The Hardest Part
Studio album by
Noah Cyrus
ReleasedSeptember 16, 2022 (2022-09-16)
Genre
Length33:46
Label
Producer
Noah Cyrus chronology
People Don't Change
(2021)		 The Hardest Part
(2022)
Singles from The Hardest Part
  1. "I Burned LA Down"
    Released: April 8, 2022
  2. "Mr. Percocet"
    Released: May 13, 2022
  3. "Ready to Go"
    Released: June 23, 2022
  4. "Every Beginning Ends"
    Released: August 26, 2022
  5. "I Just Want a Lover"
    Released: September 16, 2022
  6. "Noah (Stand Still)"
    Released: September 22, 2022

The Hardest Part is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Noah Cyrus. It was released on September 16, 2022, by Records, LLC and Columbia Records.[3] It was preceded by the singles "I Burned LA Down", "Mr. Percocet", "Ready to Go" and "Every Beginning Ends".

Background

The Hardest Part was developed with producer Mike Crossey, known for his collaborations with The 1975, Wolf Alice and Arctic Monkeys. On working with him Cyrus said "I found a safe place to make music with people I love and trust. The process was really healing for me. For the first time, I'm revealing my complete and honest truth."[4]

Promotion

The album's lead single "I Burned LA Down" was released on April 8, 2022, alongside a music video and the announcement that the album would be released on July 15, 2022. The song is a country pop and indie folk[5] ballad that contrasts the heartache of a breakup with the dread around California wildfire season and climate change. The song was accompanied by an "apocalyptic" music video that sees Cyrus standing "statuesque" as flames surround her.[6] She performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on April 20, 2022.[5]

"Mr. Percocet" was released as second single from the album on May 13, 2022, alongside music video. The country pop ballad about a toxic relationship impacted by substance abuse. In a Twitter thread, Cyrus expanded that she began using prescription drugs like xanax and percocet in 2018 and developed an addiction, exacerbated by the stress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, though she eventually quit in December 2020.[7]

On June 24, 2022 Cyrus released "Ready to Go" as the album's third single. Describing it as a "cousin" to her 2019 song "July" due to their thematic similarities, saying "they're about different people, entirely different storylines, and each brings up different memories and emotions" and that "In a way, I see a lot of growth in myself from who I was then and who I am now, but at the same time it's still impossible for me to walk away from people I love, even when it's harmful to myself." The single was accompanied by the announcement that the release date of The Hardest Part had been delayed to September 16, 2022.[3]

On August 26, Cyrus released "Every Beginning Ends", featuring Benjamin Gibbard as a surprise single.

In promotion of the album, Cyrus will embark on her first ever world tour, starting in August 2022.[8][9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic88/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
American Songwriter[11]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[12]
Rolling StonePositive[13]
Sputnikmusic4.4/5[14]
The Telegraph[15]
VarietyPositive[16]

The Hardest Part was met with widespread critical acclaim from music critics after its release. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized score out of 100 to ratings from publications, the album received a score of 88, indicating "universal acclaim".[10]

Maura Johnson of Rolling Stone wrote "A compact yet emotionally resonant collection of Laurel Canyon-recalling pop from the youngest member of the Cyrus clan. Channeling Cyrus' recent travails, which include the death of her grandmother, her parents’ romantic problems, and her own addiction to and recovery from Xanax, The Hardest Part is unflinching yet tender".[17] Laura Freyaldenhoven of The Line of Best Fit stated that the album exceeded expectations, and wrote "With its attention to detail and exceptional vocal delivery, The Hardest Part is a debut for the ages. An album that is both culturally relevant and sonically refined to the point of timelessness. If Cyrus can make pain sound this beautiful, her take on love must be otherworldly".[18] Jemm Aswad of Variety wrote "With 10 songs over just 33 minutes, it's a wide-ranging, emotional ride that leaves the listener wanting more. Almost six years after the release of her debut single, we get the feeling that Cyrus' career really starts here".[19]

Track listing

The Hardest Part track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Noah (Stand Still)"
Mike Crossey3:55
2."Ready to Go"
  • Cyrus
  • Harding
  • Victoria Zaro
  • Britten Newbill
  • Crossey
  • Luke Milano
  • Jeff Baranowski
  • Thomas Schlieter
3:07
3."Mr. Percocet"
  • Crossey
  • Evigan
  • Lionel Crasta
  • Mark Schick
3:13
4."Every Beginning Ends" (featuring Benjamin Gibbard)
Crossey2:30
5."Hardest Part"
Crossey3:43
6."I Just Want a Lover"
  • English
  • Crossey[c]
3:21
7."Unfinished"
3:53
8."My Side of the Bed"
  • Cyrus
  • Harding
  • Crossey
  • Crossey
  • PJ Harding[c]
3:06
9."I Burned LA Down"
  • Cyrus
  • Harding
  • Crossey
  • Crossey
  • PJ Harding[m]
3:15
10."Loretta’s Song"
  • Cyrus
  • Harding
  • Crossey
  • Crossey
  • PJ Harding[c]
3:41
Total length:33:46

Notes

  • ^[c] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[m] signifies a miscellaneous producer

