Miley Cyrus? She’s still just 24 years old. Four years ago, in October 2013, she sold 270,000 copies in her debut week of the “Bangerz” album. The album had hit singles “We Can’t Stop”
and “Wrecking Ball.” Two months earlier she’d twerked with Robin Thicke on the MTV Video Music Awards. Her Hannah Montana persona was gone.
This past Friday, Miley released her first official studio album since “Bangerz.” “Younger Now” sold 33.500 copies on CD and paid download. If you add in streaming, she sold another 14,000 copies. Basically, “Younger Now” is DOA.
Cyrus went from rated R– a hard R– to rated G– in just four years. Well, one year really since the “Bangerz” period went on for three years. She smoked pot, posed naked for lots of photos, announced she was sexually fluid, broke up with her movie star fiance, Liam Hemsworth. She released a free album of experimental music, too. It was an early 20s free fall.
But now Miley is back, doing a severe 180 degree turn in the last few months. She’s back with Liam, singing with Dolly Parton, touring with her father. She may be “younger now” but Miley has also banged up her recording career. It’s not that she’s no good– she has an amazing voice. But the actual 1 million people who bought “Bangerz” are gone. What might have been a superstar sales career is gone.
What’s next? She’ll have to go pure country if she wants to sell records for the rest of her twenties. Otherwise, Miley will have to get out the wrecking ball. I hope she kept it.
