Miley Cyrus's "Bass Persuades" Marks Her First No. 1 Album in Over a Decade

Earlier this year, Miley Cyrus joined Atlantic Records after spending most of the decade on Columbia. Now, just months later, she and her new label get to celebrate her first No. 1 album in 13 years.

Cyrus’ new album Bass Persuades bows atop the Billboard 200 this week (chart dated Oct. 3) with 62,000 first-week units, marking her first visit to the chart’s penthouse since Bangerz debuted at No. 1 in October 2013. The set follows last year’s visual album Something Beautiful , which bowed at No. 4, and it already has produced two Billboard Hot 100 hits, the title track (No. 35) and “Let’s Get Married” (No. 99).

How should Cyrus feel about her new LP’s opening performance? And where should she go from here to further fortify her legacy? Billboard staffers and contributors answer these questions and more below.

1. Miley Cyrus scores her first No. 1 album since 2013 this week with the No. 1 debut of Bass Persuades , which moves 62,000 units in its first week. On a scale from 1-10, how big a triumph is this for Cyrus and her team?

Christopher Claxton : On a scale of 1-10, I’d give this a 7. Going 13 years without a No. 1 album is a long time, especially for an artist of Miley’s stature, and returning to the top of the chart is no easy feat regardless of the release week. At this point, I think it’s safe to call Miley a generational pop star, so I don’t think a No. 1 album is necessarily unexpected for her. That said, the fact that she was able to return to the top after such a long gap is significant.

Kyle Denis : Considering there were just 17 days between the announcement of Bass Persuades and its release, this has got to be at least a 7.5, despite the relatively low first-week total.

Lyndsey Havens : 10, this is a big deal for everyone involved. It’s her first No. 1 album in more than a decade since she served a swerve with Bangerz , her first No. 1 as Miley (no Cyrus) and her first No. 1 at a new label. It’s about as good as it could get in terms of a debut for an album that, by her own admission, came together faster than she usually works.

Andrew Unterberger : A 7. It’s definitely a big deal to get to started on the new label with a No. 1 — and a great headline for it to be her best since her biggest pop era — but it’s all a tiny bit misleading, as the 62,000 first-week units of Persuades is still just a little more than half of the 119,000 units 2023’s No. 3-debuting Endless Summer Vacation put up in a more crowded week on the Billboard 200. Still a big first week, but not quite a game-changer.

Alicia Urrea : A 10. As someone who has been a Cyrus fan since her Disney days, it’s refreshing to see her back at No. 1 after so much time. It’s especially surprising that Endless Summer Vacation didn’t reach the top spot, considering the massive success of “Flowers.” It has felt, at least from my perspective, like Cyrus has been hungry for recognition of a craft that continues to mature and evolve, so I imagine this achievement feels like a major milestone for her and her team.

2. The year-and-change between May 2025’s Something Beautiful and Bass Persuades this month make for the shortest turnover between Miley full-lengths since her Hannah Montana days. Do the first-week returns for Bass Persuades justify the quick return?

Christopher Claxton : Oh yeah, most definitely. I think the quick turnaround ultimately worked in Miley’s favor. Rather than allowing the momentum from  Something Beautiful  to cool off, she followed it with another full-length while there was still an active audience around her. And the chart performance seems to support that. This is Miley’s first No. 1 album in 13 years, and the sales alone are a solid indication that there’s still strong demand for her music even after the release of  Something Beautiful .

Kyle Denis : Not particularly? But Miley has never been an artist who pulls massive first-week numbers — and the truncated release timeline, coupled with the muted reception of the lead single, certainly didn’t help — so it’s hard to glean the full story from these figures. Regardless of the numbers, a quick return was justified by one reason: Something Beautiful was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it era.

Lyndsey Havens : Weirdly enough, I’m not sure it’s all that related. I think the only thing Something Beautiful did for Miley was show her that she’s really into making more experimental music right now. We felt that even on Endless Summer Vacation with a song like “Handstand,” which she co-wrote and co-produced with her partner Maxx Morando. So sure, maybe the quick timing had something to do with Miley’s major first week, but I think more than anything it’s just a result of her day one fans supporting the creative journey she’s on and glad she’s still giving us anything at all.

Andrew Unterberger : It certainly saves it from looking like a mistake, but I’d still like to see a little more endurance from the album and this era before deeming it a total success. Personally I’m a little bummed to see her turning the corner so quickly on Something Beautiful , which I thought was a much more satisfying project. But that album did underperform commercially, so maybe it was smart of her to reset quickly like this.

Alicia Urrea : I think so. A No. 1 debut and 62,000 units in its first week show that Cyrus was able to generate enough excitement around Bass Persuades despite releasing another full-length only a little over a year earlier. It also sort of suggests that fans were ready for another body of work from her, and they weren’t overwhelmed by the quick turnaround. The challenge now is making sure the album has enough time to establish its own identity instead of getting lost in that quick turnaround or blending with the Something Beautiful era.

3. The title track and lead single is still the biggest Hot 100 hit from the set, landing at No. 52 this week after debuting at No. 35. Will it be end up being a long-lasting or notable hit from the project, or did it mostly just serve to reintroduce the full-length set?

