About Miley Cyrus
Cyrus’ second album, Breakout (2008), was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments exceeding one million copies, and featured the successful track “7 Things”. That same year, she launched her film career as the voice actress for Penny in the animated film Bolt. She earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for her performance of its theme song, “I Thought I Lost You”. In 2009, Cyrus starred in the feature film Hannah Montana: The Movie, whose soundtrack and lead single “The Climb” introduced her to country and adult contemporary markets.
Cyrus developed an adult image and mainstream pop sound with her extended play The Time of Our Lives (2009). Peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, its track “Party in the U.S.A.” became her highest-peaking single on the chart up to that point. Cyrus’ maturing image progressed with the film The Last Song and her third album Can’t Be Tamed in 2010. The latter project featured more prominent dance elements than her earlier releases, and was promoted through sexually-themed performances. In the following two years, she focused on her acting career with several television and film appearances. After signing with RCA Records, Cyrus released her fourth album, Bangerz, in 2013. Its singles “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball” were promoted with provocative music videos. The former was additionally performed during a controversial performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, while the latter became her first number-one hit in the United States.
Cyrus is recognized as among the most successful artists to originate from Disney. Cyrus ranked number thirteen on Forbes’ 2010 Celebrity 100. For the 2011 Guinness World Records, she was named the “Most Charted Teenager” following her 29th US Billboard Hot 100 chart entry on November 7, 2009 with “Party in the U.S.A.”. By the age of 18, she had seven top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and had four RIAA certified albums. As of October 2013, Cyrus has nine top-ten hits on the Hot 100.
Musical Style and Influences
Following her debut, Cyrus is most often considered a pop artist. In their review of the first Hannah Montana soundtrack, The Star Scoop described the songs on the album as being “upbeat pop songs, with a splash of country.” CommonsenseMedia described the songs from the same album as being “upbeat” and “girl-power” oriented, citing the lyrics to “I Got Nerve” as a prime example. Kirsi Bertolini for Yahoo! also felt that the song featured in Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus featured a girl-power theme, and felt that the songs were “bubbly” and “karaoke-like.” CinemaBlend compared the songs from Hannah Montana 2 to songs released by artists Avril Lavigne and Hilary Duff. The music found on the second disc of the album, though intended to be seen as Cyrus’ solo debut, were often noted as being similar in theme and style to that of Hannah Montana songs. With the release of her second studio album Breakout, Cyrus began to distance herself from the sound featured on her soundtrack appearances. The album is noted as featuring a wide variety of genres when compared to previous works by the artist. The song “Fly on the Wall”, taken from Breakout, is noted as featuring electropop influences in its production, while the song “These Four Walls” is seen as featuring country aspects.
The music taken from the soundtrack of the Hannah Montana movie features a more Country themed sound, in conjunction with the film’s plot. The song “Hoedown Throwdown” taken from the film is noted as combining influences of R&B and Country. “The Climb” has solid, clear vocals and is a standard-issue power ballad that places piano solos between chiming electric guitars. With the release of Cyrus’ 2009 album The Time of Our Lives, Cyrus incorporated a mixture of elements into the songs. “Kicking and Screaming” features instrumentation that relies on glam electric guitar riffing. It is noted as being the most prominent representation of rock music on The Time of Our Lives. The song “Party In the U.S.A.” features a mixture of R&B and pop music, while the album’s title track is described as being a bouncy, dance-pop song characterized by 1980s synths and a fizzy sound caused by a bubblegum pop background. While recording her third studio album, Cyrus stated she hoped it would be her last pop album as she “wasn’t inspired” by her music. She later announced plans for a new, rock inclined sound for future albums. The music featured on Can’t Be Tamed is often noted as being of the dance genre and heavily relies on bass. Cyrus herself later claimed the album contained music influenced by pop singer Lady Gaga and possessed techno qualities. When speaking of her fourth studio album Bangerz, Cyrus stated she felt the album had a “dirty south” feel, and stated she had collaborated with many rappers for a hip-hop vibe. She later elaborated that the album would combine the genres of hip-hop and country, which she felt was a “good hybrid.” Miguel and Frank Ocean were named as musical influences for Bangerz.
As a very young child, Cyrus was exposed to artists such as Carl Perkins, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn. She grew up listening to Kelly Clarkson, Hilary Duff, Mariah Carey, Ashlee Simpson, and Britney Spears. She told Spears’ …Baby One More Time was the first record she bought.1] She also likes The Killers, Coldplay, The Wreckers and Willie Nelson. Citing in 2013 her five favorite singers, Cyrus called Dolly Parton who is her godmother “a legend” and said “her music represents my whole childhood”. Of Joan Jett she said: “when I was growing up she was always who I wanted to be. Lil Kim is who I am on the inside and she just makes me happy listening to her music. Nicki Minaj is now my Little Kim of my generation. Beth Hart has one of the best voices of all time.” She also likes French Montana, Juicy J, Wiz Khalifa, Adele, and Sinéad O’Connor.
