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There’s a proper punk in town. Her name is Miley Cyrus Canny and confrontational, Miley Cyrus is this generation’s Madonna
(about 1 hour later)
Punk’s mohawk finally gave in to its receding hairline and wilted this week when Virgin launched its Sex Pistols-themed credit cards. “We don’t want anarchy in Banking, but we do want change,” said Virgin Money’s chief executive Jayne-Anne Gadhia, apparently not joking, giving punk’s most famous name an Alan Partridge kiss of death. Happily, for people upset that a 40-year-old manufactured band have “sold out”, there’s a proper punk in town. And her name is Miley Cyrus.Punk’s mohawk finally gave in to its receding hairline and wilted this week when Virgin launched its Sex Pistols-themed credit cards. “We don’t want anarchy in Banking, but we do want change,” said Virgin Money’s chief executive Jayne-Anne Gadhia, apparently not joking, giving punk’s most famous name an Alan Partridge kiss of death. Happily, for people upset that a 40-year-old manufactured band have “sold out”, there’s a proper punk in town. And her name is Miley Cyrus.
Related: Punk rock brand: the Sex Pistols to feature on a range of credit cardsRelated: Punk rock brand: the Sex Pistols to feature on a range of credit cards
It is not surprising that pop’s most cheerful rebel is a Disney survivor. While early fame consumed some of its graduates, like Britney Spears or Demi Lovato, it is inevitable that others would escape the shackles of being a tween role model by kicking against it in spectacular style. Cyrus’s Hannah Montana persona was buried for good at the 2013 MTV VMA Awards, when she sang, danced, pointed a giant foam finger and waggled her bum against sleazemaster general Robin Thicke, who gallantly blamed her for the whole fiasco when the backlash gathered pace.It is not surprising that pop’s most cheerful rebel is a Disney survivor. While early fame consumed some of its graduates, like Britney Spears or Demi Lovato, it is inevitable that others would escape the shackles of being a tween role model by kicking against it in spectacular style. Cyrus’s Hannah Montana persona was buried for good at the 2013 MTV VMA Awards, when she sang, danced, pointed a giant foam finger and waggled her bum against sleazemaster general Robin Thicke, who gallantly blamed her for the whole fiasco when the backlash gathered pace.
In fact the foam finger was only the beginning. This week she appeared on the cover of Paper magazine, naked except for a bit of mud and a shocked-looking pig. The rest of the shoot, by photographer Paola Kudacki, sees her covered in various neon stripes and naked as the day she was born.In fact the foam finger was only the beginning. This week she appeared on the cover of Paper magazine, naked except for a bit of mud and a shocked-looking pig. The rest of the shoot, by photographer Paola Kudacki, sees her covered in various neon stripes and naked as the day she was born.
The difference between this and a clothes-less Christina Aguilera cradling an electric guitar on the cover of Rolling Stone, for example, is that this is resolutely unsexy. It’s confrontational, Free The Nipple nudity. She doesn’t look coy, or vulnerable. She looks like she’s having a party. She’s taking the 90s Madonna approach to public sexuality: it’s deliberately provocative, and crucially, it is not being served up for male consumption.The difference between this and a clothes-less Christina Aguilera cradling an electric guitar on the cover of Rolling Stone, for example, is that this is resolutely unsexy. It’s confrontational, Free The Nipple nudity. She doesn’t look coy, or vulnerable. She looks like she’s having a party. She’s taking the 90s Madonna approach to public sexuality: it’s deliberately provocative, and crucially, it is not being served up for male consumption.
In the accompanying interview, Cyrus discusses her fluid gender identity: “I don’t relate to being a boy or a girl, and I don’t have to have my partner relate to a boy or a girl.” She says it took time for her parents, whom she calls “conservative-ass motherfuckers”, to come to terms with it, though eventually they did. And she discusses setting up the Happy Hippie Foundation, which raises money and awareness for issues around homeless LGBT youth. “I can’t drive by in my fucking Porsche and not fucking do something,” she says. “I was doing a show two nights ago, and I was wearing butterfly nipple pasties and butterfly wings. I’m standing there with my tits out, dressed like a butterfly. How the fuck is that fair? How am I so lucky?”In the accompanying interview, Cyrus discusses her fluid gender identity: “I don’t relate to being a boy or a girl, and I don’t have to have my partner relate to a boy or a girl.” She says it took time for her parents, whom she calls “conservative-ass motherfuckers”, to come to terms with it, though eventually they did. And she discusses setting up the Happy Hippie Foundation, which raises money and awareness for issues around homeless LGBT youth. “I can’t drive by in my fucking Porsche and not fucking do something,” she says. “I was doing a show two nights ago, and I was wearing butterfly nipple pasties and butterfly wings. I’m standing there with my tits out, dressed like a butterfly. How the fuck is that fair? How am I so lucky?”
How indeed. We’re so used to pop stars becoming blank and bland to reach the widest possible audiences – it’s no surprise that the most beige singer to blight the name of soul, Sam Smith, is doing so well – that it’s a joy to see someone kicking against those unwritten rules. Taylor Swift’s attempts to shed her wholesome image involved assembling a girl gang of glamorous celebrities to have a scrap to the soundtrack of a song rumoured to be a dig at Katy Perry. It’s strained.How indeed. We’re so used to pop stars becoming blank and bland to reach the widest possible audiences – it’s no surprise that the most beige singer to blight the name of soul, Sam Smith, is doing so well – that it’s a joy to see someone kicking against those unwritten rules. Taylor Swift’s attempts to shed her wholesome image involved assembling a girl gang of glamorous celebrities to have a scrap to the soundtrack of a song rumoured to be a dig at Katy Perry. It’s strained.
Miley Cyrus, meanwhile, has allowed herself to be filmed looking suspiciously “relaxed” in an animal costume on an inflatable sofa, covering Crowded House with current teen-pop princess Ariana Grande. For charity.Miley Cyrus, meanwhile, has allowed herself to be filmed looking suspiciously “relaxed” in an animal costume on an inflatable sofa, covering Crowded House with current teen-pop princess Ariana Grande. For charity.
Cyrus is a neon riot of memes and gifs. She gives good quote and she suits the attention span of a generation raised on MSN Messenger. She’s also clearly smart, and canny, and it takes some chutzpah to discuss sexuality so frankly, and as not a big deal. She may not have the associated songcraft of, say, Pharrell or Beyoncé (though We Won’t Stop and Wrecking Ball are indeed Bangerz) but legend has it that the best punks could barely scrape three chords together, so she’s in very good company.Cyrus is a neon riot of memes and gifs. She gives good quote and she suits the attention span of a generation raised on MSN Messenger. She’s also clearly smart, and canny, and it takes some chutzpah to discuss sexuality so frankly, and as not a big deal. She may not have the associated songcraft of, say, Pharrell or Beyoncé (though We Won’t Stop and Wrecking Ball are indeed Bangerz) but legend has it that the best punks could barely scrape three chords together, so she’s in very good company.