Miley Cyrus’ Creepy Space Cat Explained

Miley Cyrus’ American Music Awards performance included a large CGI cat. Although the controversial singer is well-known for her unusual costumes and props, the cat was unexpected and vaguely creepy.

After the performance, viewers were left wondering who or what inspired the unusual cat. It turns out the graphic display was the work of two men working under the label BRTHR. Alex Lee, age 21, and Kyle Wightman, age 22, developed the graphic using a viral internet meme.

The meme features a small cat standing upright. While the words on the meme have changed numerous times, the original said “you are no match for my powers of cuteness.” Lee and Wightman thought the cat was perfect for Miley Cyrus’ show. However, they needed to track the photo to the original owner.

In an interview with Yahoo News, Lee said he and Wightman eventually found the owner in Japan and paid him for rights to the photo.

Lee said he and his partner teamed up with Gustavo Torres and Logan & Sons to develop the project:

“We came up with [the concept] in one meeting. We wanted something that would be weird enough, but bold. … we were nervous, but we started anyway and came up with the looks and how it would be sort of lo-fi. We were really into that aesthetic.”

The cute cat meme eventually became a “lost kitty in space crying diamonds.” In addition to creating the space cat, Lee and Wightman have worked with Angel Haze, Iggy Azalea, Foster the People, and Duck Sauce.

The space cat was certainly creative. However, it confused a lot of fans. In a review of the show, the Star Tribune attempted to describe the cat:

“… no way can we explain it. Playfully absurdist, it was a moment Salvador Dali would be proud of… “

In true Miley Cyrus style the space cat concluded the show with a by winking and sticking its tongue out. Although it was somewhat odd, the CGI cat was made famous by the AMA performance.

[Image via Facebook]