“They didn’t care about it, they just thought it was another ballad,” is what Miley Cyrus said when she first shopped her mega hit “Wrecking Ball” to every producer in LA. Ahead of an absolutely gorgeous rendition of the breakup anthem on the Howard Stern Show, Smiley spilled the beans on how her on-again, off-again relationship with Liam Hemsworth inspired the lyrics. She said that their public “big breakup” resulted in her bawling her eyes out at the song’s live debut, with her mascara running down her face.
When Miley hit the Stern show, she noted that it had been a long time since her band had played the song. Miley has this great ability to come back to her past hits with a fresh approach and make them seem relevant to where she is now emotionally, and that’s on full display here. The Music Man has to say we’re not getting sick of this intimate acoustic take on this banger any time soon!
Miley’s cut of “Wrecking Ball” drew 14 million views on the Howard Stern Show’s YouTube channel, becoming one of the most popular performances in the history of the show. Fans found a whole lot to like, and added comments such as “She has one of the most powerful and expressive voices. She puts everything into every note” and “She does intimacy so well. Many people can sing, have high production values, etc. But you often feel like you’re in the room with her. That’s magic. Not many people can do that.”
Miley was absolutely cooking with gas when she dropped into the Howard Stern show that day. During the same session, she delivered a powerfully emotional rendition of her Hannah Montana-era hit “The Climb.” The fact she chose two older songs and reworked them acoustically says that she came there to make a reckoning with her past at that point. You can hear an older, more mature Miley coming back to the songs with a different emotional energy to them, but the power and the glory is all there still.
The Music Man readers may recall that “Wrecking Ball” was a turning point in Smiley’s career. The song debuted at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and soon climbed to the top spot. This made it the Tennessee hitmaker’s first number one hit on the US national chart. The success of the song was driven in a big way by the virality of the controversial music video. The clip shocked certain sections of the public, with the sudden shift away from her wholesome teen idol image into a very adult energy, given her performance in her birthday suit on the wrecking ball.