Voice
Cyrus is a contralto, and with a “Nashville twang” in both her speech and singing voice. Songs such as “These Four Walls” have been noted as prime examples of Cyrus’ twangy vocals. In her song “Goodbye”, Cyrus’ vocal performance is more “roosty” with a more “natural-sounding accompaniment” In “Party in the U.S.A.”, Cyrus’ vocals display an undertone of alternative country twang and features belter refrains.
Cyrus’ vocals for the song “Obsessed” are noted as being “husky.” Throughout her career, Cyrus has experimented with altering her voice. Songs such as “Fly on the Wall” see Cyrus’ voice processed to sound different. In “The Time of Our Lives”, Cyrus’ vocals display a prominent use of auto-tune, and are influenced by New Wave music. The songs taken from her Can’t Be Tamed album further explore the use of auto-tune on Cyrus’ vocals. The album’s title track is noted as using auto-tune throughout various portions of the song’s lyrics. When reviewing the Wonder World Tour, Dave Paulson of The Tennessean stated, “Cyrus’ spectacle sets her apart from nearly every other A-list act touring today. She’s not a renowned vocalist by any stretch, but her show’s choreography barely provides a moment for her to catch her breath, and she’s still able to deliver.”
Early summer of 2012 Cyrus performed some of her favorite songs such as Look What They’ve Done To My Song, Lilac Whine, and Jolene, which she and her voice were both highly praised by critics. Cyrus’ voice has been highly praised by other artists. Katy Perry was asked at the iHeartRadio Festival if she would ever collaborate with Cyrus and responded “I don’t know…maybe…she’s got an incredible voice. I have heard her sing ‘Wrecking Ball’ before that single came out and I tweeted about it a long time ago before it even came out and I was just so excited about it for her. She’s got a set of pipes that are incredible.” Pharrell Williams stated in the MTV documentary, Miley: The Movement, “I said to my manager ‘I wanna work with her’ and he just reached out. You know, I was just like, ‘oh my god, you guys have no idea how crazy this girl’s voice is.’ You hear her sing Jolene and you just go okay.” Juicy J, who teamed up with Cyrus and Wiz Khalifa for “23,” said he’s still in disbelief that he got the opportunity to work with her. “I never thought I would collaborate with Miley Cyrus, but I am so glad it happened,” Juicy said. “It’s like not even real to me! I have to pinch myself. It’s almost like a dream come true ’cause she is super talented. We made a lot of great records together.” J. Cole also gave his take on Cyrus’ talents saying he thought her previous duet in 2010 with Dolly Parton was “amazing” and he would jump on a song with her if the right one came along. “I saw her sing on stage with Dolly Parton and I thought it was pretty amazing,” the “Crooked Smile” rapper said. “She is talented actually I think beyond all the extra publicity.” Ed Sheeran stated that he thought Cyrus had an amazing voice, especially in Wrecking Ball, but she was using it in the wrong way. “I think she’s got an amazing voice. I just think she’s packaged the wrong way,” Sheeran told The Mirror, Entertainmentwise reports.
Performances
In his review of the Best of Both Worlds tour, J. Freedom du Lac of The Washington Post described the concert as “a nearly 90-minute blast of pop in which the charismatic Cyrus – who complained that she wasn’t feeling well – commanded the stage with confidence, performing with a particular swagger.” The performances featured on Cyrus’ Wonder World Tour showed more dramatic performances; at one point, Cyrus performed on top of moving scaffolding. When performing a cover of “I Love Rock & Roll” on the tour, Cyrus performed the song suspended in the air atop of a Harley-Davidson Dyna Fat Bob FXDF 2010 that traveled through the air. Beginning with the release of The Time of Our Lives, Cyrus’ performances became somewhat more explicit and controversial in nature. Cyrus’s performance of “Party in the U.S.A.” at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards incited a media uproar, with some viewers criticizing Cyrus’s provocative outfit and inclusion of a brief pole dance as inappropriate for her age, then sixteen, and for her young fans. Conversely, Newsday reported that her sexualization “has been coming for some time.” Ian Drew, senior editor of US Weekly, said, “She already has this risque image, so it really wasn’t much of a stretch. That’s how Britney Spears took off. She was the good girl gone bad, and it looks to be working for Miley as well.”47] Her performance of Can’t Be Tamed on Britain’s Got Talent garnered much controversy. Midway through the performance, Cyrus grabbed a female backup dancer, dipping her low, and simulated a kiss. The performance was met with negative reactions from the media and caused her to release a statement in which Cyrus promised she did not kiss the backup dancer. Cyrus wrote, “It is ridiculous that two entertainers can’t even rock out with each other without the media making it some type of story. I really hope my fans are not disappointed in me because the truth is I did nothing wrong. I got up there and did my job which is to perform to the best of my ability.”
