Bangerz Tour

Miley making her big entrance. (Photo/Angela Porrazzo)

By: Angela Porrazzo

On April 2, Miley Cyrus performed a show at the TD Garden as part of her Bangerz tour. It was an emotional show for Cyrus because her dog, Floyd, had recently passed away.

Senior Hannah Smith attended the concert. She said, “Loved it! Best concert I’ve ever been to.”

Every song had a new theme and different stage props, including a huge blow up dog that was put on stage during “Can’t be Tamed.” A replica of a Cadillac truck drove around the stage during “Love Money Party.”

Mount St. Charles High School senior Ally Goralski, who attended the concert, said, “I thought the show was fabulous. I waited six months for it and was more excited than ever. I also thought it was the most different concert I’ve ever been too. [It was] definitely memorable.”

Junior Emma Giddens said, “My favorite part was when Cyrus performed a cover of a Coldplay song titled ‘Scientists.’”

Cyrus released Bangerz in August of 2013. Junior Rachel Ware said, “It kind of sucked that she was crying so much and I don’t know many of her new songs, but she was very energetic and the show itself was awesome.”

The opening acts, Sky Ferreira and Icona Pop, performed for about an hour. Goralski said, “The first one was awful but Icona Pop was wicked good.”

Not only has Miley grown up physically but even more as a person. She strongly stands by her “not caring” attitude during her performances with some of the raunchy selections of clothing. “The concert represented her new personality, because she acted like she was the queen and that she didn’t care what anyone thinks of her,” said Ware.

Asked whether they preferred “New” Miley or “Old” Miley, Smith, Giddens and Goralski all agreed that the “New” Miley is just a reflection of who she has always been.

“Old Miley wasn’t really who she was,” said Giddens.

“I think she has always been the same person and she is just being more of herself now that she has grown up and figured out who she is,” added Smith.

Cyrus’s most recent show was in England on May 14. She will be touring Europe until returning to America on Aug. 1.

LOST IN THE MIND OF GIOVANNI: Not Impressed

By: Giovanni Carcamo

On Jan. 29 Miley Cyrus decided to become part of the list of past performers who have participated in the show MTV Unplugged. The show is a one-on-one experience where true fans are able to see and hear their favorite band or artist perform acoustically, from past hits to most recent albums.

Previous artists who have gone unplugged for MTV include Mariah Carey, Nirvana, Duran Duran, Bob Dylan, and Shakira. Now, it was Cyrus’s turn to take the stage. I was very excited to see Cyrus perform her songs from her hit album Bangerz, but at the end of the show I was not impressed by her performance or outfits.

Cyrus opened the show with a red and white checkerboard jump suit, while also wearing a blonde wig. The ensemble did make sense to me because of Cyrus’s origins, but there is absolutely a line between tasteful and trashy fashion — hers belonged in the trash.

What was also a head scratcher was Cyrus changing for a second time, to a jean’s bra with jean bottoms that had holes ripped in them while wearing a very large ripped jean jacket. The problem — she only changed twice. In general, past performers have changed into multiple outfits. It can be seen as a diva action, but no diva changes twice in an hour’s show; it’s such a low number that it seems pointless.

Now for her performance, Cyrus’ voice does deserve some credit, definitely her clear vocals. She had no background tracks but did have background singers harmonizing with her. What was embarrassing was that Cyrus did not know what to do with herself. The audience could see her blank facial expressions, as she tried to focus on the vocals instead of dancing with the beat. Vocals are important but energy is just as important.

Cyrus should stay away from dance music if she doesn’t have natural rhythm, which is what I concluded from her performance. Another pet peeve of mine was her constant crotch grabbing, as if she was trying to pull a Madonna, who has always been known for her mature sexual behavior supported by her fans.

The television screen showed Cyrus’ facial expressions it was as if she timed each grab, a way for her to try to show how sexual she is, maybe? Well, you weren’t sneaky enough Cyrus, because it was predictable after the first grab.

Anyway, past all of the provocative gestures and the no rhythm dancing, the best part of the show was a success for one artist and a shaming shadow for the other. At the closing number, Cyrus pulled out on stage, the one and only, Madonna. Together they performed a remix and combination of Madonna’s “Don’t Tell Me,” with Cyrus’s “We Can’t Stop.” A nice mix indeed but what put a smirk on my face and made me chuckle a couple of times was that Madonna up-staged Cyrus.

For some this may seem predictable, but in reality, this 55 year old woman had more rhythm than the young 20 year old. Cyrus made the performance seem a little uncomfortable while Madonna did what she is known for best — sexuality. All in all Cyrus, I will always be a listener, maybe not so much a buyer for your concerts, but I can’t put all the blame on you. It’s not easy to have the full package.

