In a single 24-hour window, the then-20-year-old star released “Wrecking Ball” as the second single from her upcoming Bangerz album—and took the stage at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards for an infamous, headline-grabbing performance that permanently altered the trajectory of modern pop culture.
Up until late summer 2013, the public still largely associated Cyrus with the squeaky-clean, blonde-wigged heroine of Hannah Montana. While her lead single “We Can’t Stop” signaled a shift toward a bolder, hip-hop-influenced era, it was August 25 that severed the cord entirely:
- The Single Drop: RCA Records officially released “Wrecking Ball” to digital platforms. Unlike the party-centric “We Can’t Stop,” “Wrecking Ball” was a raw, devastating pop ballad that put her thunderous vocal talent front and center.
- The VMA Shockwave: Hours later, Cyrus delivered her infamous VMA performance alongside Robin Thicke. Dressed in a nude latex bikini set, wielding a foam finger, and twerking across the Barclays Center stage, she set a then-record 306,000 tweets per minute and ignited a global media firestorm.
Shattered Expectations and Her First #1 Hit
While the VMA performance drew intense public scrutiny and shock, the release of “Wrecking Ball” proved that Cyrus’s metamorphosis was backed by undeniable musical firepower.
When the song’s iconic music video arrived two weeks later—featuring Cyrus crying in close-up before swinging nude on a literal demolition ball—it shattered VEVO 24-hour view records and propelled “Wrecking Ball” to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first multi-week top spot of her career. The stark juxtaposition between raw emotional vulnerability and shocking imagery forced the industry to view her no longer as a former child actor trying to shock, but as a formidable pop powerhouse.
A Career Forever Changed
Looking back, the release of this song was the day Cyrus claimed full agency over her image—accepting the chaos, controversy, and freedom that came with stepping out of Disney’s shadow.
Cyrus has since reflected on that wild Bangerz era as a necessary firestorm. The cultural noise surrounding “Wrecking Ball” and her VMA moment directly inspired her to launch the Happy Hippie Foundation in 2014, mobilizing her massive platform to fight homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth.
From the psychedelic experimentation of Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz and the country-rock roots of Plastic Hearts to her record-shattering, Grammy-winning Endless Summer Vacation (“Flowers”), the creative freedom Cyrus enjoys today was bought on that fateful August day when she swung a wrecking ball straight through her past.
