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Wrecking Ball (Miley Cyrus song)

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"Wrecking Ball"
Song

"Wrecking Ball" is a song performed by Miley Cyrus for her upcoming fourth studio album Bangerz (2013). The song was made available when Bangerz was pre-ordered from iTunes, beginning on August 25, 2013.[2][3] It is set to be released to American radio as the second single from Bangerz on September 17, 2013.[4][5] "Wrecking Ball" was written by Lukasz Gottwald, Maureen Anne McDonald, Stephan Moccio, Sacha Skarbek and Henry Russell Walter. The song was produced by Dr. Luke and Henry Russell Walter under his production name, Cirkut. Both the song and its music video received mixed to positive reviews from critics.

Background

In January 2013, Cyrus ended her contract with the label Hollywood Records, under which she had released three studio albums; in late January 2013, she signed a recording contract with RCA Records.[6] In March, she confirmed that her fourth studio album would be released by the end of 2013.[7]

"Wrecking Ball" was written by Sacha Skarbek, Stephan Moccio, Dr. Luke, Maureen Anne McDonald and Henry Russell Walter. The production of the song was handled by Gottwald and Russell Walter, known by their stage names, Dr. Luke and Cirkut. The inclusion of the song in the album had already been confirmed back in July 2013, during an interview with Idolator.[8] The song was made available for download as part of the Bangerz preorder on August 25, 2013,[9] and will impact US contemporary hit radio on September 17, 2013.[10] Cyrus released a promotional image for the song on Twitter dressed in white underwear and sitting on top of a wrecking ball.[11]

Composition

"Wrecking Ball"
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According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Walt Disney Music Publishing, "Wrecking Ball" is set in common time with a tempo of 60 beats per minute. Written in the key of D minor, it follows the chord progression Dm–F–C–Gm, and Cyrus' voice ranges from F3 to B♭4.[12] Some media wrote that "Wrecking Ball" may be inspired by her on-again-off-again romance with fiance, Liam Hemsworth.[13][14] The song is a power ballad with "anguished" vocals by Cyrus, "Wrecking Ball" has been described as a "heartbroken counterpoint" to the "hedonism" of her previous single, "We Can't Stop".[3]

Critical reception

Upon its release, the song received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Complex wrote: "This song seems to be a very personal one for the young singer, as she addresses love and heart break in a very passionate manner" and described it as a "drastic departure" happy-go-lucky content" of We Can't Stop.[15] Popdust described it as "a power ballad from the '80s or a Demi Lovato song. A little angsty, but certainly a nice foil to the debauchery of 'We Can’t Stop'."[16] HitFix gave it a "D+" grade, saying: "is a blunt-force instrument of pop songcraft that could've easily been sung by Katy Perry and in that sense it more than lives up to its central metaphor. But while the song is fine in its quieter moments, it's so overwrought on the chorus that, like the tune's narrator (who I'll assume to be Cyrus herself), it tries to "force" its way in when it should have trusted its audience to get the message without being battered by it."[17]

PMC-Magazine named it #1 in their Top Ten Anti-Work Anthems for Labor Day.[18]

Chart performance

"Wrecking Ball", despite not having been released as a single by then, had charted at #50 on the Billboard Hot 100 just in one day, and at #44 on the Canadian Hot 100, on the strength of digital downloads. In its first day of release, it sold 90,000 downloads in the US.[19] In the first full week, Wrecking Ball rose to14 selling 201,000 downloads. It charted at number 19 in the Irish Singles Chart. In the New Zealand Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 14, and in its second week has jumped to number 8, becoming her second consecutive top ten hit after "We Can't Stop" became a number 1 hit in the country.

Music video

The video was released on September 9, 2013 on VEVO. It was directed by Terry Richardson. The video begins with a close-up of Cyrus standing in front of a completely white backdrop and crying while performing the song. The video also shows Cyrus sitting naked on top of a wrecking ball and licking a sledgehammer. 24 hours after its release, the video reached a peak of 19.3 million views, breaking VEVO record held by One Direction with 12.3 million views.

