I was actually rooting for Noah Cyrus to succeed. As someone who openly was kinda into Bangerz, and really likes country, I’ve been fairly okay with the music Miley Cyrus has been making lately, and well, pretty much ever since I heard “Party In The USA,” even if I think her to dip in and out of hip-hop culture whenever it suits her is entirely wack.
So, against the odds, I was down to support her sister, whose one-night-stand-praising single “Stay Together” came on Apple Music pop radio while I was running, and won me over. Then, came “Again,” her brand new single/video that features Noah dancing mournfully in a graveyard about a breakup — again, fine. Except, toward the tail end of the song, the autotuned synth of an XXXTentacion feature comes warbling through, even if he doesn’t show up in the clip at all. And just… what?
Even if, as a new pop star, Noah wants to tack on a rap feature, did she really decide to go with the guy who has pages of horrific abuse allegations detailed against him? Did that feel like the right choice for an emerging artist with no real proven track record? While it’s unlikely that Noah herself read what this girl has allegedly gone through at the hands of the dude singing the warbly love parts of her duet, surely someone on her team is aware of this.
Rappers who abuse women don’t deserve your support. Period. As a powerful, rich white woman who is just entering the industry, Noah has the chance to help finally change the culture that enables men to continue abusing with no consequences. Unlike her sister, she should try to stand for something, instead of just appropriating hip-hop however it suits her for her own gain.
