The Year of Miley Cyrus

Whether you like her, hate her, despise her, adore her, or simply don’t care, you know who Miley Cyrus is. At only twenty-one, Miley has made quite a name for herself, putting out an impressive album, releasing explicit music videos, and delivering gossip worthy performances. It’s no question why people are saying that 2013 was the year of Miley Cyrus. 

You’re either deaf or a lier if you think Miley isn’t talented. While she was one of the many Disney stars who had singer careers, Miley was one of the few who could actually sing. Her new album Bangerz was musically interesting, demonstrating several different music styles and techniques. She goes from modern pop with “Wrecking Ball” to late 90s pop with “#GETITRIGHT” to a jazzy feel with “FU.” I think the reason this record is so brilliant is because it pushes so many boundaries. This is so completely different from anything she’s ever released and therefor a huge risk. I believe it was a wise choice for her to not listen to what the audience “wanted,” and go with what she actually wanted to do. You’ll never be successful when you’re only goal is to please people. 

While Miley’s album didn’t get as much attention as I thought it deserved, her music videos made up for it. “We Can’t Stop” was in essence what started off her new image in the music industry. While a good chunk of the population didn’t find her decision to have a wild and crazy video, I thought it fit pretty well with the song. The song was about being young and with friends, and that’s exactly what the video entailed. Another video that wasn’t super accepted by the population with “Wrecking Ball” which happens to be one of my favorite music videos of all times. It was raw, it was artistic, and it was a risk. If some unknown indie artist had came out with that video, they would have probably gotten an award, but since Miley was a Disney Star, people thought it was inappropriate. *Insert eye roll here* Last but not least, a good chunk of people disliked her music video for “Adore You.” While this wasn’t my favorite music video, it really irritates me about the comments left for this music video on Youtube. People called her a “slut” and a “whore,” as well as calling her video “soft porn.” Seriously? That was her vision for her song, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to watch it.  

The only thing getting more talk than her music videos, are her performances. Do the VMA’s ring a bell? People seem to forget that the VMA’s are a place where artist are supposed to make a statement. Madonna, Britney Spears, Rihanna...have all had their fair share of racy performances. It confuses me when people complain about these performances when if the performances were all boring and safe, they would complain about that. People need to find something to appreciate in everything, not find something to hate. If Miley wants to get half naked and dance provocatively around the stage, you should appreciate her confidence. I mean, are you confident enough to do that? If people stopped being so judgmental and hateful they might actually get to enjoy something. 

My opinion of Miley Cyrus? I like her. She’s crazy and weird, and just does what she wants. I think she’s freakishly talented and I think she’s very good at her job. She knows how to get people to talk and she knows what can get her on the cover of magazines. She’s confident in who she is and gives off a positive body image. I’ve always been confused as to why people says she’s a bad role model, because she’s simply a twenty-one year old girl who is being herself. I didn’t realize that was a crime. Your twenties are a time to discover yourself and be a little crazy. I’m also confused as to how those people who say she’s a bad role model don’t understand that they themselves are being  bad role models, by judging someone based off of who they are. Bullying is a serious thing and it’s not okay to leave hateful comments about Miley on the internet nor is it okay to talk about her disrespectfully. I think Miley is doing just fine and I can’t wait to see what’s to come from her in 2014.

-Shelby Eckerty