In August 2013, Cyrus was the subject of widespread media attention and public scrutiny following a controversial performance and duet with Robin Thicke at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. The performance began with Cyrus performing “We Can’t Stop” in teddy bear-themed attire. Following this, Thicke entered the stage singing “Blurred Lines” alternatively with Cyrus, who stripped down to a skin-colored, latex two-piece outfit. Cyrus subsequently touched Thicke’s crotch area with a giant foam finger and twerked against his crotch. An article published in The Hollywood Reporter described the performance as “crass” and “reminiscent of a bad acid trip”. Media attention of the performance largely overshadowed the attention that was given to other major events of the night, such as the reunion of ‘N Sync and performances by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Cyrus’ performance was described by XXL critic B. J. Steiner as a “trainwreck in the classic sense of the word as the audience reaction seemed to be a mix of confusion, dismay and horror in a cocktail of embarrassment”, while the BBC said she stole the show with a “raunchy performance”. The performance also became the most tweeted about event in history, with Twitter users generating 360,000 tweets about the event per minute; breaking the previous record held by Beyonce’s Super Bowl XLVII halftime show performance six months earlier. News and social media sites featured numerous articles about parental concerns with the performance’s impact on children. Her performance was reported to contribute towards the dehumanization of black women by mimicking “ratchet culture” and using them as living props, swatting one on the backside. Reacting to the controversy, Cyrus stated about her critics: “They’re overthinking it. You’re thinking about it more than I thought about it when I did it.”
Public image
Cyrus has a Christian faith, and was baptized in a Southern Baptist church in 2005. Cyrus is an avid supporter of gay rights, and is often vocal about her beliefs on the opinion. In 2011, Cyrus got a tattoo of the equals sign on her right ring finger, symbolizing equal rights for gay people. In 2012, she named London as her favorite place to perform due to its extensive gay scene. Cyrus’ song “My Heart Beats for Love”, taken from her Can’t Be Tamed album, was written about one of Cyrus’ gay friends, and is dedicated to all of Cyrus’ gay fans.
In several interviews Cyrus has mentioned her use of cannabis. However, rumors addressing her use of cannabis before 2013 were denied. In a video obtained by The Daily, taking place at Cyrus’ 19th birthday party at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, Cyrus went to the microphone and addressed the crowd. Immediately after her Bob Marley-themed birthday cake had been brought out, Cyrus said, “You know you’re a stoner when your friends make you a Bob Marley cake. You know you smoke way too much fuckin’ weed.” Cyrus’ representative later stated that the Bob Marley cake had just been a “joke” and that Cyrus’ response had been “sarcastic”. In a 2013 Rolling Stone interview, Cyrus said cannabis was “the best drug on earth” and called it, along with MDMA, a “happy drug”. On November 10, 2013, while accepting the Best Video award at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards, Cyrus smoked what appeared to be a joint (cannabis cigarette) on stage, causing so much controversy MTV decided to censor the act when the award show aired in America.
In May 2013, Cyrus came first in Maxim’s Hot 100 of the year. In July 2013, Cyrus posed nude for a “Protect the Skin You’re In” T-shirt, part of a campaign by fashion designer Marc Jacobs to raise awareness and cash for melanoma research. All of the sales will benefit the NYU Cancer Institute and NYU Langone Medical Center.
In 2007, Cyrus earned $18 million. In 2008, Cyrus earned $25 million and was ranked number 35 on Forbes magazine’s Celebrity 100 list. Parade magazine reported she was the richest teenage celebrity and that her franchise would be worth approximately $1 billion by the end of the year. In 2009, Forbes ranked her #29 on the Celebrity 100 and reported she had earned a total of $25 million. In 2010, Cyrus was ranked 13th on Forbes’ Celebrity 100, earning $48 million from June 2009 to June 2010. She was the 4th highest earner under 30 years old and the youngest on the list. Between June 2010 and June 2011, Cyrus earned $54 million. From working on Hannah Montana, Cyrus was paid $15,000 per episode, making her the sixth-highest paid child star on television, behind fellow Disney stars Dylan and Cole Sprouse and Keke Palmer with $20,000 for their shows. At age 17 she was named #19 on the “Top 20 World’s Richest Female Singers of All Time” list, with over $100 million in earnings in five years, which made her the youngest female artist on the list. In 2011, she was named #1 on the Top 10 Richest Teens in Hollywood, with $120 million.
Miley Cyrus was chosen by TIME magazine as one of their finalists for Person of the Year. The public can now choose their Person of the Year out of the finalists on the TIME website. As of November 20, 2013 Cyrus is leading with 24.4% of votes, 23.8% more than Barack Obama. Voting closes on December 4.
Personal Life
While filming The Last Song in June 2009, Cyrus began a relationship with her co-star Liam Hemsworth. After three years of having a on-again, off-again relationship, the couple announced their engagement in June 2012. They lived together in Los Angeles but ended their relationship in September 2013.