Growing up with Miley Cyrus during the Hannah Montana days on Disney Channel makes listening to a new Miley album feel a little surreal. I’ve literally watched her grow up alongside me, so there’s something really special about being able to experience her music now as an adult and hear how much she’s evolved. Bass Persuades definitely isn’t the Miley I grew up with, and that’s exactly what makes this era interesting to me. There’s a much more mature, romantic and intimate side to her here. I love hearing Miley lean into love, relationships and vulnerability while still keeping that raspy voice and personality that have always made her so recognizable. “REDLIGHTS,” “Different Religion,” “Innocent Ways,” and the title track were some of the songs that stood out to me most. I especially appreciate when Miley gets a little more experimental with the production because it reminds me that she’s never been an artist who wants to stay in one musical box. At the same time, I can understand why some people might find the album less adventurous than Something Beautiful. For me, though, I don’t necessarily need Miley to reinvent herself every time. Sometimes it’s nice to hear an artist you’ve known for most of your life simply settle into where they are now. From watching Hannah Montana after school to listening to Miley make music about adulthood, love and life in her 30s, this album feels like another chapter in an artist whose career I’ve been able to grow up alongside. Miley has come a long way from “The Climb,” and honestly, I kind of love being able to say I was there for the whole journey.