Miley Cyrus might be best known as a pop star, but she can crush it onstage punk rock style too, as seen when she sang Billy Idol classic “Rebel Yell” with the man himself. Cyrus took the stage with the godfather of punk rock at the iHeartRadio Music Festival to sing a feisty duet on the 1984 hit, and you better believe they were firing on all cylinders!
Idol took the opening verse then he sang the chorus together with Cyrus. The Tennessee pop star then took the second verse, and oh my, what an amazing rock ‘n’ roll voice she has. Her smoky low register and electric high-end vocals combined to make for one helluva performance, especially given it was all done live. As for Idol, it’s been 33 years since he first recorded the song, but he still approached it with all the energy we’ve come to expect from the English firebrand.
Idol’s tone for his clean vocals has changed a little over the years, but his screams sounded pretty much identical to how he did in his 20s. It’s really a sight to see him nail that vocal to the wall at 61. Cyrus has obviously studied at the school of rock ‘n’ roll extensively, as her screams were also totally on point and a real highlight of the show.
It was also great to see original Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens hit the stage as well, and he delivered the iconic guitar parts with just the right swagger as he always does. Idol’s band has changed a lot over the years, but having Stevens back in the fold since rejoining in 1999 is definitely an essential ingredient to Idol’s music. If you can’t get enough of Cyrus’s raspy voice, then you’ll definitely want to check out her live take of Blondie’s “Heart Of Glass” at the iHeartRadio Festival.
We love to share the best in special live performances on The Music Man, and Idol and Cyrus’s duet was definitely a favorite with fans online. Rock fans tuned in 14 million times to see the duet and added comments such as “They both seemed to be so excited to perform with each other. Total respect and admiration for one another” and “Their chemistry on stage is mesmerizing. Miley is a chameleon – she can sing everything.”
The pair performed the duet at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival, while Cyrus performed her take on “Heart Of Glass” at the same festival in 2020. If you would like to hear more from this talented artist you can follow them on their Facebook. Additionally, you can see more updates and photos on their Instagram.