When an Unapologetic Miley Cyrus Intended to Make History With a Raunchy Performance at the 2013 VMAs
Miley Cyrus's 2013 MTV Video Music Awards performance became the talk of the town, sparking discussions that lasted for days. Even iconic musician Paul McCartney couldn't resist tuning in, curious about the commotion surrounding her show. This curiosity mirrored the sentiments of countless audience members and viewers watching from the comfort of their homes. Cyrus's provocative and boundary-pushing performance left an indelible mark on the event, with reactions spanning from shock to admiration, making it a defining moment in the history of the VMAs and pop culture as a whole.
In a post-2013 VMAs interview, the now-30-year-old Miley Cyrus shared her perspective, stating that she intended to "create a historic moment," reminiscent of the iconic Britney Spears and Madonna kiss. After the release of her track We Can't Stop in 2013, Cyrus brought elements from her music video to life during her MTV stage performance. However, it wasn't just the teddy bear dancers and pigtails that left a lasting impression. During the performance, Cyrus twerked, stuck her tongue out, and suggestively used a foam finger. Robin Thicke later joined her, singing his hit song Blurred Lines, and the audience had mixed reactions as Cyrus danced provocatively alongside him. While Cyrus didn't perform at the 2022 VMAs, her performance from almost a decade ago remains a significant and memorable moment in the history of the awards show.
A few days after the performance, Cyrus expressed her perspective on it, essentially likening her VMA performance to the iconic 2003 VMA kiss between Britney Spears and Madonna. Cyrus told MTV, “I don’t pay attention to the negative because I’ve seen this play out so many times. How many times have we seen this play out in pop music? Madonna’s done it. Britney’s done it. Every VMA performance, that’s what you’re looking for; you’re wanting to make history."
She continued, "Me and Robin, the whole time said, ‘You know we’re about to make history right now.' What’s amazing is, I think now, we’re three days later, and people are still talking about it. They’re overthinking it, you’re thinking about it more than I thought about it when I did it. Like, I didn’t even think about it ’cause that’s just me," per E! News.
In the aftermath of the performance, it wasn't just Cyrus who shared her thoughts. Thicke also made comments about it in the days that followed. “We knew what we were getting ourselves into, We’re entertainers, and the VMAs is the perfect place for a little shock and awe. Yeah, we kind of knew when we were in rehearsal,” he said. “We were like, ‘OK, if you touch me with your foam finger all over my crotch, obviously a few people are going to have something to say about this.’ But that was the whole point. I mean, the whole point was to excite and provoke and entertain," he told Star magazine.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on September 17, 2023. It has since been updated.
