© Mert Alas
Miley Cyrus’s tenth studio album is out today. Ten songs, a black-and-white cover, a white rose. And a name that’s gotten shorter.
“Bass Persuades” is available starting today, Friday. It’s the U.S. artist’s tenth studio album. She announced it in early September on Instagram with a video of herself playing electric guitar and the cover image: eyes lined in black, a white rose in her mouth.
Something else stands out, though. On social media and her website, she’s now listed simply as Miley. The last name is gone. Adele, Beyoncé, and Cher have also been doing without theirs for years, so in that sense, the move follows a well-known pop logic. In her case, there’s an added twist: her full name is already pop history in itself—from Destiny Hope to Hannah Montana to the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame she received this year.
The album features ten songs. Among them is a collaboration with Model/Actriz, a noise-rock band from New York. That’s not a name you’d expect to see on a pop tracklist—more like something in the lineup at Bad Bonn Kilbi. In the album teaser, Miley plays guitar, even though the title suggests bass.
She explains the meaning of the title herself: “Fullness of heart, heartbreak, and everything in between.” On Instagram, she wrote that music grabs you—you feel it, sing along, and sometimes dance. “It’s powerful, vulnerable, sweet, and strong.”
Central to the album is also the influence of her godmother, Dolly Parton, who passed away in Nashville at the end of August at the age of 80. Parton was a constant presence in Miley’s life and career, far beyond the realm of music. One of their last conversations, Miley wrote shortly after Parton’s death, was about music and transformation.
For years, Miley has moved between pop, rock, country, soul, and alternative without settling into any one of these genres. In 2024, she won the Grammys for “Record of the Year” and “Best Pop Solo Performance” with “Flowers.” In 2025, she added a Grammy for “Best Country Duo/Group Performance” alongside Beyoncé. Her latest album, “Something Beautiful,” was released in May 2025 and featured songs like “End of the World” and “Easy Lover.”
She’ll return to the stage in October. On October 16 and 18, she’ll perform two nights at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. She hasn’t announced any European dates yet.
It remains to be seen whether “Bass Persuades” will indeed take her further away from the mainstream. In any case, having a model/actress on a Miley album is a surprise.