Miley drops 'Cyrus' and the internet has a lot of feelings about it
Her 10th album drops September 18. Her last name is already gone. And her dad says it's fine - really.
In brief
Miley drops 'Cyrus' and the internet has a lot of feelings about it
She bought a wrap-around cover of the Los Angeles Times with just her face and one word on it: Miley. That was August 31. By September 1, the album was official. By September 3, the single and music video were out. In the span of five days, the artist formerly known as Miley Cyrus executed one of the cleaner pop rollouts of the year - and set off a family drama nobody saw coming.
According to Variety, 'Bass Persuades' drops September 18 via Atlantic Records, and the 10-track album features guest spots from Model/Actriz and Miike Snow's Andrew Wyatt. Miley will also make a rare return to the stage with a two-night stint at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on October 16 and 18. Her own fan presale begins September 9 at 10 a.m. PT, with a Spotify reserved option for top fans, and general on-sale starting September 10.
The Grammy-winning singer released her new single, 'Bass Persuades,' on Thursday, September 3, along with an official music video directed by Mert Alas - the first single from the upcoming album of the same name. ABC News reports that a Neon Version vinyl featuring an exclusive cover is already available for preorder through her online store.
One name, a lot of subtext
The rebrand is the part everyone's arguing about. Stereogum noted that Miley Cyrus, one of her generation's defining pop stars, has dropped 'Cyrus' from her name - a move that feels like an implicit rebuke of her father, troubled country star Billy Ray Cyrus, though she hasn't said anything about that directly. Variety reports that her announcement fueled the rumor mill about alleged ongoing tensions between the pop star and her father.
Billy Ray moved fast to stamp that out. According to Billy Ray, Miley notified him about the name change in advance and he had nothing but support for his Grammy-winning daughter. E! Online published his response in full: 'Family means more than ever now,' Billy Ray wrote in a September 2 Instagram post. 'I always called my little girl Miley.' He then name-dropped Dolly, Cher, Elvis, and Prince as one-name predecessors, calling it 'a natural progression for an iconic superstar legend.'
The Dolly reference hit different. Her label said the album signals a new chapter in which Miley will honor the influence of her godmother, Dolly Parton, who passed away at 80 on August 25. Rolling Stone reported that following Parton's death, Cyrus shared a tribute and said one of their 'last conversations was about music and metamorphosis,' adding that 'our most sacred moments were private and they'll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour and between our hearts.'
The album itself: synth-pop, love stories, ten tracks
Rolling Stone described the teaser trailer as full of mysteries - she's playing a Fender Stratocaster rather than a bass, no guitar is audible, and the sound is synth-driven dance music. Cyrus has described the record as reflective of her relationship with fiancé Maxx Morando, while also exploring themes of self-love - a 'love story' with multiple layers and a 'romantic thread' running throughout.
'Bass Persuades' is her upcoming tenth studio album, scheduled for September 18, 2026, through Atlantic Records, following her ninth studio album, 'Something Beautiful,' from 2025. In June 2025, shortly after finishing 'Something Beautiful,' Cyrus revealed she had already selected twelve songs for the follow-up, attributing her pace to frustration with lengthy album rollouts. The final cut trimmed that to ten.
Deadline notes that the Hollywood Bowl dates are October 16 and 18, and she's expected to perform the new album in its entirety. The shows will be her first full concerts in the U.S. since 2021. Tickets go to general sale September 10.
Meanwhile, she teased the album announcement by purchasing a wrap-around cover of the Los Angeles Times featuring just her first name and her face, and by updating her website with the same image. Low key, except for, you know, buying an entire newspaper cover.
Billy Ray, for his part, got in one good joke at his own expense. E! Online reports he wrote: 'Now...if only Mercury / Polygram would have just not insisted on the "Billy Ray" part and just let me be CYRUS...I could have done something!!!'
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
