恋後を示唆する内容だったことからゴシップ面でも話題となり、 各国の配信チャートで1位を獲得! アルバムへの期待が大きく高まっている。

Miley Cyrus has made a career out of doing whatever she wants, and on Endless Summer Vacation, its growing up and moving on. Framed by the concept of a day and night in Los Angeles, this is a mature album in the best sense of the word; like a good relationship, its smooth, but not dull, grounded in resilience and self-love. Cyrus attempted a similar mindset on Younger Now, but this time it feels more genuine. Shes grown into this mood, starting with her voice, which imbues these songs with significant emotional depth. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the albums opening track and massive hit single, "Flowers." Over a poised fusion of vintage soft rock, disco, and 2020s pop, Cyrus richly raspy delivery carries the pain, healing, and strength of forgiving a former lover while acknowledging that being alone is better. Its one of her finest moments, with a low-key confidence that feels truer because shes not shouting -- shes worlds away from the devastation of "Wrecking Ball." Starting Endless Summer Vacation with "Flowers" shows how much her artistry has developed even since Plastic Hearts. Theres more genuine sweetness in Cyrus music than in some time, particularly on "Rose Colored Lenses," which spins a swooning fantasy of a perfect day, complete with bubbly saxophones and harpsichord flourishes. Shes grown into a remarkably candid songwriter, able to capture a relationships power dynamic in a single line on "Wildcard" ("Go and meet your mom/In a dress too tight"), while finding the sweet spot between independence and self-destruction. Though Endless Summer Vacation has fewer collaborations than Plastic Hearts, theyre just as well chosen. Brandi Carliles silky harmonies are the perfect backdrop for Cyrus twangy wanderlust meditations on "Thousand Miles," and Sia adds extra firepower to "Muddy Feet"s gospel-inflected takedown of a cheater. While Endless Summer Vacations first half is so consistent that its tempting to want to spend more time with the witty, self-aware Miley it presents, the albums later songs prove shes not playing it too safe. She could probably spend her entire career singing songs like the piano ballad "Wonder Woman" or "You," a torchy slow dance for slightly reformed hedonists, but Vacation is all the richer thanks to curveballs like the country-meets-dance-pop of "River" or "Handstand," a piece of fever-dream synth pop that proves the instinct that sparked Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz is still within her. Cyrus will probably never settle on just one or two sounds to express herself, but her voice and vision are strong enough on Endless Summer Vacation to suggest shell never need to. ~ Heather Phares

子役からスタートした彼女も、さまざまな難局を越えて大人の女性へ。ということで、30歳を迎えた世界的ポップ・アイコンから通算8作目が届いた。前作は80年代のMTV的なロックやシンセ・ポップをギラギラ表現していたが、今回はその薫りも残しつつダンス・ポップに揺り戻し、かつてのマドンナを思わせる局面も興味深い。ブランディ・カーライルやシーアの客演もあり。
bounce (C)狛犬