Pupils on Politics

The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. (Photo/Cameron Merritt)

By: Avi Nerenberg

The Eagle’s Eye recently conducted a nonscientific survey to shed light on an issue rarely addressed in the public school system – the knowledge students have of current events. The survey also asked faculty members what they believed the students actually know.

The first question of the survey asked what the name of Attleboro’s current mayor is; the answer – “Kevin Dumas.” The faculty estimated that 60 percent of students would know the answer. This turned out to be a fairly conservative guess, with the actual ratio of correct answers at 83 percent. Students outperformed their mentors’ predictions for this question, but 83 percent still leaves roughly a fifth of the student body unable to identify one of the most important people in local politics.

The second question asked what the name the current vice president is; the answer – “Joe Biden.” Again, the faculty underestimated the knowledge of the students, giving a prediction that was nine points lower than the actual percentage of 52. Although this outcome may seem low, it is predictable, with a Pew Poll from 2010 concluding that only 61 percent of American adults are able to correctly identify the vice president.

The third question asked how many states there are within the United States, the answer – “50.” The faculty estimated that 82 percent of students would be able to answer correctly, again falling nine points short of the actual percentage. Incorrect guesses were generally not far off, falling between 45 and 55. However, not knowing the number of states is an underlying issue when discussing the operations of the U.S. government, especially Congress. The number of states within the union is often regarded as common knowledge in American culture, but viewing it as such ignores the tenth of the student body that have yet to grasp this concept.

The fourth question asked what the popular name used for the recent uprisings in many Arab countries is; the answer – “Arab Spring.” Here, the faculty overestimated the student’s ability, predicting 16 percent of students would be able to answer correctly when only 9 percent of those surveyed did so. This may be reflective of a much larger issue district wide, and possibly national education – a curriculum with no focus on events currently happening around the globe.

The final question, aimed at highlighting the disparity of students’ knowledge of pop culture over current events, asked subjects to name the singer that Miley Cyrus had “twerked” on at the Video Music Awards; the answer – “Robin Thicke.” 54 percent of those surveyed answered this correctly. The faculty again overestimated the student body, believing that 80 percent of those surveyed would provide the correct answer. Although this percentile is not particularly high, it is still significantly greater than the percentage of students who were able to identify the Arab Spring, an issue arguably more important than Miley Cyrus’ dance partner.

In interpreting this data, it is important to understand two factors: the information was not collected in a heavily monitored environment, and the statistics are only representative of students within the Attleboro School district. Even so, the evidence displaying a general deficiency in the knowledge of local and global politics is overwhelming.

Less than ten percent of the student body can identify the Arab Spring, an event that has time and again been compared in significance to the fall of the Soviet Union.

Only half of the student body is able to identify Joe Biden, one of the most powerful political entities in the Western world. A fifth of the student body isn’t able to name their own city’s mayor. The issue here is not one of student ignorance, nor of teacher failure (the faculty has clearly demonstrated an understanding of their pupils’ lack of worldly competence) but of a curriculum that simply does not support education on global issues.

Wrecking Ball

By: Rose McDermott-Pinch

The cover of Miley Cyrus’s latest album, Bangerz. (www.itunes.com)

Miley Cyrus’s new single “Wrecking Ball” was released on August 24. This was her first song to ever hit number one on the Billboard charts.

The song combines love and destruction by using the analogy of a wrecking ball. It is three minutes and forty-five seconds long, captivating the listener immediately.

In the very beginning Cyrus sings “We clawed, we chained, our hearts in vain/we jumped, never asking why.” She draws listeners in by giving them interesting visuals while still maintaining her wistful tone.

The song will appear on Cyrus’s fourth studio album Bangerz, which will be released in early Oct. , but the single can be purchased on iTunes and other music venues now. The lyrics are meaningful and the tune is melancholy, creating a substantial pop song.

The music video, however, leaves much to be desired. The lack of clothing, and honestly, creativity was appalling. Had Cyrus created a more traditional video, it might not have received as much publicity.

As bizarre as the video was, it caught the public’s attention and pushed the song almost instantly to the top. One of Cyrus’s many talents is being able to make her way into the spotlight, proven by her skyrocket in popularity following the Video Music Awards.

Cyrus’s new song is not only a great love song, or rather a heartbreak song, but it sticks with the listener and therefore may remain popular for a while. “Wrecking Ball” deserves four out of five stars because the song is hauntingly beautiful.

