Miley overshadows ‘Hannah’ with new album

Hollywood Records A&R executive Jon Lind, who worked with Miley on the “Hannah Montana/Meet Miley Cyrus” album, says such scrutiny is just a part of today’s tabloid world.

“I don’t think she’s really done anything scathingly wrong, but I think there’s a lot of people selling a lot of magazines following her around, making her into the next somebody, and I don’t think that’s fair — she’s not the next anybody as far as I can see,” he says.

He adds that he’s seen a significant growth in Miley in just the past year: “The difference between being a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old in any tween or teenager’s life is an extraordinary amount — it’s like dog years.”

Much of that growth is reflected on her new CD. While she co-wrote a majority of the songs on the “Meet Miley Cyrus” half of the last record, on “Breakout,” her songs have a weightier tone, discussing the environment, breakups and relationships.

“She always reached the adult audience, because she always reached moms. It’s just in a way that radio finally started to acknowledge,” says Sean Ross of Edison Media Research, which tracks the radio industry. “‘7 Things,’ ... has a little bit of an Avril Lavigne-thing going; it sounds like an adult record.”

“There are lots of people who wouldn’t necessarily wanna buy or listen to a ‘Hannah Montana’ record because of their predisposition to the Disney television character,” says Lind. “But if you listen to this record as an artist, the quality of her voice, the quality of her writing, and the quality of the production, I hope, as she does, that it will be taken seriously by (an) older music audience.”

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“I hope I get respected a little bit more as a writer,” says Miley. “I want them to respect me and know that I have a lot to say, I have a lot for the world to know and take away from what my life experiences have been.”

She’s also hoping to show more of those life experiences in her acting. She’s like to do some independent films and play gritty characters: “I do wanna, like, showcase a little more of what I can do, and also some different situations ... I would like to do something that was a little more deep.”

She’s even hoping to add a little bit more of an edge to “Hannah” next season.

“There’s some things that I want to reinvent with her look, and not make it all sparkles and butterflies, you know? Some stars, and some black rock ’n’ roll stuff,” she says. “I did want it to grow up a little bit.”

But lest anyone fear that she’s growing up a bit too much, she’s quick to point out that’s she hasn’t grown out of “Hannah.”

“I probably won’t tour again as a ‘Hannah Montana’ tour ... I’m kind of past that stuff. But I definitely wanna keep doing my show. I love doing (it) and I wouldn’t wanna give it up quite yet.”

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