This document analyzes Miley Cyrus' music video for "Wrecking Ball". It summarizes the video's intentions of promoting Miley Cyrus' new edgier artistic persona compared to her previous innocent Disney persona. The video portrays raw emotions of sadness and anger through imagery of destruction and crying. It directly relates the lyrics about a broken heart to visuals of a wrecking ball destroying a wall. The target audience is Miley's older fans as well as fans of Lady Gaga due to the explicit imagery and drama.

1. MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS
Artist: Miley Cyrus
Track Name: Wrecking Ball
Genre of song: Pop (Ballad/Soft Rock)
Director: Terry Richardson
Format: 3:42 - Studio Based Performance
Intentions Changing
Mileyʼs
“Star
Persona”
.
Before:
Hannah
Montana,
Innocent,
Clean
cut, Child
friendly,
Funny,
Witty,
Design to
appeal to
young
teenager
s. 12-14.
Now:
Miley
Cyrus
new
“Star
Persona”
, Risqué,
promiscu
ous,
raunchy,
objectifie
d,
explicit,
confident
, older,
edgier.
Designed
to appeal
to grow

2. with her
fans.
To
promote
the new
single, to
promote
Miley
Cyrus as
an artist.
To act as
a
revenue
stream.
(Most
watched
youtube
video in a
day).
Represen
tation of
the artist
Emotional
, Sad and
Hurt,
Anger.
She is
seen
crying,
violent
imagery,
Literal
destructio
n, and
facial
expressio
ns. Stops
lip-
syncing to
cry.
Personal
and
honest,
song
refers to
real life
relationshi
p break

3. up.
Confident,
assured,
she is
naked and
riding a
wrecking
ball.
Promiscu
ous,
highly
sexualize
d, licking
a
sledgeha
mmer.
Attemptin
g to
create
image of a
strong
woman
using her
sexuality.
Relations
hip
between
music and
visuals
Slow soft
opening –
close up
on face,
slow
motion,
stillness,
simple,
builds up
to a
crescendo
, ballad,
Chorus –
music
swells,
verse is
softer,
instrument
ation –
guitar,
studio
produced,

4. and digital
quality.
Drums –
wrecking
ball hits
wall in
time with
drop.
Relations
hip
between
lyrics and
visuals
Wrecking
ball in
song, we
see
wrecking
ball.
Broken
heart and
broken
relationshi
p – shown
by
destructio
n of wall.
She is
stripped
of her
emotions
– she is
naked.
Licks
hammer
to
symbolize
her
embracing
the pain.
Voyeuris
m (Notion
of
looking)
Licking
the
hammer –
sexual
reference,
explicit
intimate
moment,
and high
angle

5. close up
of her.
Explicit
nature of
the video -
makes it
obvious
that the
viewer is
being
played
with.
We are
watching
raw
emotion
and
crying.
Intertextu
ality
Obvious
reference
to Sinead
OʼConnerʼ
s “Nothing
Compared
To You”
video in
terms of
framing,
address
and tears
of
emotion.
Typical of
genre
Typical –
song
about
love,
imagery
relates
directly to
lyrics,
performer
s address
is direct to
audience,
abstract
imagery &
drama
similar to

6. Lady
GaGa
Different –
show of
emotion is
so raw,
overly
explicit, a
pop video
but with
many
extreme
elements.
Who is
the target
audience
Miley
Cyrus
fans who
have
grown up.
Now older
teenagers
/early
twenties.
A new
audience:
Lady
GaGa
fans
because
of explicit
imagery
and
drama.
Potentially
new male
audience
due to
explicit
nature.
Why
would this
appeal to
target
audience
Different
from how
she used
to be she
is a “new”

7. person
and
“mature/ol
der”.
Emotion
and love –
experienc
es similar
to
demograp
hic will
enjoy the
confident,
strong
female
image.
Edgier
GaGa
influences
, shedding
of
“Disney”
Persona.
It is risky,
weird and
gets
people
talking.
Heavily
promoted.