Coming Out With A Bang

The cover of Miley Cyrus’s latest album, Bangerz. (www.itunes.com)

By: Sasha Nieves

On Aug. 6, Miley Cyrus revealed the title of her new album; Bangerz. This album was released in Oct. She described the genre of this new album as “dirty south hip-hop.”

Cyrus, one of the more iconic pop stars of her generation, morphed from child star role model, Hannah Montana, to her new image of a wild party girl, after cutting her hair and transforming her look, in her own words into “a strategic hot mess.”

The opening track “Adore You” is a slow love song confessing her feelings for the love of her life, emotions she expresses as she sings: “When you say you love me /know I love you more/when you say you need me/know I need you more,” something relatable for all love-struck teens.

“Her new songs are so easy to connect to, I love them,” said Amanda Malone (11).

Another favorite is “We Can’t Stop.” This R&B, pop song, the first single off the album, features a house party-themed music video that shows an edgier, sexier side of Cyrus that the world had never seen before. The upbeat rhythm of the song and its rebellious lyrics make it very memorable.

“I absolutely love this song; it’s always stuck in my head. When I first heard it I knew I was going to love the album. Her new music is definitely a lot better than her old music,” said Emma Nelson (11).

Cyrus’ album features multiple songs about love such as “Drive”, “Someone Else,” and “Maybe You’re Right,” is a heartbreaking song that expresses Cyrus’s feelings of starting a new chapter in her life and becoming a new person. She sings, “/You might think I’m crazy/that I’m lost and foolish leaving you behind/maybe your right/.”

She shows off a new independent side in her song “Do My Thang.” Her lyrics express her feelings on not caring about what society may think about her new image. “Every single night/and every single day/ Imma do my thang/ Don’t you worry bout me Imma be okay/.”

This song strikes up a lot of emotion because it’s very understandable and common for teenagers to worry about what others may think of them.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cyrus said, “I’m just having fun, and whatever people label it as, it doesn’t really matter, I’m just having fun.”

Bangerz is an album that expresses the common feelings of teenagers going through changing phases in life, love, heartbreak and becoming a new person. Bangerz gives the world a taste of Cyrus’ new found bad girl attitude. It’s not only relatable, but each song is catchy and meaningful. It is now available in stores and on iTunes for $13.99. Bangerz receives 3.5 out of 5 stars for its lyrical content and relatibility.

OPINION: Defending Miley

By: Giovanni Carcamo

Miley Cyrus, as seen on her latest album’s cover. (www.itunes.com)

Miley Cyrus is quickly becoming the new topic everyone is talking about. This blonde buzz cut diva is emerging as an official pop star, instead of a stereotypical country singer. Cyrus, was known as the Disney character Hannah Montana, now she is becoming headline news because of her style, music, and sexuality.

Young teens are attracted to her, because of her brave antics and performances; proof of this was seen on the MTV Music Awards where she twerked and was surrounded by dancing teddy bears while being dressed as a grown baby.

Cyrus is receiving feedback from all around the world. Some see her as a teen idol, others, sees her as a negative influence to the next generation, and to the music industry.

Cyrus’s debut of her new genre of music was revealed with her first song off her fifth album Bangerz, entitled “We Can’t Stop.”

This album is a mix of hip-hop and pop along with a music video, which displays the partying life as glamorous. Her official first single, from the album, named “Wrecking Ball,” is about a troubled relationship, and the music video showed a nude Cyrus proud of her own skin.

Just these two songs will encourage the listener to purchase the entire album. Bangerz shows Cyrus’s bright, new future and how far she can go. The album was not a disappointment, since it contains soulful vocals and deep lyrics, but the cherry on top of the whole album, was that it is a melting pot of genres. Hip-hop, country, pop, and disco all contribute to Cyrus expressing herself, flowing together perfectly, track after track. It was released last Oct.

Cyrus put a lot of work into this album, proving she can make meaningful music into truthful art.

Cyrus MTV special, “The Movement,” showed Cyrus’s life; and Cyrus discussing how she feels about her life now, how she feels about her change from childhood to adulthood, how excited she was about her new album, and how she puts her own creativity in her performances, using the MTV music awards performance as an example.

Miley has reached so far into music from the point where she started; she now knows what sells, and what can become main stream.

Others who have reached this point are Britney Spears, Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and, of course, Madonna. Whatever Cyrus decides to do from now on, will be seen as true originality. She does what she wants, it’s not a copy of another artist, and she does not apologize for her insane antics, which attracts attention.

A young innocent girl from the South, whose father is Billy Ray Cyrus (“Ace Breaky Heart”), is now a musical leader and has a long music career ahead of her.