Personnel

Musicians

  • Noah Cyrus – lead vocals, background vocals (all tracks); percussion (1, 6, 9), piano (1), synthesizer (1, 3, 6, 8)
  • PJ Harding – acoustic guitar (1, 10), background vocals (8–10), piano (8)
  • Stephen Sesso – acoustic guitar (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10), banjo (1, 2, 7, 10), electric guitar (3–7, 9), percussion (3), keyboards (4), bass guitar (7, 10)
  • Mike Crossey – bass guitar (1, 3, 7, 9), programming (1, 2, 4, 5, 7–10), percussion (6), keyboards (7)
  • Elias Mallin – drums (1, 3, 5–7, 10), percussion (2, 6)
  • Jesse Olema – fiddle (1, 5, 9, 10)
  • Ross Garren – harmonica (1, 5, 10)
  • Drew Taubenfeld – pedal steel guitar (1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10), organ (10)
  • Mookie Singerman – percussion (1)
  • Tommy English – acoustic guitar, keyboards, piano (2, 6); percussion (2); bass guitar, drums, synthesizer (6)
  • Rob Moose – strings (2, 6)
  • Jake Serek – bass guitar (2, 6)
  • Jason Evigan – acoustic guitar, background vocals, bass guitar, drums, keyboards (3)
  • Lionel Crasta – drums, keyboards, strings (3)
  • Mark Schick – drums, electric guitar (3)
  • Taylor Johnson – electric guitar, pedal steel guitar (3)
  • Benjamin Gibbard – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals, bass guitar, drums, percussion, piano, programming (4)
  • Andy D. Park – keyboards (4)
  • CJ Camerieri – horn (5)
  • Mike Lewis – saxophone (5)
  • LP – background vocals (6)
  • Nate Campany – piano (6)
  • Nolan Frank – piano (8)
  • Chris Bond – drums, percussion (9)

Technical

  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Mike Crossey – mixing
  • Stephen Sesso – engineering
  • Lionel Crasta – engineering (3)
  • Jason Evigan – engineering (3)
  • Rafael Fadul – engineering (3)
  • Taylor Johnson – engineering (3)
  • Andy D. Park – engineering (4)
  • Matt Salamone – engineering (6)

Charts

Chart performance for The Hardest Part
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[20] 31
Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA)[20] 8
UK Country Albums (OCC)[21] 4
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[22] 50
UK Americana Albums (OCC)[23] 5
US Current Album Sales (Billboard)[24] 92
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[25] 13

References

  1. ↑ Freyaldenhoven, Laura (September 13, 2022). "A long time in the making, Noah Cyrus exceeds expectations with debut album The Hardest Part". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  2. ↑ Johnston, Maura (September 14, 2022). "Noah Cyrus Finds Her Own Voice". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Lopez, Julyssa (June 23, 2022). "Noah Cyrus Can't Walk Away From Love on Tender Ballad 'Ready To Go'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  4. ↑ Lopez, Julyssa (April 8, 2022). "Noah Cyrus Announces Her Long-Awaited Debut Album With Crushing Single 'I Burned LA Down'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Bouza, Kat (April 21, 2022). "Noah Cyrus Previews Her Debut LP With 'I Burned LA Down' on 'Kimmel'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  6. ↑ McCafferty, Kenna (April 8, 2022). "Noah Cyrus on Her 'I Burned LA Down' Music Video". Paper. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  7. ↑ Blistein, Jon (May 13, 2022). "Noah Cyrus Opens Up About a Toxic Relationship on New Song 'Mr. Percocet'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  8. ↑ Singh, Surej (April 12, 2022). "Noah Cyrus announces debut album 'The Hardest Part' with new single, 'I Burned LA Down'". NME. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  9. ↑ Blistein, Jon (May 13, 2022). "Noah Cyrus Opens Up About a Toxic Relationship on New Song 'Mr. Percocet'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  10. 1 2 "The Hardest Part by Noah Cyrus Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  11. ↑ Walthall, Catherine (September 13, 2022). "Review: The Easiest Album to Fall in Love With is 'The Hardest Part' by Noah Cyrus". American Songwriter. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  12. ↑ Freyaldenhoven, Laura. "Noah Cyrus: The Hardest Part review - debut album exceeds expectations". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  13. ↑ Johnston, Maura (September 14, 2022). "Noah Cyrus Finds Her Own Voice". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Review: Noah Cyrus - The Hardest Part". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  15. ↑ Nicholls, Amanda (September 16, 2022). "Marcus Mumford confronts his demons, Rina Sawayama is Dr Frankenstein - the week's best albums". The Telegraph. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  16. ↑ Aswad, Jem (September 16, 2022). "Noah Cyrus Truly Finds Her Voice on 'The Hardest Part': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  17. ↑ Johnston, Maura (September 14, 2022). "Noah Cyrus Finds Her Own Voice". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  18. ↑ Freyaldenhoven, Laura. "Noah Cyrus: The Hardest Part review - debut album exceeds expectations". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  19. ↑ Aswad, Jem (September 16, 2022). "Noah Cyrus Truly Finds Her Voice on 'The Hardest Part': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  20. 1 2 "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 26 September 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1699. Australian Recording Industry Association. September 26, 2022. pp. 10, 24.
  21. ↑ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Noah Cyrus Chart History (Current Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  25. ↑ "{{{artist}}} Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
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