Say what you want to about Miley Cyrus, that is a good song. I might go as far as to say that its a great song. That performance also looks legit to me. The snot running down her nose is what does it for me. In terms of authenticity, that is. I’ve never been terribly attracted to mucus for its own sake. But the thing is, plenty of people have been attracted to Miley Cyrus for all sorts of reasons and for all sorts of years. We tend to celebrate Jim Morrison’s exposing himself in Miami as some sort of artistic statement, so why do we not give Miley the same credit as an artist. She seems to have earned it.
Speaking of earning it, let us talk about Kanye. It seems as if he has become the favorite butt of our cultural joke for his relationship with Kim Kardashian and their choice of a baby name. And I don’t understand the baby name, but I do understand that there is a strand of social critique in hip-hop that has been present since Public Enemy, was taken up by Tupac Shakur, and is most deftly handled today by Kanye West. The very fact that he can incorporate a sample from a Nina Simone cover of a Billie Holliday into a hip-hop track as artfully as he does should dispel any serious critic from discounting his talent.
This song is challenging sonically in the way that John Coltrane’s music is challenging, and the language is challenging for many people’s ears. But if you are up for being challenged, the track is worth your time.