Miley styley: why the tongue-wagging, twerking Ms Cyrus is so appealing

With a hot new video, controversial Rolling Stone shoot and her Bangerz album out next week, Ms Cyrus is all over our radar. Phoebe Luckhurst anatomises the singer’s addictive appeal

THE HAIR

Miley’s transition from Disney princess to child bride of Chucky started with the haircut: she chopped off her flowing locks in August 2012. Miley had previously bleached her hair peroxide blond and a radical cut followed. The chop started as a serious crop with an undercut, though Miley has since hacked more off so it’s now much shorter. The first seminal haircut was administered by Hollywood hairdresser Chris McMillan, who also created the iconic Rachel. Get the look by slicing off your ponytail.

THE TONGUE

Usually seen waggling, on her Rolling Stone cover Miley’s tongue shows it has a new trick up its sleeve: licking her naked shoulder. She does seem to have a curiously long tongue; perhaps it was the discovery of this anatomical quirk that lead to Miley’s curiously childlike preoccupation with sticking it out at anyone and everyone.

THE MIDRIFF

Miley’s bod is down to pilates and, presumably, twerking a lot. She does pilates with top instructor Mari Winsor — who has compared her flexible charge to “Madonna in her Blond Ambition days”. Miley is also a devotee of the gluten-free diet. Though very slight, she’s taut and toned rather than bony and fragile — twerking has a lot to recommend it.

THE OUTFIT

Miley’s signature look is inspired by late Nineties sportswear: think athletic crop tops, baseball caps and gym shorts, many of which she customises. In the video for her new single 23 — much of which takes place in a locker room and on a basketball court — Miley wears a tight-fitting basketball top with cut-out panels, emblazoned with the name and number of basketball legend Michael Jordan. She also rocks out in tiny shorts and a matching bra, in the colours of the Chicago Bulls. Miley also favours classic shoes: white Converses at the MTV Video Music Awards and Doc Martens — her only costume — in the Wrecking Ball video.

THE LEGS

Miley’s look means nude-coloured latex pants and teeny denim cut-offs to display her athletic legs to the max.

THE TATS

Miley is rumoured to have as many as 20 tattoos. Her body art includes an animal tooth, a skull, the word “love”, a Leonardo da Vinci sketch, a pair of crossed arrows, the Roman numerals VIIXCI signifying the date 7/91 — when her parents met — and a profound etching, “So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Her Rolling Stone foot tattoos were drawn by artist Mojo, who gave Miley her first inking in 2009 when she was just 17.

THE ASS

AKA the protagonist in the world’s most famous dance. However, Miley has expressed her own consternation at its natural shortcomings, admitting, “People are like, ‘Miley thinks she’s a black girl but she’s got the flattest a** ever,’ — ‘I’m like, ‘I’m 108 pounds! I know!’”

THE CROTCH

It’s not all about twerking — many Miley moves involve her crotch, which she is either grabbing or caressing with a giant foam finger, leading the inventor of the prop, Steve Chmelar, to protest that she had “degraded” his creation. This week at the iHeartRadio Music Festival Miley had a crotch-off with fellow bump and grinder, Ke$ha.

FIVE THINGS WE CAUGHT CYRUS DOING THIS WEEK

1. While some stars might commemorate scoring a front cover of Rolling Stone by framing the cover, Miley recorded the event by getting the mag’s title tattooed on the soles of her feet. First impressions? The writing looks slightly smudged.

2. The news of her broken engagement to hunk Liam Hemsworth had barely broken before Miley was cavorting with a new beau: music producer Mike WiLL Made It. The 24-year-old music producer’s mum probably still calls him by his actual name, Mike Williams. The two worked together on her video, We Can’t Stop.

3. Miley’s moment with the monkey prompted an epiphany in the young star: “Imma make a Tumblr. Just to post more pixxxx like this #twerkinwithadayummonkeyonmyback”. Thank God there will be more pictures like this.

4. Lady Gaga invoked the wrath of Miley fans earlier this week when she tweeted a picture of herself and an angelic, Hannah Montana-era Miley captioned, “DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN WITH LADY GAGA”. Shortly afterwards, #SmilersWantLadyGagaDead was trending on Twitter — Smilers being Miley’s über-fans.

5. Don’t say Miley doesn’t look out for her fellow troubled teen: Miley has anointed herself the mentor of Justin Bieber. The two share a penchant for gratuitous nudity, primate parties and lost childhoods. Miley wants him to wear more. The mind boggles.

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