Miley Cyrus wants you to put down your phone and dance. The 33-year-old singer kicked off her latest era on Thursday, 3 September, with 'Bass Persuades', the lead single and title track from her upcoming 10th studio album.
With '80s-inspired synths, a pulsing dance-pop beat, and lyrics lamenting a generation glued to their screens, the track makes its mission pretty clear: less scrolling, more surrendering to the music. And it's probably one of the most unique ways to tell someone to disconnect from the internet and reconnect to the rhythm.
Whether 'Bass Persuades' actually managed to persuade listeners, however, is another question of persuasion entirely.
Some Fans Say 'Bass Persuades' Isn't 'Miley Enough'
Over on Reddit, some longtime Miley fans weren't entirely convinced by the new direction.
'Too generic for me to get excited about, tbh,' one listener wrote.
Another liked the song but took issue with its accompanying music video, arguing: 'I think the video is not Miley enough.'
That sentiment appeared repeatedly throughout the discussion, particularly among fans who had hoped Miley would return to the rockier territory she explored through 'Plastic Hearts'.
'I was definitely expecting a more rock-centered song,' one commenter wrote, adding that although the track was 'still pretty good', they expected more from the album's lead single and title track.
Another simply declared: 'I just wanted a rock album.'
Comparisons to some of pop's other biggest women also flooded the discussion. Lady Gaga, Madonna, Britney Spears, Dua Lipa, and even Taylor Swift were all invoked as listeners tried to pinpoint exactly where they'd heard shades of the track's polished dance-pop sound before.
One fan thought that polish came at the expense of Miley's signature edge, describing the track as 'less Miley, and more almost Dua Lipa or any other popstar'.
Other Fans Are Already Dancing
Nevertheless, 'Bass Persuades' wasn't exactly struggling to get everybody offline and off the sofa. Or online and off the sofa, rather. Spotify and YouTube require internet connection, unless you have offline mode activated. If that's the case, then don't let Wi-Fi concerns interrupt your dancing.
'First listen: meh. 2nd listen: I like it. On third listen dancing,' one Redditor admitted.
Another called it 'catchy as hell', while one fan insisted Miley simply 'can't miss', praising her run of 'smash after smash after smash'.
Others heard Miley's past rather than another pop star's present.
One listener described the song as a grown-up evolution of her 'Can't Be Tamed' era, while another said it reminded them of 'Who Owns My Heart' and celebrated the return to dance-pop.
'I love it. So upbeat and fun! LOVE the video,' another fan wrote with visible keyboard-delivered enthusiasm.
For at least one listener, the 'The Climb' singer's persuasion tactics worked immediately: 'Bass Persuades' earned an instant place on their gym playlist.
Miley Cyrus Wants the Screens Down and the Music Up
The divide is particularly fitting considering what Miley is singing about.
'Bass Persuades' aims at today's screen-filled existence, with Miley singing about people being overly reliant on their phones while repeatedly observing that 'the kids don't want to dance'. (Unless it's for a TikTok challenge, perhaps?)
The accompanying Mert Alas-directed video makes her proposed solution seemingly harder to misunderstand. Cyrus dances through the visual in a series of black looks, including a bralette and trousers before changing into high-waisted underwear, stockings, and heels. As the choreography grows, so does the party, eventually spilling onto the city streets with a crowd following behind her.
The song also launches a slightly different Miley. For the upcoming album, she is going simply by her first name, dropping 'Cyrus' for the new chapter.
'Music takes hold of us. We feel it, sing it, sometimes dance to it, let it out and carry on. It is powerful, vulnerable, sweet and strong,' she wrote while announcing the album on Instagram.
Her new album arrives on 18 September, while Miley will bring the era to the Hollywood Bowl for two shows on 16 and 18 October.
As for whether her first single succeeded in persuading the internet? Some fans are dancing. Some want their rock star back. And some apparently need exactly three listens before the bass kicks in.
Case in point, Miley got them either talking, dancing, or talking about how they're dancing. 'Bass Persuades' may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it did serve as a reminder that there is a world beyond the screen and a stage to dance beyond your TikTok feed.