Reception

The video received mixed reviews both critically and publicly. Los Angeles Times columnist Mikael Wood wrote: "with its stark close-up shots of Cyrus weepily delivering lyrics about love's destructive properties, 'Wrecking Ball' seems also to be the singer's attempt to prove she's not just a controversy magnet."[20] The Huffington Post's Madeline Boardman said the video "offered a more vulnerable look at the singer."[21] Writing for MTV James Montgomery called the opening scene "the most jaw-dropping moment" and "the most straightforward" while saying it was reminiscent of Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U". He concluded: "It's a refreshing change of pace, one that might silence her detractors... or at least serve notice that she's still capable of wowing us with her voice, rather than her twerking abilities."[22]

Jason Lipshutz of Billboard also noted that the beginning of the video is similar to O'Connor's song. He said "the most shocking moment" came when Cyrus was seen nude on the wrecking ball.[23] James Shotwell of Under the Gun Review said the song was good and "could be very successful at radio with the proper push, but I fear Cyrus' obsession with selling herself via sex appeal is going to superbly overshadow everything she is doing musically."[24] Less positive, Hypable wrote: "'Wrecking Ball' is a song about a partner who destroyed her, but Miley couldn't resist sexualizing the emotional, serious message as much as possible." The website added that the "sexual innuendo" did not relate to the song, and concluded: "What could've been a nice way to play mature Miley turned into another attempt at grabbing attention."[25] Entertainment Weekly described the video as "both emotionally and literally stripped." The website went on saying: "watch it and be scandalized/titillated/disappointed in Billy Ray Cyrus' parenting skills."[26] The Guardian's Michael Hann was also negative towards the video, which "doesn't demonstrate a woman exploring her sexuality, it depicts a woman exploring the iconography of porn." He wrote that the message Cyrus sends is that "the best way for young women to be noticed is to sexually objectify themselves."[27] The Daily Mail questioned if Cyrus "went too far", saying the video is "more provocative than even her last boisterous hit, 'We Can't Stop'.[28]

Cyrus herself said shooting the video was an "emotional experience".[29]

Cover versions

The Gregory Brothers uploaded a country cover of the song, which Mashable said "may have topped her — at least in terms of song quality."[30]

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[31] 15
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[32] 28
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[33] 56
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[34] 34
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[35] 10
Denmark (Tracklisten)[36] 23
France (SNEP)[37] 63
songid field is MANDATORY FOR GERMAN CHARTS 57
Ireland (IRMA)[38] 19
Italy (FIMI)[39] 43
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[40] 28
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[41] 2
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[42] 49
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[43] 41
US Billboard Hot 100[44] 14

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United States[45] August 25, 2013 Digital download -
(as part of Bangerz pre-order on iTunes) 		RCA Records
United States[10] September 17, 2013 Contemporary hit radio