Christopher Claxton : In my view, “Bass Persuades” is the best track on the album, so it makes sense that it’s also the biggest Hot 100 hit from the set. It’s a great track, and I can see it sticking around on the chart for a while. That said, I think we’ll continue to see it gradually fall down the Hot 100 until it eventually drops off completely.

Kyle Denis : I’d be quite surprised if “Bass Persuades” made a real life for itself in the Hot 100’s top 10 — and I really like the song! Nonetheless, it just doesn’t feel like quintessential Miley song or an undeniable smash à la “Flowers.”

Lyndsey Havens : I definitely think it will be a notable hit from the project — I can just see the future tweets now saying that it was “slept on” upon initial release. If anything, it was actually a bit of a misleading introduction to the album, given that it’s arguably the most mainstream of the set. It’s a super fun and catchy dance-pop song, yes, but even more important to note is that it’s a song that sees Miley move more into this icon realm — no longer being the kid herself and rather speaking  about  them and how, much to her dismay, they don’t wanna dance. Unacceptable, by her standards.

Andrew Unterberger : It’s a strong album opener, but it doesn’t feel like a lasting hit to me — it feels out of step commercially and the hook isn’t as much fun as the title suggests it should be.

Alicia Urrea : In my opinion, “Bass Persuades” might’ve primarily served as an introduction to the album and this new era for Cyrus. It definitely made the right amount of noise, especially with the buzz surrounding her decision to drop her last name from the title. But I think the album arrived a little too soon after the single, which didn’t give the song as much time to stand on its own. Instead, it feels more like an introduction to the era than a standalone hit that represents Cyrus’ comeback as “Miley.”

4. Outside of the title track, is there anything on Bass Persuades that you find a particularly interesting or new direction for Cyrus?

Christopher Claxton : Outside of the title track, I think  Bass Persuades  is a really interesting album, because it feels like we’re hearing a more experimental side of Miley’s sound. To me, she doesn’t seem too concerned with making a traditional pop album. Instead, she seems more interested in playing with different production styles, vocal approaches and textures.

Kyle Denis : I really like the industrial sounds she’s flirting with on “Different Religion.” That song really makes me wish there was a more focused, fully realized vision guiding  Bass Persuades .

Lyndsey Havens : I think I was most struck, upon first listen, but how uninhibited she continues to sound. Miley has never appeared to chase the obvious in her look or music, and certainly she hasn’t tried to chase a follow-up to her mega-smash “Flowers” — and I think that’s pretty remarkable. Even if it flopped,  Bass Persuades  is an intriguing addition to her catalog because she has never stopped trying to impress herself, really. That’s what I feel like we’re hearing here, is an artist who, 10 albums in, will still give us something unexpected.

Andrew Unterberger : There’s some really interesting textural stuff going on in “Aftermath” and “Snow,” and fans will be chewing on the lyrics on “Innocent Ways” for a long time. But in general, this is perhaps the first Miley album since the Hannah Montana years that doesn’t feel like a particularly bold step in any one direction.

Alicia Urrea : I think “Different Religion” is particularly interesting because it doesn’t sound like something Cyrus has released before. More broadly, the album makes it clear that she was willing to experiment with her sound. Even the title track feels very different from traditional pop production, leaning into something more playful and club-oriented. There’s a sense that Cyrus was intentionally pushing herself sonically, and that experimentation is one of the most interesting parts of the album.

5. While Cyrus is unquestionably one of the most important pop stars of the last 20 years, her commercial returns have often been inconsistent and her overall place in the pop ecosystem somewhat murkier than it perhaps should be. If you were managing her, what would you advise her to do next in her career to give her that kind of long-term status and stability?

Christopher Claxton : I’d say taking her social media a little more seriously. She posts frequently, for sure, but I don’t think there’s always something there for fans to really connect with. She doesn’t have to share anything she’s uncomfortable with or put her personal life on display, but I think there should be more moments, stories or pieces of her personality that fans can attach themselves to and feel connected to.

Kyle Denis : She’s honestly doing everything right. Miley spent a lot of this year reconciling her relationship with Hannah Montana and receiving her flowers as a generational music, TV and cultural icon. That kind of praise trumps any conversation regarding  Bass Persuades  first-week numbers. Yes, they’re low! And, yes, it’s probably a long shot for any of these songs to go top 10 on the Hot 100. But that has absolutely no bearing on how Miley’s celebrity is received. She’s kind of like the Cher of her generation. Hit songs may come at seemingly random times — and they’re certainly nice to have — but they’re not necessary to build the myth of Miley Cyrus.

Lyndsey Havens : Her Hollywood Bowl shows are a step in the right direction. I think a pain point for fans — speaking for myself a bit here — is that there is so much appreciation for her and her place in pop that sometimes it almost feels like it’s been bubbling up too long without a proper outlet for release. And I am sure these conversations happen quite regularly, but I’d just suggest finding more ways — other than touring or even exhaustive and large-scal

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/miley-cyrus-bass-persuades-five-burning-questions-1236351110/)._