Miley Cyrus paid homage to a musical icon during her performance at the 2020 MTV VMAs on Sunday night—herself.
During the pre-recorded award show performance of her new single “Midnight Sky,” Cyrus sang in a black sequin, semi-sheer, sleeveless dress with a slit to her hip while standing in a cavernous black space illuminated by a single large, white spotlight. At one point, the pop star appeared straddling a huge disco ball that dropped from the ceiling, a reference to her own music video for “Wrecking Ball” in which she sits astride an actual swinging wrecking ball.
The timing for this self-referential moment makes perfect sense given that last week marked the seven-year anniversary of that video’s release. Cyrus celebrated the occasion on Instagram, writing, “7 years of Wrecking Ball. My concept of time is completely askew. Feels like a lifetime ago… but somehow only yesterday. Thank you for all the support you gave me then and of course the love you’re continuing to show my art today. Forever grateful & inspired.”
And now Miley has found a way to give one of her most famous pieces of iconography an update to fit her new Saturday Night Fever-inspired aesthetic.
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