The term “ex-act” in the title refers to what Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande and Miley herself are commonly referred to as, of course, calling back to their days on Disney and Nickelodeon. While all four of these ladies, as well as the Jonas Brothers, have far surpassed the expectations set for them by those networks in terms of overall success, Miley has, in 2017 alone, snuck out in front of that pack and has cemented herself as one of pop music’s most valuable assets.

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When you watched her on Hannah Montana, there was no doubt that Miley, born Destiny Hope, was a natural entertainer. A rich, powerful voice, effortless comedic timing, an infectious personality…..the whole package really. Her dad, country superstar Billy Ray Cyrus, saw that in her at an early age and helped groom her so that by the time she was a teenager, she was ready.

Hannah Montana was a cultural smash, and absolutely launched Miley into the stratosphere. A few years into the run and she was headlining arenas all over the country promoting her “Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus” record: a two disc set of material from the show as well as her real-life ventures. The “Meet Miley Cyrus” portion included the bubble-gum pop girls anthem “GNO” as well as the beautifully penned “I Miss You”, showing, even then, the wide spectrum of her ability.

As time passed, she would have massive success with solo smashes such as “7 Things”, “Breakout”, “Can’t Be Tamed” and of course “Party In The USA”. “Can’t Be Tamed” was her first deviation from the Disney image, and soon, she would go through the same spurt of negative publicity that Justin Bieber and so many other young stars go through during their peak years. She had been under the watchful eye of Disney for so long, and maintaining her squeaky-clean image was no longer top priority.

She’d embark on two solo tours during the Montana years; the Wonder World Tour and the Gypsy Heart Tour. During these shows, we saw the early signs of an old soul rising out of the body of a teenager, as she performed covers of Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”, to name a few. These covers would be the seed of one of the most prolific layers of the pop stars repertoire and persona.

Hannah Montana ended in 2011, and by 2013, we saw a whole new side of the former Disney cash cow. Her lead single off of “Bangerz” called “We Can’t Stop”, as well as the music video, was released, and there was no question that she fully intended on shedding every bit of that Disney image. The song itself isn’t enough to justify the transformation, but the video and her subsequent run of live performances definitely spoke volumes. She, of course, had the infamous VMA performance of “Blurred Lines” with Robin Thicke, which was looked at with disgust by many who thought she had a responsibility to be a role model, when those days were far behind her.

While “Bangerz” was a new hip/hop influenced sound for her, with songs like “Wrecking Ball”, “4×4” and “Adore”, it was clear her artistry was not lost. “Wrecking Ball”, her first Billboard #1, will forever be one of the most profound moments of her career. In 2015 we got her “Dead Petz” collaboration album with The Flaming Lips; another controversial project, but one that has been since looked at with a sense of “Oh, we missed out on this”, which I think we are absolutely guilty. It’s a long, muddled, confusing mess of a project but one that has bits and pieces of absolute greatness and full awareness of what it is.

Throughout the years, even during her perceived crazy, Cyrus has used her monumental celebrity for good. During her Bangerz phase, she unveiled the Happy Hippie Foundation; a non-profit working to “fight injustice” for those in the LGBTQ+ community, and has done an outstanding job of elevating that platform and being a champion for those who don’t have a voice. Also, she, like Katy Perry and so many others, attempted to rally Hillary Clinton to office in the 2016 Presidential election, but of course, ultimately failed to do so. Her image during the Bangerz years made it hard for some to take her seriously as a philanthropist and political activist, but there were those who knew that underneath that hardened, bad-girl persona was a country girl who wants nothing more then to give back and see good in the world.

Fast forward to present time. “Malibu” is released on May 11th as the lead single of her latest studio release “Younger Now”. The song, inspired by living in Malibu with fiancé Liam Hemsworth, is a complete transition back to her pop/country roots after years of experimenting with the electronic/hip-hop sound that dominated her last two records. It’s simple, bright, folky and really, the sound of someone rejuvenated by a change of scenery and love itself.

“Malibu” is as effortlessly pop/country as a song can be, but of course, the gift to be able to procure a song like that is almost a given when you’ve spent your entire life living with Dolly Parton as your godmother. She features on the song “Rainbowland” off Miley’s record, and to no one’s surprise, their work together is stellar. Miley’s been covering Parton’s iconic track “Jolene” for basically her entire career, both with and without the legend, but the fact that Miley can hold her own with her is an incredible feat.

