If you’ve listened to the radio lately or watched the recently televised Video Music Awards, you’ll know that ex-Disney star Miley Cyrus has been making quite a stir in pop-culture as of late. It all started when she adopted a fierce, bleached blonde pixie cut in an attempt to break away from her former “teeny bopper” image and ever since Cyrus has been making grander and grander statements to inform the public that she truly is Disney-no-more. Recently, the premiere of a racy music video for her new single “We Can’t Stop” shocked more than a few—with a scantily clad Cyrus, randomly placed taxidermy and an abundance of “twerking,” the video makes it clear that the pop star has definitely left the realm of Hannah Montana.
This past week, on Sept. 9, Cyrus premiered a new music video for the single “Wrecking Ball,” a song she says was inspired by her somewhat rocky relationship with fiancé Liam Hemsworth (actor, “The Hunger Games”). The video opens on a close up of Cyrus, tears clearly visible, as she sings the opening lines of the track. Lyrically, the first few seconds of the video are already miles ahead of “We Can’t Stop,” as the star sings “We clawed, we chained, our hearts in vain/ We jumped, never asking why/ We kissed, I fell under your spell/ A love no one could deny.” From this moment alone it becomes clear that the new single holds far more emotional depth than the other singles released from Cyrus’ highly anticipated album “Bangerz.”
The video then continues with a montage of the star dragging around a sledgehammer, dramatically strutting as walls crash down around her. But then, the tone of the video changes, as Cyrus is seen sitting on a wrecking ball as it swings around, first clothed, but then fully naked. She is also featured kissing the sledgehammer and laying across the rubble suggestively, adding clear sexual undertones to the video.
Though it is possible to see the symbolism behind Cyrus’ nudity, her nakedness comes off more as an unnecessary shock factor than as an embodiment of her vulnerability. The sequences in which she kisses and fondles the sledgehammer seem superfluous as well and overall cheapen the raw emotional nature of the song. In fact, the most vulnerable parts of the video feature Cyrus singing straight into the camera. In these moments, she cries, screams and looks the viewer square in the eye, producing an undeniable air of genuineness, especially when audiences consider the very real inspiration for the track.
It is true that the video for “Wrecking Ball” is slightly less disturbing and scandalous than its counterpart “We Can’t Stop,” but it’s also true that Cyrus has ignored an opportunity here to create something truly meaningful. The star clearly intended for the video to hold deep symbolic significance, but despite her intentions, she has created something intensely oversexualized instead. However, after breaking YouTube’s record for the most views in 24 hours with 19.3 million, I’d say overall, Cyrus got what she wanted. Attention.
