Miley Cyrus is fast becoming the voice of her generation for Bob Dylan’s legacy. She performed a moving version of his song “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” on Jimmy Kimmel last night. Go figure.
Cyrus, 19, is one of a number of artists who cover Dylan songs on Amnesty International’s benefit compilation Chimes of Freedom.
While the four-disc set includes such artists as Adele, Ke$ha, My Chemical Romance, The Gaslight Anthem, Pete Townshend and Seal, the former Hannah Montana star seems to have become the most visible artists on the album and the voice of her generation for Dylan.
Miley conveyed a lot of soulful emotion when she sang the song with only acoustic accompaniment by guitarist Johnzo West. She sings with a mild country twang that adds an additional measure of earthiness and authenticity.
Cyrus’s antics with penis cakes and pot-smoking and her tilt into screaming rock and roll concerts, tend to obscure the fact that she can not only carry a tune, but can evoke genuine feelings with her singing.
She also looked amazingly hot in a simple midriff baring, short-sleeve top and jeans. Her new, shorter hairdo also gave her a sexier, more sophisticated look.
Cyrus seems hell-bent on becoming a “rock star,” but her Kimmel performance shows she’s a solid, versatile performer and far more than a petulant flash-in-the-pan that her critics claim her to be.
Given her embrace of social causes like gay rights and financial justice, she may yet become a leading voice of her generation. Check out her song below: