Miley Cyrus’s Bangerz Tour stop on March 24 was definitely not a Nashville party. The show kicked off with Swedish duo Icona Pop, who were surprisingly both passionate and electrifying. The duo, comprised of Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo, performed songs with infectious dance beats that had the crowd dancing. They displayed their vocal ability in their new single “Just Another Night,” but by far the highlight was when they performed their hit “I Love It” for the riveted crowd.
That aside, nothing could have prepared the crowd for what Miley was about to put forth. The singer literally slid into the Amway Center on a giant slide modelled after her own tongue and brought no shortage of the bawdy antics we’ve come to expect from her.
The show was raunchy, yes, but terrible? Not at all. Cyrus is excellent at what she does—namely, entertaining. Between the huge stage props, flashing strobe lights and intricate costumes, there was always something for the crowd to be dazzled with.
And dazzled they were. Cyrus excellently incorporated the crowd with Disney-themed one-liners (accurately describing the night’s entertainment as “a little different from the one at Disney World”) and even a kiss cam during the ballad “Adore You.”
We need to get one thing straight—she can sing and really well at that. Some of the numbers were clubbish and outrageous, especially when coupled with the bizarre antics occurring on the stage (Miley riding a gold car during “Love Money Party”, or thrashing around in a pool of money in “Do My Thang”), but on the songs that actually showcased her vocals, Miley shined. This occurred mainly during a vocally stripped-down performance on the mini-stage in the back where Cyrus covered “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” (Bob Dylan), “Summertime Sadness” (Lana Del Rey), “The Scientist” (Coldplay) and “Jolene” (the singer’s godmother Dolly Parton).
Miley put on a completely different show from the last time she graced the stage at Amway for her Best of Both Worlds Tour in 2008. There were no blonde wigs and definitely no mention of the singer’s pop star altar ego Hannah Montana. Still, Cyrus paid homage to her country roots throughout the night with denim outfits, sparkly cowboy boots and hyped-up square dancing.
While the whole thing was a bit over-the-top and sometimes ranging on ridiculous, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the audience who didn’t have a good time.
