When you're the daughter of a music/television star, you're sure to be exposed to the limelight at some point and in varying degrees. You can deal with the fame in several ways, and one is to dive in head first and take full advantage of the situation. Not only has Miley Cyrus, daughter of actor/country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, taken to the entertainment machine wholeheartedly, she has an alter ego that helps double her exposure.
Miley first appeared on TV in an episode of her dad's show Doc, then scored a big screen role in Tim Burton's Big Fish, both in 2003. Her rocket to superstardom began in 2005 when she was cast as the lead character in the Disney Channel's Hannah Montana. The show follows the ongoing saga of a normal teen girl leading the double life of a pop music star, kinda like life imitating art...imitating art.
Cyrus' performances as Hannah Montana on the show resulted in a CD release, of course, which made her TV's biggest marketing star since Elmo. The 2006 release of Hannah Montana showcased the highly polished, heavily produced, hook-filled pop rock confection that filled each episode of the Hannah Montana show, and kids instantly ate it up.
Cyrus followed up with the 2007 release Hannah Montana, 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, which began her transformation from a TV-created pop sensation to a serious music artist. The first disc included tunes from the second season of Hannah Montana, while the second CD featured Miley Cyrus performing as herself, although it was hard to tell the difference between the two CDs.
2008 has been a busy year for Cyrus: the Best of Both Worlds Concert CD/DVD was released in April, featuring live performances by Cyrus as herself and as Hannah Montana; while Breakout, Cyrus' first official solo album, was released in July. She is also in the process of filming Hannah Montana: The Movie, to be released in 2009.
Cyrus' musical style throughout has been crunchy dance pop with alternating acoustic verses and bombastic choruses. She could be most easily compared to artists like Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne, but without the sexual tension or post-teen lyrical content.
If you're looking for harmless, catchy, radio pop, Miley Cyrus is a winner. Who knows, young fans may be inspired by her career to find out more about female stars like Joni Mitchell, Shania Twain, or Chrissie Hynde in a few years.
