Noah Cyrus, the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, and sister of Miley Cyrus, released her debut single in 2016 entitled “Make Me (Cry)” featuring the artist Labrinth. This was a phenomenal way to begin her singing career, since it had a very different style from her family. In the years since Cyrus has gained a following of her own, as well as a nomination for “Best New Artist” at the 2021 Grammys.

Cyrus has had incredible growth throughout the years. Her style continues to change and her vocals continue to improve. Although she has released a couple of EPs Cyrus has never released an album, until this.

“The Hardest Part” is the debut album from Noah Cyrus and features a ton of personal tracks that also show her incredible transition from pop music to indie pop with a ton of folk inspiration.

This is a magnificent debut album that features a ton of varying styles that Noah has perfected through the years. It also features many undeniably catchy melodies and sensational instrumentals.

Although this album is heavily folk inspired, it still has Noah’s amazing pop presence. This is especially evident on “Mr. Percocet” and “I Just Want a Lover,” two of the standout tracks on this album.

These songs masterfully blend indie pop and folk music, which creates really unique atmospheric tracks filled with incredibly catchy choruses and sensational folk inspired beats, mixed with more modern production.

Noah Cyrus gets very vulnerable with the lyrics in this album. She is able to open on songs such as “Mr. Percocet,” “Noah (Stand Still), and “Loretta’s Song.” She talks about past drug use, horrible relationships she’s had in the past, advice her father told her, and her relationship with her grandmother who recently passed away. This is a very beautiful album that is made better by her incredibly personal lyrics.

Her vocals are also incredibly stellar. The growth in her vocals has been truly spectacular throughout the years. In previous tracks, her vocals sounded a bit rough and underdeveloped. However, she has found a genre that complements her vocals perfectly.

“Ready to Go” and “My Side of the Bed” are standout tracks vocally. In these two tracks Cyrus has very vulnerable vocals that are stunning. Her falsetto throughout the album is also angelic. The vulnerability in her vocals on “My Side of the Bed” make the song incredibly unique, and it stands out as one of the best songs on the album.

The biggest problem with this album is the repetitiveness of some tracks. Tracks like “Every Beginning Ends” featuring Death Cab for Cutie lead vocalist, Benjamin Gibbard, lack anything unique. The song lags a bit and sounds quite bland. Benjamin Gibbard also hurts this track with his rather mediocre vocals.

This problem can also be seen in “Loretta’s Song,” which although it is beautiful it lacks a ton of originality and sounds like any other folk song. The album is filled with a ton of personality, which is why it is such a shame that it can be so boring at times.

This is a fantastic debut album that truly shows Noah Cyrus’ potential. She has found a way to perfectly blend pop and folk to her liking. The lyricism and instrumentation in this album are quite remarkable.

It is clear that Cyrus along with writing partner PJ Harding did a fantastic job writing this album. It is incredibly catchy and the vulnerability is quite remarkable. Cyrus also shines with her vocals. She sounds better than ever.

It is clear Cyrus has improved lyrically and vocally throughout the years, and she has proven that she is yet another incredibly talented musician in the family. This album is definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 8/10

Reviewer’s Favorite Tracks: “Mr. Percocet,” “I Just Want a Lover,” and “My Side of the Bed”

Reviewers Least Favorite Tracks: “Every Beginning Ends” and “Loretta’s Song”

Jack Freiser is a third-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jef5614@psu.edu.