Miley Cyrus' Highest Streamed Songs: Ranked // Spotify Billions Club
6. "We Can't Stop" // 2013
"We Can't Stop" was the lead single of Bangerz that marked the beginning of Miley's new mature sound and look. It served as Miley's reintroduction as a solo artist, fully leaving behind her Disney past. She gave a little glimpse into the direction she would be likely going in with her 2010 album Can't Be Tamed, which was her last release under Disney's Hollywood Records. She set this new persona in motion back then, but it fully came to fruition with Bangerz three years later. It's such a fun song and cleverly ambiguous, which is what she did best on that album. In 2013, this song was inescapable and now serves as a major cornerstone in her artistic evolution.
5. "Party in the USA" // 2009
Fifteen years later, "Party In The USA" continues to be one of Miley's biggest and most recognizable hits of her entire career. The interesting story behind the release of this song is that it was originally sold exclusively at Walmart on a promo EP that coincided with her fashion collection in 2009. I don't think anyone could have expected how beloved this song would go on to become and the American classic that it continues to be all of these years later. This is the first song to fully gave a glimpse into how impactful she would go on to become as a solo artist, apart from her pop star persona Hannah Montana. It's basically an unofficial National Anthem at this point, making a big resurgence every Fourth of July and during any other major American celebration. In her Spotify episode of Billions Club, Miley jokingly called it "ultimate grocery aisle music", which is very true, but also a testament to the song's enduring popularity and impact on culture in our everyday lives.
4. "Flowers" // 2023
The success of "Flowers" is the perfect example of all the ways Miley continues to hold so much cultural relevance after so many years into her career. It quickly became her highest streamed song ever and also the most-played song of 2023, with over 2 billion streams on Spotify. It was also the song that earned Miley her first ever (long overdue) Grammy Award in 2024. It serves as such a powerful anthem of self-love and empowerment.
To celebrate it's success in early 2023, Miley also released the demo version of "Flowers", which is featured as a bonus track on Endless Summer Vacation. Both versions represent the duality that this song holds, it gives a whole new perspective to the journey that got her to this moment. While the official version feels so uplifting and empowering, the demo starts off so much more melancholic as a stripped-back ballad. In instances like this, it is so cool to see what production can do to completely transform a song and bring new life into it. In the first verses of the demo, it sounds like she is trying to convince herself that she can buy herself flowers, hold her own hand, etc. - but as the song progresses, you can really hear the confidence in her voice start to grow and that she is really meaning what she is saying by the end of the third verse. The best songs, especially in the pop genre, are the ones that hold a level of dichotomy between the instrumental and lyrical content. If you dig deeper into the lyrics, there is so much symbolism within this song, "built a home and watched it burn", being one of the stand-out moments. It is so subtle but if you know about the lore behind this song, you'll know how much of an impact that line holds.
3. "Wrecking Ball" // 2013
"Wrecking Ball" was Miley's first ever number one single, released at the height of one of Miley's biggest (and most controversial) moments in her career. Bangerz is split between fun party anthems and really heartfelt and emotional love songs. That dichotomy is especially represented in the biggest singles off the album, "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball". It really showcases the range of that album and her versatility as an artist. "Wrecking Ball" is such a highlight of Bangerz, vocally she is at her very best on this track and the listener can really feel all of the deep emotions she is conveying.
Of course, the music video for "Wrecking Ball" was also a massive moment in 2013 pop culture and must be acknowledged when talking about the impact this song holds. "Swinging around naked on a wrecking ball lives forever. I am never living that down." she said of it in 2017. Other than the shock value of the video, it is actually so symbolic and brings to life all of the emotions that this song represents. It is such a powerful and vulnerable statement to be making. A lot of the promotion and publicity surrounding this album at the time, more specifically this song, often overshadowed just how good her music actually is. Only in hindsight once the novelty wore off can one really see and appreciate just how genius so much of what she was making then is. "I remember comments saying, 'Why the fuck do you distract everybody with getting naked and shaking your ass when you're a ... talented-ass singer?' ... I love show business. I love entertainment. I love pop culture. I love unforgettable moments. I think there was a balance..." Miley told Rolling Stone in 2020, "On 'Wrecking Ball,' You don't think of me looking directly into the camera, breaking the wall, crying, reaching out. You remember me getting naked ... sexuality, for lack of a better word, trumps art."
2. "Nothing Breaks Like A Heart" // 2019
"Nothing Breaks Like A Heart" was released during a really important transitional period in her career, right after her full country album Younger Now and about a year before her 80's influenced rock record Plastic Hearts. The sound of "Nothing Breaks Like A Heart" is somewhere in the middle of those two very distinct eras in her career. It's the only song on this list that wasn't for one of Miley's projects, instead this was a collaboration with Mark Ronson for his 2019 album Late Night Feelings. That is one of my favorite albums ever and so underrated, I cannot recommend checking it out enough if you haven't already. Mark Ronson called it a "sad banger", and is meant to be a modern electronic take on Dolly Parton's classic "Jolene". Miley has always embodied that musical style so effortlessly and "Nothing Breaks Like A Heart" is no exception. I love all of the collaborations Mark and Miley have done over the years and am always looking forward to the next time they work together.
1. "Angels Like You" // 2020
Comments
Post a Comment