Miley Cyrus makes a charismatic break with the loved-up Bass Persuades

Having shaken off her Hannah Montana persona with 2013’s dizzying pop and hip-hop melange Bangerz, the 33-year-old’s career has seen her pivot over and again, building a discography of breadth and ambition, with 2025's cinematic Something Beautiful ushering in a new creative peak. On Bass Persuades, her tenth album and first for Atlantic, she maintains her commitment to quality, but not to her last name. As the title of the album suggests, it’s all about release and refinement. Cyrus leads on the songwriting and production, with the finished product possessing a charismatic, dashed off sensibility that fits with how quickly she says it came together. This time around, the pool of talent around her includes Kid Harpoon, Michael Pollack, Griff Clawson, Gregory ‘Aldae’ Hein, post-punk outfit Model/Actriz, writing and production clique Monsterz & Strangers, and her fiancé Maxx Morando, whose presence is felt throughout this more romantic-leaning record. Central to Bass Persuades overall is its cooler tempo. Of the nine songs (plus a Model/Actriz remix of “Bass Persuades”), five fall into the pop ballad space. “Let’s Get Married”, “Orbit”, and “REDLIGHTS” are the standouts in this c...