Miley Knows Exactly Who She Is
Miley has never been afraid of change. We were introduced to her 20 years ago as Hannah Montana. By 2010, “Can’t Be Tamed,” showed the first signs of Miley trying to separate herself from her Disney image and creating a new name for herself. 2013’s Bangerz became Miley’s most defining rebrand of her career. After years of being viewed as a Disney star, this era made it clear she was no longer a kid and ready to define herself on her own.
Now in 2026, we are entering a new era: Miley Cyrus is now simply Miley.
Ahead of her tenth studio album, Bass Persuades, Miley removed “Cyrus” from her professional branding, with her social media accounts, website, and new music referring to her as Miley. This rebrand feels like Miley has realized she is a household name who no longer needs her last name for audiences to know exactly who she is. There are so many artists who can be identified similarly: Cher, Rihanna, Madonna, Prince, Adele, and Beyoncé to name a few. After two decades in the public eye, Miley has finally reached a point where “Cyrus” is no longer necessary to identify her.
To me, this rebrand is not as dramatic as some of the other ones we have seen from Miley in the past. We are seeing a similar version of Miley that we have known over the past few years, but with a newfound confidence in realizing how big her name has become.
That confidence is shown in her recent single, “Bass Persuades.“
The track feels like it is built around one simple idea: stop thinking so much and move. From start to finish, the track has a synth-heavy production that makes it difficult to sit still; you want to get up and dance to every beat of the song.
Miley sings about being glued to a phone screen and missing what is happening around you. She tells listeners to “go analog” and look out the window. Throughout the song, she repeats the lines, “the kids don’t wanna dance,” almost like she is frustrated with how disconnected we have come from being present. So much of life is now experienced through a screen. We record concerts instead of watching in the moment. We scroll while hanging out with our friends and family. We are constantly looking for something digital to grab our attention.
It feels like Miley is calling out the world for being addicted to their phones and forgetting there is more to life than the digital world. Miley is pushing back against the disconnect and encourages listeners to put the phone down and dance. She does not explain why you should dance. She does not want to convince you. She says it herself: “I don’t want to change your mind. The bass persuades.” I love this line because it perfectly sums up the song. Sometimes music does not need to be overthought. Once you hear the beat, you feel it and move.
By the time she starts asking, “Don’t you want to dance?” towards the end of the song, it feels less like a question and more like an invitation to stop and just go with the flow.
Vocally, Miley sounds stunning. Her raspy voice has become such a recognizable part of her sound, and I love how the production meets her there. The beat feels lower and slightly darker to be able to match that raspy tone her vocals have. It works incredibly well because the song can still make you want to dance with that strong bass without needing to be overly upbeat and happy.
The song is refreshing because of how uncomplicated the meaning behind it is. It feels fun, energetic, and catchy without trying to force a deeper meaning in every second. There are definitely ideas underneath it about distraction, technology, and being present, but the song never forgets that it is supposed to be about dancing. For me, that is what makes “Bass Persuades” work. It has enough going on lyrically to make it meaningful, but still works as a song you can blast in the club or on a long drive.
Miley has never stayed in one place for very long, both musically and visually. She has always allowed herself to experiment, change direction and surprise her fans. This rebrand feels like another version of that, but one that she recognizes how iconic she has become in the music scene. “Bass Persuades” feels like the perfect introduction to whatever she chooses to do next, as Miley.
Bass Persuades is out on all streaming platforms now.
