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My Birthday Gift to Miley Cyrus: Lessons on How to ROCK

Posted Thu Aug 28, 2008 7:00am PDT by Shawn Amos in GetBack

Miley Cyrus is on top of the world. She's celebrating her 16th birthday at Disneyland, she's got a(nother) hit album, and every girl wants to be her. Only one problem. SHE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO ROCK. Miley Cyrus represents everything that's wrong with current pop music. It's fabricated, phoned-in, self conscious, soulless, board room created product. It's style over substance and has no ability to generate feelings other than the urge to buy a matching Miley Cyrus lunchbox.

On Miley's new album she covers Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". Instead of taking a cue from Cyndi's '80s thrift shop soul, Miley turns the song into a hopped up, cut-and-paste exercise. Not one bent note. Not one hiccup. Not one strip of pink in the hair. The girl doesn't swing.

Miley could learn a thing or two from the great '80s rock chicks; artists who weren't tied to a teleprompter or afraid to let their mascara run. Miley needs a serious primer. So here are some singers I hope Miley has in her iPod while she's standing in line for Space Mountain. Consider it an early birthday gift. No thank you card is necessary.

 

CHRISSIE HYNDE

The grande dame of '80s rock chicks. She was sultry and cool. Plus, she written some of the best rock songs EVER! Chrissie Hynde is the blueprint for any teenage pop star wannabe looking to have some real cred.

 

PAT BENATAR

Probably the best singer of the bunch, Pat Benatar brought barroom grit to the big stage. Say what you will about her questionable fashion choices, Pat was purely authentic. No focus groups were polled in the making of her records.

 

TINA TURNER

Okay, a litle unfair since she started her career in the 1960s but Tina Turner's biggest success came in the '80s with her Private Dancer album. She's everything a female pop star should be: sexy, soulful and spontaneous.

 

CYNDI LAUPER

Her makeup, hair and general quirkiness overshadow the fact that Cyndi Lauper was one the most soulful chicks to come out of the '80. She could hang with Aretha Franklin and sing Marvin Gaye tunes (check her cover of "What's Going On"). Let's see Miley attempt that.

 

THE BANGLES

The Bangles are proof that short skirts and electric guitars go hand-in-hand. They are one of the great all-girl groups, backing up their looks with a serious pop-rock pedigree. Plus they had harmonies and guitar jangle for days.

 





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1111 Comments

61. cutie 101 -
Ok all the music u call (rock) is 80s junk shes only 15 i think she is good theres better things like witchfoot and flyleaf but i dont think girls ages 7-15 are gonna like that!

62. CamilleR -
FINALLY!!!! Some one says it!!! Miley Cyrus's music has no soul, no substance at all!!!!!! All her music is is a bunch of pop bubble stuff. She's not a rocker, when ever she preforms on stage she doesn't sing with feeling. She just sing's. Demi Lovato, who is the same age as Cyrus, has soul. Her music has feeling. It has a story behind it. Now i'm hating on Miley or any of her fans. But come on, Demi is a true rocker!!! She swings her hair, wears black and sings her heart out!!! Check out her video if u don;t believe me!!! And does any one think thats it ridiculous that miley is only 16 and she's been in countless photo scandals??!!! yes everyone makes mistakes but come on, ur supposed to learn from ur mistakes. not make the same one 10 times. Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez are the same age as Cyrus and haven't been in any photo scandals. Miley Cyrus is supposed to be a role model!!! Yes shes pretty but sometimes i get annoyed when my neice looks up to her and shes taking pictures of herself being sexy and laying on a guys lap..SHES 16!!! she needs to get over herself and grow up!!!

if i offend anyone with my comment, i'm sorry this is just my personal opinion.

63. CamilleR -
FINALLY!!!! Some one says it!!! Miley Cyrus's music has no soul, no substance at all!!!!!! All her music is is a bunch of pop bubble stuff. She's not a rocker, when ever she preforms on stage she doesn't sing with feeling. She just sing's. Demi Lovato, who is the same age as Cyrus, has soul. Her music has feeling. It has a story behind it. Now i'm hating on Miley or any of her fans. But come on, Demi is a true rocker!!! She swings her hair, wears black and sings her heart out!!! Check out her video if u don;t believe me!!! And does any one think thats it ridiculous that miley is only 16 and she's been in countless photo scandals??!!! yes everyone makes mistakes but come on, ur supposed to lean from ur mistakes. not make the same one 10 times. Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez are the same age as Cyrus and haven't been in any photo scandals. Miley Cyrus is supposed to be a role model!!! Yes shes pretty but sometimes i get annoyed when my neice looks up to her and shes taking pictures of herself being sexy and laying on a guys lap..SHES 16!!! she needs to get over herself and grow up!!!

if i offend anyone with my comment, i'm sorry this is just my personal opinion.