References

  1. ^ https://www.ascap.com/Home/ace-title-search/index.aspx Work ID: 885811614
  2. ^ Oldenburg, Ann. "Miley Cyrus sings about heartbreak in new single". USA Today. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  3. ^ a b Coleman, Miriam. "Miley Cyrus Drops 'Wrecking Ball'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  4. ^ http://archive.is/qchD0
  5. ^ Trust, Gary (September 4, 2013). "Katy Perry Dethrones Robin Thicke Atop Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  6. ^ "Miley Cyrus Leaves Hollywood Records And Signs A Deal With RCA Records". Disney Dreaming. January 31, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  7. ^ Jason Lipshutz (March 7, 2013). "Miley Cyrus: 'My New Music Is Gonna Shut Everyone Up'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  8. ^ Lansky, Sam. (July 17, 2013) Miley Cyrus Teases Dr. Luke-Produced "Wrecking Ball", Talks Lesbian Rumors. Idolator. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  9. ^ Caulfield, Keith (August 26, 2013). "Miley Cyrus Sees Social Media and Digital Sales Benefits from MTV VMAs Performance". Billboard. Los Angeles. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Acess. Archived from the original on September 12, 2013.
  11. ^ Flint, Hanna; Charalambous, Sophia (September 6, 2013). "She's ballin': Miley Cyrus reveals sexy new single cover for Wrecking Ball". Daily Mail. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  12. ^ "Miley Cyrus 'Wrecking Ball' Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  13. ^ http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/miley-cyrus-overtly-sexual-wrecking-ball-video-debuts-vevo-article-1.1450116
  14. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bonnie-fuller/miley-cyrus-bares-liam_b_3903156.html
  15. ^ Dharmic X (August 25, 2013). "Listen: Miley Cyrus "Wrecking Ball"". Complex. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  16. ^ Marin, Samantha (August 26, 2013). "Amidst All the Twerking and Such, Miley Cyrus Also Released a New Single". Popdust. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  17. ^ Eggertsen, Chris (August 25, 2013). "Miley Cyrus is a 'Wrecking Ball' on emotional new single: Listen". HitFix. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  18. ^ Bonal, Matt and Boyle, Shane. "Top Ten Anti-Work Anthems," http://pmc-mag.com/2013/09/matt-bonal-shane-boyle-2/
  19. ^ Caulfield, Keith (2013-08-29). "Miley Cyrus, N 'Sync, Bruno Mars and More See Early Sales Rise Post-VMAs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  20. ^ Wood, Mikael (September 9, 2013). "Watch the video for 'Wrecking Ball' by Miley Cyrus". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  21. ^ Boardman, Madeline (September 9, 2013). "Miley Cyrus' 'Wrecking Ball' Video Makes Its Debut". The Huffington Post. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  22. ^ Montgomery, James (September 9, 2013). "Miley Cyrus Strips Down (In More Ways Than One) With 'Wrecking Ball' Video". MTV. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  23. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (September 9, 2013). "Miley Cyrus Strips, Swings Around Naked in 'Wrecking Ball' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  24. ^ Shotwell, James (September 9, 2013). "Miley Cyrus Rides A "Wrecking Ball" Naked In New Music Video". Under The Gun Review. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  25. ^ "Miley Cyrus goes nude, sexualizes sledgehammers in 'Wrecking Ball' music video". Hypable. September 9, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  26. ^ "Miley Cyrus takes it all off in new 'Wrecking Ball' video -- Watch it here". Entertainment Weekly. September 9, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  27. ^ Hann, Michael (September 10, 2013). "Miley Cyrus's new Wrecking Ball video says young women should be sexually available". The Guardian. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  28. ^ Proud, Amelia (September 9, 2013). "EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING: Has she finally gone too far this time? Miley Cyrus gets fully naked to straddle Wrecking Ball in video of the same name". Daily Mail. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  29. ^ Miley Cyrus' racy nude video an 'emotional experience' 3 News NZ. 12 September 2013
  30. ^ Vitto, Laura (September 10, 2013). "Listen to This Country-Western Cover of Miley Cyrus' 'Wrecking Ball'". Mashable. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  31. ^ "Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  32. ^ "Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  33. ^ "Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  34. ^ "Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball" (in French). Ultratip.
  35. ^ "Miley Cyrus Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  36. ^ "Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball". Tracklisten.
  37. ^ "Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball" (in French). Les classement single.
  38. ^ "Chart Track: Week 35, 2013". Irish Singles Chart.
  39. ^ "FIMI SINGLE CHART TOP 100". FIMI. Retrieved september 8, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  40. ^ "Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  41. ^ "Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball". Top 40 Singles.
  42. ^ "Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball" Canciones Top 50.
  43. ^ "Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball". Swiss Singles Chart.
  44. ^ "Miley Cyrus Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  45. ^ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ERMICGQ
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