Miley Cyrus, BANGERZ (deluxe version)

The Disney rebellion -- a former innocent Disney teen star leaves the Disney world and rebels with wild, sexual, atypical antics -- continues, as Miley Cyrus works hard to distance herself from her past persona with Bangerz (deluxe version).  And while her wild side is on display here, so is her vocal talent.

"I'm a female rebel, can't you tell?" Miley sings on "4*4" and there are plenty of songs where this is her aim.  The once-innocent singer is now cursing up a storm, singing about sex and drugs ("We Can't Stop" is an anthem for both young people's independence and partying), and leaving the pop sound of her last album behind for more hip hop, with plenty of guest appearances by rappers (plus Britney Spears, possibly the queen of going from Disney to sexy).

But rebellion only goes so far-- and Miley carries the album further by displaying her talent here.  There are several soaring ballads, from the opening love song "Adore You" to the end of the regular album "Someone Else."  She occasionally ventures into pop, and the three bonus songs on the deluxe version include funky 1970s-style empowerment ("On My Own") and a straightforward love song ("Rooting for My Baby").  And no matter the genre, her voice sounds strong, controlled, and impressive through the album.

There are times on Bangerz where Miley sounds like she's trying too hard to appeal to young people (the unnecessary hashtag before "Getitright," the abbreviations in "F U" that make it sound like the lyrics are a tweet) or to shock (so much cursing and sex).  But this album works very well, as Miley struts her stuff (also the meaning of "SMS") and delivers a good variety of entertaining music.

Overall grade: B
Reviewed by James Lynch

Miley Cyrus, CAN'T BE TAMED

Teens and rebellion have gone together throughout the ages, and I think being the poster child for wholesome Disney entertainment would make the desire to rebel that much more intense. This explains a lot about the "mature" approach Miley Cyrus took with her new album Can't Be Tamed -- and yet it's still very much the music of a young girl.

The music on Can't Be Tamed is easily divided into three themes: romance and infatuation (like "Who Owns My Heart" and "Permanent December"), co-dependent obsessions with an ex ("Stay," "Take Me With You") and being independent against controlling forces (the title track, "Robot"). For good measure, there's an obligatory cover, this time of Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."

These themes are far from new to pop music -- and Miley Cyrus does little to add them either musically or lyrically. Her voice isn't bad (though it's often heavily supported by synthesizers) (and she should never try rapping again), but it seldom stands out. The "sexy" image is still safe ("I met a boy in every city no one kept me amused/ but don't call me a Lolita 'coz I don't let 'em through") so it's mostly about dancing and dating. The songs are fairly average, except for the closing ballad "My Heart Beats for Love" and the surprisingly upbeat separation song "Two More Lonely People." And the Poison cover is decent, if not great.

Maybe Miley Cyrus will be more daring and original with time (she still has one more season of Hannah Montana, though I doubt the video below will be shown on the Disney Channel), but for now Can't Be Tamed is very standard teen pop.

Overall grade: C-
Reviewed by James Lynch