INTENTIONS To get out of the Disney stereotype, create a new image and a new persona. Before it was ʻHannah Montanaʼ which was child friendly and clean cut, funny and was targeted towards a younger audience. Now she has created her new persona and has been given the nickname ʻCyrus the Virusʼ, her new persona could be described as being promiscuous, risque, raunchy, explicit, objectified, confident, older and edgy. Sheʼs trying to grow with her fans. She has this music video to promote her new single and create publicity. REPRESENTATION OF THE ARTIST Miley Cyrus has tried to create a new image from this video, she is trying to portray a more mature edgy and a more confident image rather than the typical Disney stereotype. She is naked a lot and riding a wrecking ball to try show how confident she is and secure with how she looks. The video is highly sexualized by doing such things as riding the wrecking ball naked and kissing and licking a sledgehammer in a suggestive manner. She wants to show that she is upset and broken and emotional after going through a break-up, this is noticeable as she starts crying, she also portrays anger as she has a sledge hammer and causes destruction. She stops lip syncing at the end and starts crying to try and show her emotions and her very real pain. Point of contention: Attempting to create image of a strong women using her sexuality However uses iconography associated with pornography which is something well known for exploiting women. MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS Artist: Miley Cyrus Track Name: Wrecking Ball Genre of song: Pop (Ballard/soft rock) Director: Terry Richardson Format: 3:42 (Studio based performance)
Transcript
INTENTIONS To get out of the Disney stereotype, create a new image and a new persona.Before it was ʻHannah Montanaʼ which was child friendly and clean cut, funny and was targeted towards a younger audience. Now she has created her new persona and has been given the nickname ʻCyrus the Virusʼ, her new persona could be described as being promiscuous, risque, raunchy, explicit, objectified, confident, older and edgy.Sheʼs trying to grow with her fans.She has this music video to promote her new single and create publicity.
REPRESENTATION OF THE ARTIST
Miley Cyrus has tried to create a new image from this video, she is trying to portray a more mature edgy and a more confident image rather than the typical Disney stereotype.She is naked a lot and riding a wrecking ball to try show how confident she is and secure with how she looks.The video is highly sexualized by doing such things as riding the wrecking ball naked and kissing and licking a sledgehammer in a suggestive manner.She wants to show that she is upset and broken and emotional after going through a break-up, this is noticeable as she starts crying, she also portrays anger as she has a sledge hammer and causes destruction.She stops lip syncing at the end and starts crying to try and show her emotions and her very real pain.
Point of contention:Attempting to create image of a strong women using her sexualityHowever uses iconography associated with pornography which is something well known for exploiting women.
MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS
Artist: Miley CyrusTrack Name: Wrecking BallGenre of song: Pop (Ballard/soft rock)Director: Terry RichardsonFormat: 3:42 (Studio based performance)
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC AND VISUALS
It has a slow soft opening but then it builds up to a crescendo, the chorus is more intense than the beginning of the song.The wrecking ball moves in beat with the drums.In the softer parts of the song you see her crying and slow motion is used and a lot of stillness, the stronger more intense bits show her being more confident and angry.It has basic lighting.
MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS
Artist: Miley CyrusTrack Name: Wrecking BallGenre of song: Pop (Ballard/soft rock)Director: Terry RichardsonFormat: 3:42 (Studio based performance)
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYRICS AND VISUALS
In the lyrics she says ʻI came in like a wrecking ballʼ and in the video a wrecking ball is seen bashing in the walls of where she is standing, this is kind of literal and not again, as the wrecking ball is correct but she is the wrecking ball but that is seen in a later scene, every time she says wrecking ball a wrecking ball is seen.The song is about her broken heart and broken relationship which is portrayed by destruction of a wall, she is stripped to her raw emotions which she shows by wearing no clothes.By licking the hammer she tries to show that she embraces pain.
MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS
Artist: Miley CyrusTrack Name: Wrecking BallGenre of song: Pop (Ballard/soft rock)Director: Terry RichardsonFormat: 3:42 (Studio based performance)
VOYEURISM (NOTION OF LOOKING)
The image of her licking here hammer focuses on the explicit intimate moment by using a close-up shot of her doing it.The explicit nature of the video it makes it obvious that we are watching something that they really shouldnʼt be watching as it is an intimate moment of Miley Cyrus.We see her crying too and we the viewer are watching her express in emotions in this intimate way.
INTERTEXTUALITY There is an obvious reference to Sinead O Connorʼs “Nothing compared to you” video in terms of framing, address and tears showing her emotion. At the end of OʼConnorʼs music video she stops lip syncing as well as Miley Cyrus did too.
MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS
Artist: Miley CyrusTrack Name: Wrecking BallGenre of song: Pop (Ballard/soft rock)Director: Terry RichardsonFormat: 3:42 (Studio based performance)
TYPICAL OF GENRE The song subject is all about love, it is raw emotion.The imagery used relates directly to the lyrics, the performance is directed straight towards the audience breaking the fourth wall.This video is overly explicit and uses very abstract imagery and drama which is similar to a Lady Gagaʼs style and persona.It looks like a typical pop video but has a lot of extreme element such as the sexual suggestion and the wrecking ball.
WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE
Miley Cyrus fans who have grown up, who are now younger adults.Lady Gaga fans because of the imagery used in the video (footage and dramatic).Potentially a new male audienceA mainstream audience
MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS
Artist: Miley CyrusTrack Name: Wrecking BallGenre of song: Pop (Ballard/soft rock)Director: Terry RichardsonFormat: 3:42 (Studio based performance)
WHY WOULD THIS APPEAL TO TARGET AUDIENCE
The fact that is a new image and different from the way that she used to be when she was working with Disney, no longer a product of Disney.Itʼs new different and more mature.It is sort of similar as the song is about emotion and love.She has a new strong and confident female image.Itʼs new, different, risky, weird and it gets people talking about it.
MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS
Artist: Miley CyrusTrack Name: Wrecking BallGenre of song: Pop (Ballard/soft rock)Director: Terry RichardsonFormat: 3:42 (Studio based performance)
