Analysis of Music Video and Genre - 'Wrecking Ball'

Another interesting music video to analyse is that of Miley Cyrus with her track from her colossal comeback campaign entitled ‘Wrecking Ball’. This video was distributed by her management Sony Entertainment and spearheaded the singers new image and later went on to become the most watched music video on YouTube, leading  to massive controversy and therefore publicity. This controversy was ultimately due to the content on the video and how it so massively juxtaposes from the artists former image as Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel, something that gave her a platform as a global childhood icon.

There are a catalogue of factors in this video that contribute to the mass rebranding of Miley Cyrus. The most obvious of these is her alarming attire. There is a distinct lack of respectable clothing and at one point in the video she goes nude. She has also dramatically altered her style of hair and has a collection of visible tattoos. This is something that would be treated as entirely off limits at Disney presenting the way in which she is attempting to distance herself from that company ethos, and be presented as an anarchic, rebellious young adult who just wants to have fun. She then precedes to swing on a wrecking ball naked creating an obvious link with the songs title. This and other acts such as the way in which she handles the sledge hammer have clear and undoubted sexual connotations. These are blatant and in the audiences face. It makes it clear that the video is directed at a sexually fuelled demographic of young adults and means she will not be appealing to all.

There is a performance element to the video as she lip sinks the lyrics while looking directly into camera. Many have speculated that the tears displayed here and the words of the song reference Cyrus’ split from former boyfriend Liam Hemsworth. This gives some emotional integrity to the song. However, this same integrity is somewhat destroyed by the fact that the activities she is doing aside from the performance appear to have no relation to the meaning of the song. Despite this, the 31 second held extreme close up of the artist face at the opening of the video is a clear attempt to establish some sort of connection between the audience and singer, before it then being contradicted with the strong mixtures of chaotic camera work that shows Cyrus parading herself in a sexually explicit manor.