It was 2013. If you were anywhere near a radio, a TV, or a computer screen, you couldn't escape it. That massive, booming chorus. The sound of a sledgehammer hitting a cinder block. But honestly, when we ask who sang the song Wrecking Ball, the answer is obviously Miley Cyrus—yet the story of how she ended up on that concrete sphere is way more complicated than just a studio session.
Most people remember the video. You know the one. It launched a thousand memes and probably destroyed the career of several sledgehammers. But Miley wasn't actually the first person the songwriters had in mind. In fact, for a hot minute, this track was destined for someone else entirely.
The Beyoncé Rumor and the Writing Room
Here is the thing about pop music: songs are like orphans looking for a home. Who sang the song Wrecking Ball ended up being Miley, but the writers—Sacha Skarbek, Stephan Moccio, and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald—originally thought this was a Beyoncé track. Can you imagine? A Queen Bey version would have been soulful, probably more polished, and definitely less... naked.
Skarbek and Moccio were in a room in 2012, just playing around with chords. They wanted something that felt like a punch to the gut. They weren't thinking about a 20-year-old former Disney star trying to kill off her alter ego. They were thinking about power vocals. However, as the demo started to take shape, the team realized the raw, almost desperate energy of the lyrics didn't quite fit the Beyoncé brand. It needed someone with a little more gravel in their voice. It needed someone who was currently going through a very public, very messy heartbreak.
Enter the Bangerz Era
Miley Cyrus was in a weird spot in 2013. She was trying to outrun Hannah Montana so fast she was practically breaking the sound barrier. She had the short blonde hair. She had the "don't care" attitude. And, most importantly, she had a crumbling relationship with Liam Hemsworth.
When Miley heard the demo, she didn't just want it. She needed it. She saw herself in the lyrics about crashing into walls and never being able to stop. It wasn't just a pop song to her; it was a diary entry set to a massive synth-pop beat.
She recorded it for her fourth studio album, Bangerz. This wasn't just another album. It was a statement. While "We Can't Stop" was the party anthem that told everyone she was grown up, "Wrecking Ball" was the emotional core that proved she could actually sing. Because let's be real—beneath all the tongue-wagging and twerking, Miley has one of the most distinct rasp-filled voices in modern music.
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Why the Song Hit Different
It wasn't just the vocals. It was the timing.
Pop music in the early 2010s was getting a bit stale. We were in the middle of an EDM boom where everything sounded like it was made in a factory. Then came this power ballad. It felt vintage but modern. It used "spatial" dynamics—long periods of almost silence followed by a wall of sound that felt like a physical blow.
- The Verse: Sparse. Just a bit of synth and Miley’s voice.
- The Pre-Chorus: The tension builds. You can hear her breath.
- The Chorus: Total explosion.
When people Google who sang the song Wrecking Ball, they usually find the music video directed by Terry Richardson first. That video changed the trajectory of her career. It was inspired by Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U," specifically the close-up shots of her face while crying. But then, of course, Miley added the swinging ball.
It was provocative. It was controversial. It was exactly what she needed to become a household name for adults, not just kids.
The Liam Hemsworth Connection
You can't talk about who sang this song without talking about Liam. Even though Miley didn't write every word herself, she lived them. During her iHeartRadio performance in 2013, she actually broke down in tears. It wasn't staged. Her engagement was falling apart in real-time.
That’s why the song resonates even ten years later. You can hear the genuine pain. A lot of pop stars "perform" sadness, but Miley sounded like she was falling apart in the vocal booth. That authenticity is why it became her first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It stayed there for three weeks.
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The Sinead O'Connor Feud
Interestingly, the success of the song sparked one of the weirdest celebrity feuds of the decade. After Miley mentioned that the "Wrecking Ball" video was inspired by "Nothing Compares 2 U," Sinead O'Connor wrote her an open letter.
It wasn't a "congratulations" letter.
Sinead warned Miley about the music industry exploiting her sexuality. Miley didn't take it well. They traded barbs on Twitter (now X). It was a mess. But it highlighted a shift in how female artists were viewed. Miley argued she was in control of her image, even if that image involved being naked on construction equipment. Looking back, Miley has since admitted in her "Used To Be Young" series that she has a complicated relationship with the song now. She knows it’s a masterpiece, but she also knows it’ll follow her forever.
The Technical Side: How the Magic Happened
Stephan Moccio, one of the co-writers, once explained that the song's power comes from the "C" chord. It’s a simple progression, but the way the instruments drop out before the chorus creates a vacuum. Your ears want the sound back, and when it hits, it’s satisfying.
The production was handled by Dr. Luke and Cirkut. Regardless of the later controversies surrounding Dr. Luke, the technical polish on "Wrecking Ball" is undeniable. The layering of the vocals—Miley’s main track mixed with several layers of harmonies in the background—gives it that "stadium" feel.
Is There More Than One Version?
While Miley is the definitive answer to who sang the song Wrecking Ball, dozens of artists have tried to tackle it since.
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- James Arthur: His acoustic version went viral for being incredibly gritty.
- Dolly Parton: Yes, Miley’s godmother covered it on her Rockstar album in 2023. She actually mashed it up with "I Will Always Love You." Hearing two legends sing it together brings the whole story full circle.
- The Gregory Brothers: They did a "Country Version" that actually sounds surprisingly good.
But none of them capture the specific 2013 lightning-in-a-bottle moment that Miley did.
The Legacy of the Sledgehammer
"Wrecking Ball" didn't just top the charts; it changed the way labels marketed pop stars. It proved that you could be a "villain" in the media—someone acting out and breaking rules—and still have the most emotional song of the year. It bridged the gap between tabloid fodder and serious artistry.
In 2024 and 2025, Miley's career saw a massive resurgence with "Flowers," but "Wrecking Ball" remains the pivot point. It was the moment she stopped being a character and started being an artist.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to really appreciate the song beyond the memes, do these three things:
- Watch the "Used To Be Young" session: Miley performs a stripped-back version that shows how her voice has matured into a deeper, more soulful instrument.
- Listen to the Dolly Parton duet: It’s on the Rockstar album. The transition between "Wrecking Ball" and "I Will Always Love You" is technically brilliant and emotionally heavy.
- Check the credits: Look at the work of Sacha Skarbek. He’s the same guy who worked on James Blunt’s "You’re Beautiful." You can hear that same "sad-guy-with-a-piano" DNA in the bones of Miley’s hit.
The song is a masterclass in pop dynamics. It’s loud, it’s ugly, it’s beautiful, and it’s undeniably Miley. Even if it was almost a Beyoncé song, it’s hard to imagine anyone else swinging into history quite like that.
Key Takeaway: Miley Cyrus is the singer, but the song's soul came from a mix of 2012 songwriting sessions intended for Beyoncé and Miley’s own real-life heartbreak with Liam Hemsworth. It remains a benchmark for emotional power ballads in the digital age.