I love Miley Cyrus.
It’s true. I do. I think that she is one of the best fashion-forward, LGBT-supporting, love-spreading celebrities out right now. Yes, she may be a little over the top. She may show a little too much skin. She could possibly be participating in some illegal activities. BUT, her message is very clear: you do you. And that is why I love her.
Now, I’m sure you’ve all heard by now about her hosting the VMAs this past weekend, and I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures of her outfits, heard her new album, “Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz,” and how she dropped it at the VMAs, but what I’m sure that last thing on your mind was, is that Miley Ray Cyrus is a genius.
You all probably think I’m crazy. But, let me break it down for you. An average of 10 million people tune in each year to watch the VMAs, the majority of those people being teens between the ages of 12-34. Wanna know why? Because we’ve grown up with the people that are winning awards. I remember when Miley Cyrus was rockin’ the, “Best of Both Worlds,” soundtrack, when Justin Bieber still sounded like a girl when, “One Time,” was released, and when the Jonas Brothers were still one band, not one solo artist, one family man, and one who no one pays attention to anymore. And that’s why Miley is a genius. We’ve known her since she was the innocent ‘Hannah Montana’ rocking out to her cute, pop songs. I’ve been a very firm believer ever since she started to change her style that people would absolutely adore her if she hadn’t been the innocent ‘Hannah Montana’ for all those years. Her becoming the person she is today (although I don’t agree with everything she does) was the best move she ever made. Even though parents fear that their children (now teens) who grew up watching Miley on Hannah Montana would turn into her, that’s not going to happen. I’m now 17 and I would never think about doing anything that she does, but I do admire her. Teens aren’t turning into the controversial singer you see today, but instead are getting a much more important message: don’t judge, be yourself, and, most importantly, don’t be boring.
People think she’s crazy, people think she’s dumb, but I think she knows exactly what she is doing. She shocks her audience every time she releases something new. Every time she walks on stage, or walks out of her home, people want to know what she’s doing, what she’s wearing, why she’s doing what she’s doing. Isn’t that the ultimate goal for your business? To be followed by your audience, for people to be genuinely interested in what you’re doing? Don’t you want to shock your audience? If you don’t, then you’re doing something wrong, and Miley Cyrus is doing something right.
Her Instagram posts are extraordinarily weird, BUT they catch your eye. They make you wonder, “What’s next?” And to top it all off, on one of the most-watched nights of television, she dropped her newest album without anyone knowing, sang a new song at the VMAs and posted a link to her album, FOR FREE, on her Instagram. Now, I know we can’t all be Miley Cyrus, and I know that we can’t all have the publicity that she has. But, what we can do, is follow the mantra she lives by: be yourself. Be creative. Be unique. Make your business a combination of things, people, and events. Create a brand for your business that promotes what you believe in, not what society thinks you should believe in.
You do you, guys. But, in my opinion, we should all #TurnTheLightBulbOn, put on our sparkly jump-suit, and be a lot more like Miley Cyrus.
By Harley Crawshaw | @harley_crawshaw
About Tom Harness
Oh, Miss Harley, where to start – smile.
M.C., REALLY? What has she done with her fame and success to make a difference and show girls/young women how to be successful in their own way? Please enlighten me. It goes beyond the shock value and the clothing. Our young ladies need to see what it really means to be a beautiful person on the INSIDE, not just the outside.
Yes, I am the one that wears crazy suits and bow ties to be noticed, however it’s what I do with that notoriety that defines my “brand.” You are young and we all worship and idol people differently when we are young, for me it was Beastie Boys and Alf (Don’t Judge Me).
You are young and we all idol people when we are younger that make our parents (and employers) cringe at, but we did the exact same thing. I can only pray (and don’t you worry, I will pray) that as you get older, your mentors and idols change with you. If they don’t and you still turn out to be the beautiful person I know you will be, then I personally don’t care.
It pains me to say this, but good article.