By Lindsey Schibelhut, Staff Reporter.
In case you missed it, the MTV VMAs (Video [Vomit] Music Awards) happened. The awards show was hosted by none other than Miley Cyrus, and by the end of the evening, she announced she had released a new album titled: “Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz.” Yes, ladies and gentleman, she dedicated an album to her deceased animals. The album was available for free listening via SoundCloud, and let me tell you “free” is even too much to spend for this album.
I will admit I bought Cyrus’ previous album “Bangerz” when it hit stores in Oct. of 2013. It had some (and I say this loosely) redeeming songs and background music quality that “Dead Petz” can’t reach. With a 23 song track list, you get such wonderful tracks as “Dooo It!” which is the song Cyrus performed at the VMAs. Lyrics include: “Yeah I smoke pot, yeah I love peace, But I don’t give a fuck, I ain’t no hippie.” Other tunes include “The Floyd Song (Sunrise),” dedicated to her dead dog, “Pablow the Blowfish,” “Milky, Milky, Milk,”“FuckinFucked Up,”“I’m So Drunk,” and “Bang Me Box,” a tell-all song about oral sex with a woman.
For the project, Cyrus teamed up with The Flaming Lipsfrontman Wayne Coyne, along with Mike Will Made It, who helped produce her last album. Apparently this project was a personal endeavor which does not count toward her contractual agreement with her record company.
Something has seriously gone wrong in society when an artist as wealthy as Cyrus can only come up with song content containing oral sex, needless, gratuitous f-bombs and singing about being totally trashed on liquor and marijuana. I was surprised (though I shouldn’t have been) that die hard Cyrus fans are still willing to defend the album. It truly shows that an artist can shovel out garbage to consumers, try to candy coat it, call it music, and people will still say it’s “art.”
The truth is, the album is just another extension of the antics Cyrus is willing to keep shoving at the populace. In order to keep herself relevant, she has to try to keep the shock value going by experimenting with even trashier lyrics, sound and image. The music video for the lead single “Dooo It!” is enough to make you want to cringe, vomit, cry, or do all three at the same time, which is why I don’t recommend watching it. It’s like she is getting her thrills out of being as disgusting and trashy as humanly possible.
It is said, “There is nothing new under the sun,” and quite frankly, Cyrus’ shock value has come to a close with me. Madonna has done it (although her former shocking ways look like a “Hannah Montana”episode), Lady Gaga has done it, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Brooke Candy, Kesha, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, and Nicki Minaj have all done this. They all have copied one another, with clothing (or none at all), antics, etc.
I am looking for artists who can come up with lyrical content that means something to people, has a positive message, and has lasting integrity. Artists like Lauryn Hill, Adele, Whitney Houston, Céline Dion and Gloria Estefan come to mind for me. They had class when they performed, and lyrics and talent that could move you. Cyrus used to have talent, but class and lyrical integrity have vanished and “Dead Petz” is the prime example. Needless to say, the album needs to get buried in the backyard along with her pets, never to be heard from again.
