Miley Cyrus's "Bass Persuades" Album Review: Pretty, Passable, Lacking Bass or Persuasion

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Sep 19, 2026 10:26am PT

Miley’s ‘Bass Persuades’ Is Pretty and Passable, but Surprisingly Light on Bass… or Persuasion: Album Review

By Chris Willman

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Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

ChrisWillman

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The title track and first single from Miley Cyrus ‘ “ Bass Persuades ” was a classic act of misdirection, we now learn. Released two and a half weeks prior to the album, the song promised a tenth album full of bangers (with an S or Z, take your pick), mildly scolding the young people for not being interested enough in the dance floor — whatsa matter with kids today? — and aiming to redirect them there with a combination of throbbing rhythms and spoken-word instructions loosely borrowed from the catalogs of Madonna and Lady Gaga. For better or worse, it seemed as if Cyrus was going to drop some of her stylistic eccentricities, along with her last name, and deliver a pure club record.

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_Originally reported by [Variety Music](https://variety.com/2026/music/news/miley-bass-persuades-album-review-1236868564/)._