Breakout

by Miley Cyrus

Overview

Technically, Breakout is Miley Cyrus' second album, but her first was part of the two-disc set Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus, which attempted to capitalize on Cyrus' huge popularity as The Disney Channel's pop star in disguise and establish her as a real pop star under her own name. Though she scored a tween-pop hit with "See You Again," the songs Cyrus recorded as herself on Meet Miley Cyrus weren't significantly different than her Hannah Montana fare. She takes another step toward having her own pop identity with Breakout, the first album credited to Miley Cyrus alone. Breakout is possibly the most generic title this set of songs could have, but it expresses the album's purpose nicely: Miley sheds the confines of her Hannah Montana image for an identity that is just as stylized and calculated as her alter ego. As with all Disney music, nothing has been left to chance. Breakout hits all the marks that a 2008 pop album should, right down to a dance remix and a song about saving the environment; cunningly, "Wake Up America" is one of the album's catchiest moments. These songs were written and produced by committee, designed to present the feisty, carefree Miley (the title track's schoolgirl rebellion) and the sensitive Miley ("The Driveway," "Goodbye") to the widest audience possible. Truth be told, these sides of Miley still aren't drastically different from Hannah Montana's music -- "Full Circle," with its bubbly melody and playful lyrics, plays like a slightly more sophisticated Hannah Montana single. Cyrus' sound is still a mix of Avril Lavigne-esque sass and Michelle Branch-like vulnerability, served with a bright sheen borrowed from new wave, which she nods to with an oddly rushed, strings-driven cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." Cyrus' voice is deeper and rougher than when she's singing as Hannah, and there are a few more reflective moments here than there would be on her other project, but only a handful of songs truly break out from the Montana mold. "Bottom of the Ocean" is so polished and restrained that it could be a hit on triple-A radio, while "7 Things" is a twangy, clever piece of love-hate pop that feels descended from Shania Twain's flirty mix of rock and country. The controlling boyfriend putdown "Fly on the Wall" goes in a completely different direction, playing like a G-rated version of Britney Spears' "Toxic" with fuzzed-out guitars and keyboards that lead into girlishly snotty vocals. Even if these songs are derivative of much more established pop divas, they provide clues to the kind of company Cyrus aims to keep. And while Breakout isn't as much of a breakthrough as it could be, it still moves Miley closer to an identity and career outside of Hannah. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	09/02/2008
Label:	Polydor
UPC:	0050087128982

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Miley Cyrus   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Gina Shock   Vocals (Background)
William Owsley III   Guitar,Vocals,Mandolin
Regina Williams   Vocals (Background)
Parker Jayne   Drums
Jon Lind   Vocals
Josh Freese   Drums
Dorian Crozier   Drums
Michael Bland   Drums
Owsley   Guitar,Vocals,Mandolin
Devrim "DK" Karaoglu   Keyboards,Percussion
Katy Perry   Vocals (Background)
Matthew Wilder   Keyboards
Cheyenne Kimball   Vocals
Sean Hurley   Alto,Bass
Gigi Worth   Vocals (Background)
Kathy Penny   Vocals (Background)
Stephan Liu   Keyboards
Anne Revert   Vocals (Background)
Aaron Dudley   Guitar
Ryan Star   Vocals (Background)
Anne Preven   Vocals (Background)
Abe Laboriel, Jr.   Drums
Abraham Laboriel, Sr.   Drums
Will Owlsey   Vocals,Mandolin
Dave Levitta   Guitar
Tim Pierce   Guitar
Tommy Barbarella   Keyboards
Windy Wagner   Vocals (Background)
Terry Wood   Vocals (Background)
Stephen Lu   Keyboards
James Harrah   Guitar
Jamie Muhoberac   Piano
Paul Bushnell   Alto,Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Zac Rae   Keyboards
David Levita   Guitar
Ken Chastain   Percussion
Rusty Anderson   Guitar
John Fields   Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)

Technical Credits

Jesse Littleton   Composer
Destiny Hope Cyrus   Composer
Sheryl Nields   Photography
David Snow   Creative Director
Cindy Warden   A&R
Trey Vittetoe   Composer
Enny Joo   Design,Art Direction
Christi Parker   A&R
Jason Morey   Executive Producer
Peter Anderson   Engineer,Recording
Rock Mafia   Remix Engineer
Jeffrey Steele   Composer,Composer
Paul Mitchell   Engineer
John Fields   Audio Production,Arranger,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Gavin MacKillop   Engineer
Jon Lind   A&R
Mark Endert   Mixing
Robert Vosgien   Mastering
Robert Hazard   Composer
Steve Hammons   Mixing,Engineer,Drum Programming
Devrim "DK" Karaoglu   Composer,Producer,Performer,Drum Programming,Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
Matthew Wilder   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Cheyenne Kimball   Writer,Composer
Stephan Liu   Arranger
Aaron Dudley   Writer,Arranger,Composer
Heather Sturm   Engineer,Recording
Miley Cyrus   Composer
Gina Schock   Composer
Nigel Lundemo   Editing,Engineer,Digital Editing
Anne Preven   Writer,Composer,Producer
Antonia Armato   Composer
Antonina Armato   Writer,Arranger,Composer,Producer
Tim James   Composer
Stephen Lu   String Arrangements
Chris Lord-Alge   Mixing,Remixing
Scott Campbell   Engineer
Scott Cutler   Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Paul Palmer   Mixing
Ted Bruner   Composer
Clif Norrell   Mixing