“Wrecking Ball” – Single by Miley Cyrus from the album Bangerz
Released: August 25, 2013
Label: RCA
Songwriters: Maureen McDonald, Stephan Moccio, Wallace Skarbek, David Kim, Lukasz Gottwald and Henry Walter
Producers: Dr. Luke and Cirkut
Charted No.1 in US and No.1 in UK
Cyrus had no part in writing this song, but there was very real emotion behind it: she was going through problems in her relationship with the actor Liam Hemsworth, and the couple would split up not long after.
This was written in two parts. The musical underpinnings for the chorus came from a writing session with MoZella and guitarist, songwriter and producer Kiyanu Kim at his New York City studio. The song then came together in a single songwriting session that took place September 24, 2012 among MoZella, Sacha Skarbek and Stephan Moccio. Skarbek is a British songwriter who played a key role in the development of James Blunt, including co-penning the Worldwide #1 hit, “You’re Beautiful”; Moccio is a Canadian composer whose credits include Celine Dion’s 2002 hit “A New Day Will Come” and Nikki Yanofsky’s official theme of CTV’s 2010 Winter Olympics coverage “I Believe.”
“Wrecking Ball” debuted at number fifty on the Billboard Hot 100, and subsequently became Cyrus’ first number-one song on the chart after the release of its controversial music video; it retained the peak position during the following week. Nine weeks later, the track returned to number one, and consequently had the largest gap between number-one sittings in Billboard Hot 100 history within a single chart run.
AAn accompanying music video for “Wrecking Ball” was directed by Terry Richardson, and was premiered through Vevo on September 9, 2013. The clip features close-up footage of Cyrus emotionally singing to the camera against a white backdrop, having been inspired by the music video for “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor.[36] Interspersed throughout are scenes of Cyrus licking a sledgehammer and swinging on a wrecking ball. At first, she is shown dressed in a midriff-baring tank top, panties and Doc Martens boots; as the video progresses, she is then shown wearing only the boots.
This won Best Video at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards. Cyrus celebrated her award by lighting up a joint and taking a puff onstage. The event was held in Amsterdam, where marijuana smokers can’t be prosecuted for possessing small amounts.
Lyrics:
We clawed, we chained our hearts in vain
We jumped never asking why
We kissed, I fell under your spell.
A love no onecould deny
Don’t you ever say I just walked away
I will always want you
I can’t live a lie, running for my life
I will always want you
I came in like a wrecking ball
I never hit so hard in love
All I wanted was to break your walls
All you ever did was wreck me
Yeah, you, you wreck me”
