Why We Need to Pay Attention to Miley Cyrus' New Album

Since the hosting of the VMAs and her on-air feud with Nicki Minaj, the Internet has been abuzz talking about Miley Cyrus.

Love her or hate her, everyone has been focusing on the same topics: her insane outfits, new dreadlocks, and how far removed she has become from her original tame image. It seems like only yesterday Miley was the awkward, prepubescent princess of the Disney Channel.

Fast forward to 2015 and we've seen her ride a wrecking ball naked, smoke a joint on stage, and reference almost every psychedelic drug there is. While her physical change has been the most obvious and distracting, what has been going without acknowledgement is her attitude towards her music and artistic independence as a whole.

While everyone was busy frantically tweeting about Kanye running for president, something went almost completely unnoticed: Miley's surprise release of "Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz." I know, I know. We're all thinking the same thing as soon as we hear that she releases it without any promotion whatsoever. "She's doing it for the attention" or "She's desperate to show how different she is."

We heard it when she gyrated against Robin Thicke as well as when she executed her series of stunts throughout her tour. What this represents for the music industry as a whole goes beyond Miley Cyrus, and shows how the trend of creative independence is stronger than ever with Miley being the newest spearhead of the movement.

Dropping this album out of nowhere exclusively on Soundcloud is nothing new. Beyonce gave everyone the ultimate panic attack with the release of her entire album and every music video last year, and Chance the Rapper exclusively puts his music on the site as well.

What's different about this is Miley basically gave her record label, along with the rest of the world the middle finger by doing what she wanted stylistically, as well as releasing it on her own terms. She may not be the first to do it, but she's definitely been the boldest.

Miley's release represents the ultimate rebellion against creative censorship. She may be controversial, but it can't be denied that what Miley is doing is completely pushing artistic boundaries within the industry.

The album itself is composed of glitter, sex, and a rainbow of drugs. Produced by her good friend and frontman of "The Flaming Lips," Wayne Coyne, along with help from "Bangerz" producer Mike Will, the 23 song album stretches across a vast wasteland of experimental guitar riffs and industrial beats.

Miley bathes in streams of milk while dripping gallons of glitter down her face, screaming for the world to "bang her box." It's a psychedelic whirlwind of pain, sexual frustration, and pure expression, an anthem for the new generation of struggling creative youth.

While some may argue this is all post-Disney rebellion, it's clear that Miley is here to say and do what she wants, and not a single person or record label is going to get in her way.

By: Max Berman, Florida State University