Miley Cyrus, Prisoner | Track Review 🎵

Miley Cyrus enlists Grammy-winning pop artist Dua Lipa for the assist on the short but utterly sweet “Prisoner.”  

For a while, it was easy to doubt if 🏆 Grammy-nominated pop artist 🎙 Miley Cyrus would rebound.  There were some questionable musical moments post-Bangerz, if we’re keeping it 💯.  That said, a strong vocal performance on Mark Ronson’s “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” (Late Night Feelings, 2019) and her own single, “Midnight Sky”, have certainly changed the trajectory.  After getting praise for her collaboration with the iconic Stevie Nicks (“Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix)”), she’s back with another awesome collaboration with 🏆 Grammy-winning pop artist 🎙 Dua Lipa on 🎵 “Prisoner.” This, my friends, is another winning advanced offering from her highly anticipated album, 💿 Plastic Hearts. 

The vocal abilities of Miley Cyrus have never been questioned.  Cyrus has a stellar voice, one that’s able to cut right through and production and totally captivate.  On “Prisoner,” she’s turned up, assertive, and definitely brings some grit to table.  Likewise, Dua Lipa has a dynamic, cutting voice, and can deliver rousing performances with incredible nuance.  Like Cyrus, she’s on her game here.  Following the Cyrus intro (the eventual chorus), Dua Lipa takes the lead on the first verse.  Cyrus reclaims the reins on the pre-chorus, splitting the energetic, memorable chorus with Dua. Then, the roles flip flop with Cyrus taking the second verse, Dua singing most of the pre-chorus, and Cyrus leading much of that unforgettable chorus:

“Prisoner, prisoner, locked up
Can’t get you off my mind, off my mind
Lord knows I tried a million times, million times, oh woah
Why can’t you, why can’t you just let me go?”

Besides strong, passionate vocals (“I tasted Heaven, now I can’t live without it / I can’t forget you and your love is the loudest”), Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa get sweet production work courtesy of 🎙 The Monsters & Strangerz and 🎙 watt.  That’s an elite production team right there!

Final Thoughts 💭 

As previously stated, the trajectory for Miley Cyrus is on the up and up. “Prisoner” is another fantastic single where both Cyrus and Dua Lip ‘do the damn thing.’  Add passionate lyrics, a minor key, and excellent production by The Monsters & Strangerz and watt, and this brief, Plastic Hearts advance is quite sublime.

🎙 Miley Cyrus • 💿 Plastic Hearts • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 11.27.20

[📷: RCA]