Analysis Of A Star

Analysis of a star

In this piece I will analyse an artist or ‘star’. The Person I will analyse is Miley Cyrus. Miley Cyrus achieved her fame from playing the role of Miley Stewart or Hannah Montana from the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana. Miley recorded music for the soundtracks for the Hanna Montana episodes and film. Her music was released by Walt Disney Records. The success of the her being Hannah Montana made her a teen idol or a ‘star’. Miley then went to pursue her solo career and signed to Hollywood Records In 2007. Cyrus signed to Hollywood Records to pursue a solo career. She then performed her Best of Both Worlds tour the same year. The tour then turned into a high-grossing concert film which was called She embarked upon the Best of Both Worlds Tour the same year, in which she performed as both herself and in character as Hannah Montana. The tour was eventually turned into a high-grossing concert film titled Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (2008). In July 2008, Cyrus released her first solo album, Breakout (2008), which was commercially successful.

Through out the time Miley Cyrus was playing the role of Hannah Montana she was perceived as an innocent girl. The songs she sang for the soundtrack was also innocent and girly. At the time, Miley started Hannah Montana she was twelve, her fans where also around that age or even younger, and you would expect a twelve year old girl to be innocent at that age, and she was. When Miley Cyrus then rleased her album and went on tour this is where we could start to see a change. 

During the teen choice awards in 2010, Miley shocked the world with her actions on stage. While singing 'party in the usa' on stage on the teen choice awards, a little ice cream push cart came along with a pole on it, Miley then stood on the cart and produced actions with the pole that would relate to pole dancing. The actions there shocked the world as she was only sixteen and people were shocked as they were not used to this type of Miley.

Throughout her albums and time, Miley Cyrus has changed, with her music and with her style (clothes etc.) With her first album, 'Break Out' we see a happy innocent teenager. Her songs within her first album are also innocent. During 2009 and 2010, she released 2 albums. In 2010 Miley released 'Cant Be Tamed', and withing the artwork of the albums, we can see that she has changed. In breakout we see a happy normal teen singer, in cant be tamed we see a more of a sexual reference with Miley, we can see most of her stomach and she is pulling her belt down to her crouch region. The title Also shows a change, 'Cant be Tamed' here she connotes that she is a rebel and will not be controlled, she would do what she wants, a fathers nightmare.

 

Within her videos we can also see a change. With her Breakout album, she sang '7 things'. In the music video it is a common video for a rock/pop song, a performance, of her singing to the camera most of the time with her band behind her. The song is about a previous relation ship, and it contains the words 'love', it has high key lighting and presents a feel good mood. She wears clothes that does not reveal as much as in 'Cant Be Tamed' and are less sexually attractive.

Within 'Cant be Tamed' is where we see the new Miley. Within the video the lighting is much more low key than the other video I talked about, and the clothes she wears are also black, this both connotes that she has a darker personality, maybe moody and it generates ideas of being  a rebel. This can connote to her audience, as they are the same age which is where they become defiant and independent. The clothes she wears and her actions/dancing in the video are sexually referenced, compared to her old video where she dint wear revealing clothes or acted almost 

seductively. In the video she is half woman and half exotic bird. The animal references in the video also relate to my idea that she has grown up and is a sort of sex icon, as she is now ready to 'mate'.

Miley cyrus confoms to Richard Dyers 'Star' theory. Richard had a theory with 2 paradoxes, the 'Star' must simultaniously be ordinary yet extraordinary, as she wears things common to her audience which are the same age as her, however she is a music artist and can sing very well, this makes the audience look up to her as they can relate and have an idol. The second is that she must be present yet absent to genreate interest and suspence for the audience, so they want her to keep coming back and exited for that. Miley has done that and she has also changed from her album Breakout (2008) and Cant Be Tamed (2010).

In conclusion, Miley Cyrus has changed as she got older. She has become more of a sex icon, and as she has grown up, her fans have too, so they can both relate; like wearing the same clothes for example. Miley changed her style and image as she grew up however she is an example of Richard Dyers 'Star' theory, she has come back from her older album with a new image, to keep her audience interested and make more money.