Most people know Miley Cyrus from Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” and for her many years of being a pop singer. Over the past few years, Cyrus has incorporated other genres into her music. Her new album “Plastic Hearts” is a mixture of rock, glam rock and pop, and while it was released in November, it gained popularity and became the number one rock album in the country on Dec. 12.

Starting off the album with a strong bass guitar, the listener knows right away that this album will not be like Cyrus’ previous ones. “WTF Do I Know” is a full out rock song with greatly composed lyrics about moving on from a relationship and is a powerful start to the record. A new side of Cyrus’ voice comes out that no one had heard before. 

Moving into the title song on the album, “Plastic Hearts,” we hear an upbeat jungle drum sound and a piano, giving this song a more pop feel instead of rock. It’s about wanting to feel something, but not feeling anything. This is one of the most catchy songs of the album because of its repetition and distinct rhythm in the chorus. 

An acoustic guitar slows down the flow of the record so far in “Angels Like You.” While listening to this song for the first time, I couldn’t deny the fact that it sounded like Cyrus’ old slow music, which I didn’t enjoy. Surprisingly enough, I fell in love with the song as it progressed, taking in Cyrus’ amazing vocals. It is a great song to turn the volume all the way up in the car and just sing to, especially after a breakup. 

Next up is “Prisoner” (ft. Dua Lipa). This is one of the very catchy songs on the album because of its unforgettable lyrics and the perfect pairing of Cyrus and Dua Lipa’s voices. It starts off with Cyrus’ high and crisp voice and then Dua Lipa joins in with her low and dense voice. These two create a great balance in “Prisoner,” which is a funky pop song that you will never get sick of listening to about being “locked up” in your feelings. 

A heavy bass starts “Gimme What I Want,” a pop rock song about Cyrus giving someone the opportunity to love her, but if they don’t take it, she can give it to herself. This song’s sequence of notes is limited, and Cyrus’ stays on one note during much of the song, which I don’t enjoy. However, it is very catchy and a fun song overall. 

In “Night Crawling” (ft. Billy Idol), Cyrus incorporates an 80’s glam rock feel to the album, especially by adding Billy Idol, the iconic 80’s punk rock/glam rock artist, to the track. Both Cyrus and Idol have very distinct raspy voices, with Idol’s being more monotone and deep, which adds depth to this song. The instrumentals in “Night Crawling” are straight out of the 80’s, which I am in love with. This isn’t my favorite, but isn’t my least favorite on the album.

“Midnight Sky” is one of the most popular songs on the album, likely because it was released in the summer and is a catchy dancing song with an 80’s feel. It’s about being independent and not needing to be in a relationship to be happy. Miley gives a great message in this liberating song.

Moving into “Hate Me,” the intro and verses are a little upbeat, while the chorus is slower with a unique descending note sequence, which I love. A song about her hopes of how people would react to her death, Miley puts a lot of emotion into “Hate Me.”

Next on the track is “Bad Karma” (ft. Joan Jett). When I saw Joan Jett’s name alongside Miley’s, I expected that I would love this song featuring the famous rock legend. However, the track wasn’t engaging and came to be an almost obnoxious listen. It quickly became one of my least favorite songs on the album. 

I was excited when I heard a mixture of “Midnight” and “Edge of Seventeen” pop up as I was listening to the record. In “Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix)” (ft. Stevie Nicks), Miley Cyrus and Stevie Nicks blend the two iconic songs together to create a masterpiece. The two songs match up perfectly and sound extremely well together. Miley and Stevie harmonize so well together and made small unique additions like runs to make this song much different from the two original songs. 

Next up is Cyrus’ take on Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” Cyrus sings her heart out in “Heart of Glass (Live from the iHeart Festival).” I am reminded of Cyrus’ talent whenever I see “live” next to the song title, as Cyrus’ voice sounds impeccable in this incredible cover of the late 70’s classic. Cyrus takes the originally soft vocals from the song and turns them into belts, giving the song a more rock feel. She also adds her own spin to it by switching up the lyrics.

Last on the record is another live cover, and this time it’s of “Zombie,” originally sung by the Cranberries. Cyrus again sounds perfect in “Zombie (Live from Whisky a Go Go),” and her vocal ability to sing so powerfully in this rock song proves that her voice is very flexible and is able to work with any genre that she takes on. 

While there were a few songs that I didn’t enjoy listening to in “Plastic Hearts,” overall this album is greatly executed and I will continue listening to it. 

“Plastic Hearts”: ★★★★☆