Post #4: "Wake Up America" by Miley Cyrus (2008)

     Aside from my mind being completely contaminated with the mediocre vocals and poorly assembled lyrics (which were so obviously not written by Miley herself; or maybe they were, which says even more about her skills as a songwriter), this song was...great.  But the purpose of this blog is not to criticize pop stars, but to constructively critique their attempts (however half-hearted) at producing political music.  I suppose you may be able to tell from my tone thus far the level of respect I have for Miley Cyrus as a person and artist, but I will attempt to keep it strictly business-like henceforth. 
     The message of the song is actually a really good one; she isn't pursuing any controversial issues nor aligning herself with a particular group or party, but then, that's just the problem.  I like how it is essentially a message to the youth of America to become more aware of how their actions can affect others and, possibly, even the planet.  It has a catchy tune and beat.  But I seriously cannot stand when pop stars and celebrities feel, at some point in their career, that it is their duty to dip their toes in the political waters for a few seconds, make a few ripples, and then yank them back out for years or even a lifetime.  It seems to be more of a marketing strategy than anything else, to me.  "Hey look, I must be a really good person because I have a cause to sing about.  You should buy my albums!"  Granted, none of them actually say this, but most of the time, these momentary commentators on political issues leave the scene after completing one or two stints, never to return.  I think I respect groups who devote their entire image to political activity, or at least a large part of their time and music, to important issues much more than those that follow the Hollywood trend of "showing up at the party" just to receive the publicity that follows.