Miley Cyrus performed “Wrecking Ball,” whose music video shows her swinging on a wrecking ball.
The song was released in 2013 as a single from Cyrus’s fourth studio album, Bangerz. Directed by Terry Richardson, the video contrasts close-up shots of Cyrus singing with stark industrial imagery, including the famous wrecking-ball sequence and scenes of her breaking through a concrete wall.
The video became one of the most discussed pop clips of the 2010s because of its provocative imagery and emotional performance. Its central visual metaphor reflects the song’s theme of a relationship causing emotional destruction. Cyrus’s tearful close-ups also became a widely recognized part of the clip.
The video is sometimes confused with other dramatic pop videos involving destruction or large props. The wrecking ball itself, however, is the defining image of Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball.” Terry Richardson’s direction is separate from the song’s writing and production credits.