You can argue that Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato, both of whom have notably covered the music of legends like Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin to perfection, are the closest things we have to that diva, balladeer type of performer who brings the house down with powerhouse vocals and their presence as a performer. Both of their voices are undeniable, and their careers will sustain long after many others have fizzled out. While Miley will never emulate that of Mariah Carey or Etta James, at least vocally, there’s just something about her that’s just…..classic.

On the SNL 40 special back in early 2015, she was one of only four performers that night. She was among a who’s who of SNL history, along with Paul McCartney, Paul Simon and Kanye West. She performed a cover of Paul Simon’s “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”, and made waves. It was gritty, it was old-school, and for many, it was a side of her they’d never seen. Of course, she had performed that song, as well as many others, such as “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (a duet with Grande) by Crowded House and “Happy Together” by The Turtles, on her “Backyard Sessions” series on YouTube. It showed this mature, enigmatic, autotune, filter and flash-and-bang free version of the star, and really, the style worked for her better then anything she had done previously. As did her reimagined cover of The Beatles classic “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” with The Flaming Lips. Most don’t touch The Beatles, let alone of their most iconic and game-changing songs, but the pairing was magic. She was just born with the gift to sing that type of music….to encompass the feeling, the grit and the edge of that music. Not many can do it. Even Billy Joel was impressed….when Miley made a surprise appearance at Joel’s Madison Square Garden show to perform the intricate jazz-infused power ballad “New York State Of Mind”, he exclaimed “That girl can SANG!”.

“Younger Now”, the record, features a number of songs that match this old-school style. The two she performed on SNL this past weekend “Bad Mood” and “I Would Die For You”, as well as “Miss You So Much” are perfect representatives of the mixture of classic and modern that has become her staple. “Bad Mood”, by far my favorite on the record, is something I feel like I haven’t heard in pop music in a long time. It’s a slow-burning juggernaut of a track with a foot-stomping groove and such deep resonance and power. On SNL, she commanded the legendary stage, jumping octaves and growling her way through the performance, showing the stretch of her range. Her vocal had such rich character, a punch to the gut in some places. Scratchy, on-the-nose notes at some points that appeared a struggle were hit with such clarity, almost as if she floated right on it, in others, her vocal expertise apparent. I watched in awe. She looked and sounded absolutely stunning, and it was like watching a masterclass. She’s still so young, but performances like that really help to cement her as the old-soul mainstay of pop music.

Besides her vocal and musical transformation, her leadership role in the industry has taken on a new role. She performed at the One Love Manchester benefit over the summer, stepping up and speaking out about love and healing. As corny as it was, her twirling Ariana Grande around during “Don’t Dream It’s Over” was a sweet gesture, almost as if to hold Ariana up after the traumatic week she endured and say “I got you girl. Let’s do this together.” Then, after the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas in September, she appeared on Jimmy Fallon to perform her staple, a song many thought she had put to bed years ago, “The Climb”. In the face of all that heartache and pain, she tried to do what she could to lift all of us up with those ever-so-necessary lyrics; “Ain’t about how fast I get there. Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side, it’s the climb. Keep on moving, keep climbing, keep the faith.”

While “Younger Now” may not have been as well-received as was intended, the overall takeaway, at least for me, was that this is an artist who is, at this stage of her career, versatile enough to play the role of the pop star with the undeniable throwback vibe that I think music is lacking right now (she opted to perform a Nancy Sinatra cover on Fallon during her album release week over the YN cuts….does that not say it all?). Demi’s record, “Tell Me You Love Me” did not advance her artistry any further, and Grande may be her on her tail….another record as good as “Dangerous Woman” will leave no doubt that she is the undisputed queen of modern pop, but for right now, Miley stands tall. I think the results of the election shocked her back to herself, and it allowed her to reach a happy medium between the outspoken, “IDGAF” side of her Bangerz years and the wholesome, naturally talented girl the world fell in love with in 2006. She’s had longevity, and now, as a coach on The Voice, she’s helping to groom the next generation of artists. With over a decade under her belt already, Miley Cyrus is on her way to legendary status, and she will reach it far before any of her contemporaries. I am sure of that.