Honestly, it is hard to believe it’s been over a decade since Miley Cyrus swung into our lives on a literal piece of demolition equipment. We all remember where we were. Whether you were shielding your eyes or hitting replay, the Wrecking Ball Miley Cyrus video was a cultural reset that felt like a fever dream. It wasn't just a music video; it was an event.
Think back to September 2013. Miley was already the subject of every "What is wrong with our youth?" think piece after the infamous VMAs twerking incident with Robin Thicke. People thought they had her figured out. They thought she was just acting out for attention. Then, she dropped a video where she cried, licked a sledgehammer, and stripped down to nothing but a pair of Doc Martens.
It was jarring.
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The Terry Richardson Factor and the Visual Shock
One thing people often forget—or maybe they just blocked it out—is who was behind the lens. The video was directed by Terry Richardson. If you know anything about the fashion world of the 2010s, that name carries a lot of baggage. Richardson was notorious for a "raw," high-flash, white-background aesthetic that often bordered on (or crossed into) exploitation.
That gritty, uncomfortable intimacy is why the video feels so voyeuristic.
The opening of the video is actually a direct homage. It’s a tight, unwavering close-up of Miley’s face, inspired by Sinéad O’Connor’s "Nothing Compares 2 U." You see the tears. You see the smeared mascara. It was supposed to be vulnerable. But then, the camera cuts. Suddenly, she’s in a white tank top and underwear, then she’s naked, and then she’s making out with a heavy-duty tool.
The tonal whiplash was the point.
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Breaking Records and Breaking the Internet
The numbers were staggering. Seriously.
- 19.3 million views in the first 24 hours.
- The fastest video to reach 100 million views on Vevo at the time (it took only six days).
- It helped the song rocket to Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Miley's first-ever chart-topper.
It’s interesting because "Wrecking Ball" wasn't even written for Miley originally. Songwriter Sacha Skarbek has admitted it was actually pitched with Beyoncé in mind. Can you imagine that? A version where Queen Bey is the one crashing through walls? It likely would have been a completely different beast. Miley took a ballad that was fundamentally about heartbreak—specifically the heartbreak of songwriter MoZella, who had recently called off her own wedding—and turned it into a manifesto of personal liberation.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Meaning
There is this lingering idea that the video was just "pornography for the sake of it." That’s a bit of a shallow take.
If you look at the lyrics versus the visuals, the "wrecking ball" is a double-edged sword. It’s the force she used to try and get through to a partner—likely Liam Hemsworth, though they were in an on-again, off-again cycle back then—but it’s also the force that destroyed her in the process.
She wasn't just swinging on the ball to be provocative; she was the ball.
The sledgehammer licking? Yeah, that’s harder to defend as "high art," but it contributed to the "don't look away" energy that made the video viral before "viral" was a refined science. It was messy. It was desperate. It felt like someone having a public breakdown in 4K resolution.
The Sinéad O’Connor Feud
We have to talk about the open letter. After Miley mentioned the "Nothing Compares 2 U" influence, Sinéad O’Connor wrote a public warning to her. She told Miley that the music industry would "prostitute" her for her body and that she shouldn't let herself be exploited.
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Miley didn't take it well. She responded by mocking Sinéad’s mental health struggles on Twitter. It was a dark moment in pop history. Years later, in her 2023 special Endless Summer Vacation: Backyard Sessions, Miley expressed regret over how she handled that. She admitted she didn't realize at 20 years old that Sinéad was coming from a place of protection, not just judgment.
The Legacy of the Naked Girl on the Ball
Does she regret it? Sorta.
In a 2017 interview with NME, Miley admitted that the video is something she can never escape. "I’m always going to be the naked girl on the wrecking ball," she said. She talked about how it’s frustrating that her most "vulnerable" vocal performance is overshadowed by the fact that she was nude.
But you can't deny the impact.
- It killed Hannah Montana once and for all.
- It proved Miley could carry a powerhouse ballad, not just party anthems.
- It set the template for the "shock-pop" era of the mid-2010s.
The video won Video of the Year at the 2014 VMAs, and in a move that showed she was trying to pivot away from the scandal, she had a homeless youth named Jesse Helt accept the award on her behalf to raise awareness for youth homelessness. It was a chaotic era.
Actionable Takeaways for Modern Viewers
If you’re revisiting the Wrecking Ball Miley Cyrus video today, try looking past the "scandal" that was so loud in 2013.
- Watch the Director's Cut: There is a version that is just the close-up of her face for the entire song. It’s actually much more powerful and removes the distractions of the construction equipment.
- Listen to the Production: Notice the "big ballad" influence of artists like OneRepublic and Timbaland. The drums hit exactly like a wrecking ball hitting a wall.
- Contextualize the "Era": This was the peak of the "Bangerz" cycle. It was a calculated, albeit messy, transition from child star to adult artist.
The video remains a masterclass in how to capture the world's attention. Even if it makes you cringe a little now, you have to respect the sheer audacity of it. It was a moment of absolute, unfiltered pop culture destruction that paved the way for the more "authentic" (and less naked) Miley we see today.
To fully understand the evolution of pop visuals, compare this video to her 2023 hit "Flowers." You'll see a woman who no longer needs a wrecking ball to prove she can stand in the rubble; she can just buy herself flowers instead.
Next Steps for Music Buffs
- Analyze the Lyrics: Read the lyrics of "Wrecking Ball" without the video playing to see if the emotional weight lands differently for you.
- Compare the Eras: Watch "Can't Be Tamed" (2010), "Wrecking Ball" (2013), and "Used to Be Young" (2023) back-to-back to see the most drastic image shifts in music history.
- Explore the Songwriters: Check out the discography of MoZella or Sacha Skarbek to see how their "heartbreak" style influenced other pop hits.