The Little Cyrus
You all probably remember Trace “Shake It” Cyrus from 2008, Miley Cyrus’ older brother and lead singer for American pop band “Metro Station,” but you might have forgotten about little Noah, Miley Cyrus’ 16-year-old sister, who is not so little anymore and has recently released a single with great vibes called “Make Me (Cry).” The baby Cyrus has always been in the shadows of her older siblings, but with the release of this single, she is hoping to separate herself from her brother and sister’s fame with her own singing career. While she was in the spotlight during the 2008 release of “Ponyo,” a trippy and confusing animated children’s film starring Noah as the “princess fish,” she dropped out of stardom since. Eight years later, she is in the public eye again for the first time.
Rumors formed and quickly disappeared in 2015 that Noah signed a record deal with Barry Weiss who owns RECORDS label. Now, almost a year later, she is trying to come back into the spotlight after such a long hiatus. While there is still no album, Noah surprised the music industry along with many of her older sister Miley’s fans with her amazing first single, “Make Me.”
“Make Me” featuring Labrinth, a British singer-songwriter and rapper, contains goosebump-inducing vocals and electric backgrounds, which create a soothing alt quality. Even if this song were stripped of any lyrics or vocals, the electronic beat that enters in the middle of the song is enough to keep you vibing. It might also be easy to forget that Noah is only sixteen when you watch the sultry music video. The video features Noah with a natural makeup look in bed next to a sleeping shirtless boy (scandalous) and Labrinth in another scene also in bed with a woman. It’s a mature theme for Miley’s younger sister, but she pulls it off without making you feel as uncomfortable as Miley in Vanity Fair at age 15. She has a mature persona that doesn’t feel like you’re watching a floundering high schooler who probably can’t drive a car yet perform.
Though Noah is only sixteen, she produces a sound almost the same as Miley’s soulful and deeply touching voice (ahem, Jolene collab with Dolly Parton). We’re not sure if this is the sort of compliment the younger sister is looking for, though. It seems that almost all of the comments on the YouTube video are comparing her to older sister Miley rather than solely focusing on Noah’s talent. With a sister who makes an entrance swinging on a wrecking ball, Noah will have a difficult time escaping her shadow.
Noah’s single was debuted on Billboard in early November and was full of swooning comments about her surprisingly soulful and mature voice. Billboard agreed that the single was a nice contrast to the usual bubblegum pop singles that most new artists drop, especially since this is just the beginning of Noah’s career.
While Noah has only released this single pop ballad, it says a lot about her potential. Her voice is stunning, and when combined with the raspy richness of Labrinth’s voice, the song creates a delectable auditory experience. We can’t wait to see what’s to come from Noah. Maybe a Miley-Noah mashup? How amazing would that be? Only the future can tell what’s to come, but we hope she can distinguish herself in some way from her sister’s legacy. Will her album feature some mainstream bubblegum pop or will she stick with her sultry electro-ballad aesthetic? Let’s hope for the latter.