This is the 10th studio LP from Franklin, Tennessee singer/songwriter, actress & director Miley Cyrus. Breaking out as the older sister of Noah Cyrus & the 2nd eldest daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, she achieved greater success as the titular character on the The Walt Disney Company-owned Disney Channel teen sitcom Hannah Montana preceding her first 3 LPs Meet Miley Cyrus alongside Breakout & Can’t Be Tamed under Hollywood Records were equally met with mixed or negative reception. Same goes with The Time of Our Lives. Her debut for RCA Records during my junior year of high school Bangerz was when her music started to improve since I prefer songs like “#GetItRight” produced by The Neptunes over it’s biggest hit “Wrecking Ball”. Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz became a polarizing take on neo-psychedelia psychic pop even with The Flaming Lips’ involvement, Younger Now went for a mid country pop direction aside from a DJ Premier remix of the title track, She’s Coming missed the landing with R&B & electropop and Plastic Hearts was a decent way to fulfill her RCA contract following her divorce from Liam Hemsworth of the mid A24 Films thriller Cut Bank. Moving over to Columbia Records, her debut for them Endless Summer Vacation once again divided public opinion. Coming off the widely celebrated Something Beautiful, she’s signing to Atlantic Records for Bass Persuades.
The title track combines electropop, dance-pop electroclash, electro house & synthpop singing about putting our phones down & getting lost in the music whereas “Different Religion” featuring Model/Actriz teams up for a pop rock duet praying to a new God together. “Let’s Get Married” acknowledges her engagement to Maxx Morando last winter carrying over the pop rock vibes instrumentally & after “Orbit” sings about being swept off her feet around him, the dance-pop cut Aftermath” sends a clear message to Liam Hemsworth that she was never his.
“Redlights” further embraces a dance-pop style singing about fearing nothing & going where ever Maxx does while “Neon Signs” featuring Andrew Wyatt suggests they could keep each other company regardless of not being each other’s specific type treading the pop rock waters once more. “Innocent Ways” makes a public confession regarding her being better to her sister Noah following their reconciliation merely days before Dolly Parton’s passing & “Snow” atmospherically wraps up Bass Persuades standing at the edge of eternity falling similarly to snowflakes itself.
Moving past the themes of rising above all the trauma in her life, Miley Cyrus’ debut for Atlantic thankfully joins Something Beautiful in becoming some of the strongest output throughout the course of her historic career. Bass Pesuades’ production caters more to pop rock, dance-pop, electropop, dance-pop electroclash, electro house & synthpop as opposed to the predecessor’s vast exploration of countless different sounds reflecting upon her current relationship with Maxx Morando & the love she’s found within herself.
Score: 4.5/5
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