64. Tiff -
Miley is just some kid having some fun. She has a lot of stuff going on! Stop letting her have peer presaure. I suggest you guys leave her alone. Miley, you rock!

65. Yahoo! Music User -
Yeah, she can't sing... It's all soundboards and effects... its pretty much one note over and over again. All she has going for her is she's rich. THAT'S ABOUT IT

66. GeorgeM -
There's nothing wrong taking cues from past female artists. If you're talking about great successes of the 80s, where's Heart? Cher? She's reinvinted herself each decade, so has Madonna. If there's someone to emulate I would have put Cher and Madonna at the top of the list. (But not Madonna's film career, but Cher hasn't been too bad.)

67. cutie 101 -
ummm i think she has done well for herself at age 15 she has 15 mil yeah u try doing that!

68. Yahoo! Music User -
Of course its:

"fabricated, phoned-in, self conscious, soulless, board room created product. It's style over substance and has no ability to generate feelings other than the urge to buy a matching Miley Cyrus lunchbox."

That is corporate America making it's money! The music artists don't go into it thinking "hmm how can I inspire others through my music".....it's more like"I can't wait to be seen and heard and loved by millions of people and make money." I don't blame Disney for making her the new it girl....they just could have used someone that actually has a voice and can act.

69. Chrystal Angel -
for everyone who says she won't have staying power after disney....Have you ever heard of Fergie? All I have to say is Kids Incorporated....She might not have been "big" back then, but I always remembered her! Stacy was always my fav!

70. Luis Flores Jr. -
I think we are all missing the point here. She is a kid who is barely turning 16 years old. Her fanbase are all pretty much children. I don't like her music myself, I find her annoying but that does not change the fact that she is still growing up and does'nt really have a "self image" of her own yet as many 15 year olds don't. She is dressed by others and given or told what and how to do things. She is a product. Only time will tell what her future holds. Lets be real now, do any of you really think she will turn into a Pat Benetar, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, Siouxsie Sioux or any of the other original real rock acts who created themselves from scratch versus a Disney product? ....... Yeah, I thought so. lol ;)

71. anthony -
I understand the gripe but it is true she is just a baby compared to those great ladies!
Which is what caused the flack with that magzine stint and the "daddy's favorite little girl" pic ...so I guess we might be justified argue if she is so inclined and aware to be that risque or edgey in her life in photos she would seem to be capable of doing it musically somewhat!?! Dear Lord
Why do I even know this much about this child?

72. Star -
like i've told my friends so many times- miley doesn't have talent-no offence, but its true. the only reason she's where she is today is cause her daddy. and now she's all about breaking free from hannah montana, but i, and many others, think that without hannah montana, she's nothing. she can't sing, and can't write songs. she has son many songs based on hannah montana, and without it, she's nothing. that's just my opinion, but i think that she just wants to be famous, not wanting to be a real singer or actor. if she did, she would take singing/acting classes!

73. What the? -
Ummmm, well, it looks like she's made enough to probably retire at a VERY young age. I don't think she really gives a crap what anyone else thinks right now. She must be doing something right.

74. whatever -
oh well, hopefully she'll just go away too like her fathers singing career did. ugh

75. akeyla h -
Not to change the subject but I'm still mad at those rigged results for the ACDC and M&M cru dance off.

76. -
I get what everyone is saying about how she is very pop culture and to be taken as a serious artist she needs to put in more effort. Well what i see is a 16 year old girl who sings very basic songs that capture the attention of a lot of little girls, including my own 4 little girls. I HOPE she stays disney. There is a little to much emphasis on boys and relationships but it is not about sex and drugs and all the other horrors they could be listening too. She is making money and performing in front of adoring fans, I say when she hits 20 we can ask for more soul.

77. DavidPutty -
The word "rock," in this sense, is such a contrived term anymore. It has completely lost its meaning. Be considered a "rock star" is a term that should be reserved for true Rock & Rolls gods, like Steven Tyler, Slash, Robert Plant, Madonna, etc .. not some teenie bopper, talentless flavor of the week. I am so f'n sick of hearing about this girl!!

78. Yahoo! Music User -
miley cyrus should learn how to sing first...

79. Amanda -
I have to agree with you dianne t. I think people are forgetting that she is only 16 years old and the best thing for her is to stay 16. So if she stays where she is at she is going to be just fine. Everyone needs to stop makeing these grow up before their time and let them be kids.

80. big deal -
well isn't she just like 15 or 16? i mean you really want girls that age to be like pat benetar? if she has any talent i'm sure she will try to become a more mature "rocker" when she's a bit older. all those mentioned are women, not girls. in the meantime, she's breaking the bank with all her young fans, sounds like a great gig to me.
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