The title of the album is misleading. It doesn't have many summer singalongs that majority of her fans can bop to. Only a few of the tracks are as memorable as opening track 'Flowers', which of course, is gold. 'Flowers' is a self-love anthem that takes a dig at the lyrics of 'When I Was Your Man' by Bruno Mars.
Instead of yearning for love or getting back with her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth, Miley wants to do everything on her own. 'I can take myself dancing, yeah/I can hold my own hand/ Yeah, I can love me better than you can,' she sings.
In the music video, the singer is strutting down the streets of Los Angeles. The suit she’s wearing is the one Liam wore at the 'Avengers' premiere, where he told her to watch her behaviour. The mansion is reportedly the house where Liam used to take women [to] cheat on her with. This big middle finger of a song was a genius move, topping pop charts and resonating with her female fans.
Watch the music video for 'Flowers'
'Endless Summer Vacation' has about a dozen tracks (including a demo version of 'Flowers'). 'Jaded' is a mid-tempo acoustic jam. The song takes time to pick up, rising at the chorus, but you can't deny Miley's powerful pipes. She croons: 'And it's a fkin' shame that it ended like that/ You broke your own arm, but you'd never say that/ We went to Hell, but we never came back.' Third track 'Rose Colored Lenses' is a moody piano-driven tune that enters blues territory. At one point, she goes, 'Naked in conversation/ Drown me in your daylight/ Endless summer vacation/ Make it last 'til we die.'
Watch the music video for 'Endless Summer Vacation'
Country rockstar Brandi Carlile joins her in the ballad 'Thousand Miles,' which is thankfully a more tight country-pop number. 'I'm out of my mind, but still, I'm holding on like a rolling stone/ A thousand miles from anywhere,' she sings. Although Carlile is only giving supporting vocals, she adds a richness to the number. However, we aren't sure how much her teen fans will like this trip to the country-side. 'You' takes things down a notch again. The focus is almost entirely on Miley's vocals her. Apart from a little percussion here, a little piano there, you're basically listening to the singer shine at what she does better than scandal and gossip: sing her heart out.
'Handstand' takes the album in a different, more welcome direction. Futuristic loops and heavy synths remind you of the early career of Lady Gaga. She quips, 'You found it so impressive that I do it again/ My other one is busy, so I use my left hand.' It leads in to pop song 'River' that could've been more catchy if the producer let it flow. The vocal style is borrowed from Lana Del Rey and Fergie. 'Violet Chemistry' delves into electronica, funk and R&B. It takes you to the 80s when having fun wasn't cringe, and there was no such thing as too much colour.
Watch the music video for 'River'
The second-best song on the album is 'Muddy Feet'. Songwriting powerhouse Sia supports this gutsy number that powers up Miley's vocals enough to take you back to her previous album, 'Plastic Hearts'. The song ends too soon, but the ride is worth it. Next track 'Wildcard' continues in the power pop vein but more subtly. 'Island' has a tropical influence; the kind of song you will play on your bluetooth earphones on the beaches of Goa. 'Am I stranded on an island/ Or have I landed in paradise?' she asks, and you're instantly in a tropical paradise.
'Wonder Woman' is a feminist ballad about being well-traveled and resilient. It's a great note to close the album that could've had a lot more substance in-between two great songs. 'Endless Summer Vacation' showcases Miley's vocal strengths but the album fails to follow a clear sonic path or to deliver upbeat summer songs. If only the singer and her producers had made something we'd actually want to play endlessly.
