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Can't Be Tamed (song)

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"Can't Be Tamed"
Song

"Can't Be Tamed" is a song by American singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus. The song was co-written by Cyrus, Antonina Armato, and Tim James and produced by Armato and James. It will be released on May 18, 2010 by Hollywood Records as the lead single of Cyrus' third studio album, Can't Be Tamed. The song's accompanying music video was directed Robert Hales and features Cyrus performing with backup dancers throughout a museum. Cyrus is first trapped in a giant cage, being observed by spectators; she then escapes and trashes the museum.

Background

Hollywood Records described "Can't Be Tamed" as a "a self-empowering song in which Miley asserts that she has to stay true to herself in relationships".[1] The song contains heavy uses of synths while, in a few lines, Cyrus' vocals are auto-tuned in parts. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly interpreted the lyrics to "Can't Be Tamed" spoke of her completely drawing away from the image she had developed through Hannah Montana (2006).[2] The song premiered on April 30, 2010 on Cyrus' official MySpace page; it was officially released for airplay on May 3, 2010 and will be released as a digital download on May, 18, 2010.[1]

Critical reception

Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly felt "Can't Be Tamed" was "not bad business for stationary cardio, but not the stuff year-end top tens are made of, either." She said it didn't offer "major sensations" and found it similar to Christina Aguilera’s "Not Myself Tonight" (2010). Greenbalt was also disappointed with the song's rhyming in the lines, "I'm not here to sell ya' / Or tell you to go to hell...beep beep".[2] Sonya Sorich of The Ledger-Enquirer said that while she anticipated some negative reception, "Can't Be Tamed" [...is] also a prime candidate for a guilty pleasure dance track."[3] Jarett Wieselman of The New York Post said he liked the song and that though he did not buy Cyrus's "Party in the U.S.A." (2009), he feared he would not "be able to resist" buying "Can't Be Tamed". He said the song had a "naughty old school Britney Spears" vibe, called it "totally catchy" and predicted it would be a summer hit.[4]

Music video

File:Miley Cyrus - Can't Be Tamed music video.JPG
Cyrus and the backup dancers performing in a giant cage, in the music video for "Can't Be Tamed".

"Can't Be Tamed"'s music video was directed by Robert Hales,[1] while dance routines were choreographed by Jamal Sims.[5] In regards to the video's theme, Cyrus explained, "I think [the video] explains my life but it doesn't exclude other people's lives. It's not just about how fabulous and glamorous and all this. It's about the core of 'I don't wanna be in a cage. I want to be free and do what I love'".[6] The video was meant to transition Cyrus away from the good-girl image she had developed through Hannah Montana.[3] However, she believed her fans would be able to identify with the video's message through their own circumstances, such as through high school social hierarchies. She believed that her desire to "stand out [rather] than fit in" was shared by teenagers hoping to break out of high school cliques.[6] In an interview with the singer, Ryan Seacrest noted the video's strong sexual appeal. Cyrus agreed that the video was sexy, though it was not supposed to be the premise: "The video isn't about being sexy or who can wear the less clothes [...] It's about explaining the song and living the lyrics."[6]

Before shooting, Cyrus meticulously drafted her ideas for the video on paper. While she did not want her dancer's bodies "to look like normal bodies", she didn't want them to wear scales and look too fish-like or too wear bird feet and look too scary. Cyrus also chose their makeup pallets.[7] The music video was shot on April 10 and April 11, 2010 at Sony Studios in Culver City.[8] Over twenty female and twenty male backup dancers were used.[7] Seacrest asked her how she thought her fanbase would react to the video's release; she believed the video was the first step toward "growing up".[9]

File:Miley 11.png
Cyrus performing in a shredded jumpsuit, and plumage, in the music video for "Can't Be Tamed".

The video commences with formally dressed spectators entering a museum as a curator introduces "a creature so rare it was believed to be extinct. In captivity for the first time, the rarest creature on Earth, Avis Cyrus".[10] White curtains are pulled to reveal Cyrus, dressed in a black leotard[11] and expansive black CGI wings,[12] asleep in a giant bird nest locked inside a giant cage.[13] Cyrus rises and approaches the audience, but a camera flash startles her and causes her to shield herself with her wings. The music starts, and Cyrus unveils herself again and joins a large group of feathered dancers. As Cyrus sings, she and the dancers escape the cage and prowl the museum, shattering museum exhibits as they pass them. They perform provocative dances both inside the cage and in darkened museum halls.[11] Cut-scenes feature Cyrus lying down, dressed in a silver corset attached to a bed of peacock feathers, or writhing alone in her nest in the cage.[14] The video ends with Cyrus back in her cage and the museum empty and trashed.[11]

Video reception

The video premiered on May 4, 2010 on E! News.[15] The video received generally positive reviews from critics. It also received numerous comparisons to videos by Britney Spears and Lady Gaga,[16][17][18] though Cyrus said she "wanted it to be something different for a female artist".[9] Cristina Gibson of E! described the video as "edgy", similar to Cyrus' video for "Party in the U.S.A.", but "on steroids".[8] Tina Warren of MTV News said the video was a good step toward ridding Cyrus of her good-girl image and gave the video a positive review, calling it "intriguing" and stating, "The video [...] is actually quite magnetic and you can’t look away".[11] Tanner Stransky agreed. While he acknowledged the video "might be dark and a tad conceptually racy", he claimed it was smart move. "She isn’t moving too fast, honestly [...] it’s not like Miley is stripping or baring much skin".[19] Rather, Stransky said Cyrus had "some super-fun dance moves" and "[made] a statement", albeit a darker one.[19] Chinese newspaper People's Daily said the video featured "bold" costumes and "reveal[ed] [Cyrus's] sexy side".[20] Daniel Rutledge of 3 News in New Zealand said Cyrus had made "it very clear she wishes to cast aside any resemblance to the Disney alter ego that made her famous and be regarded from now on as an adult singer."[21] According to People magazine, online reaction to the music video has been greatly varied. "Fans and bloggers lit up the Web with comments ranging from 'stunning, gorgeous, fierce' to 'wow way too much for someone her age'", the magazine reported.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b c Vena, Jocelyn (April 26, 2010). "Miley Cyrus' Can't Be Tamed Due June 22". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved April 30, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  2. ^ a b Greenblatt, Leah (April 30, 2010). "New Miley Cyrus, Can't Be Tamed: Death to Hannah Montana". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner, Inc. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Sorich, Sonya (May 4, 2010). "Miley Cyrus Can't Be Tamed video: We're not in Hannah Montana land anymore". The Ledger-Enquirer. The McClatchy Company. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  4. ^ Wieselman, Jarett (April 30, 2010). "Aw crap, I like another Miley Cyrus song". The New York Post. News Corporation. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  5. ^ "Miley's New Music Video Can't Be Tamed". Mileycyrus.com. Hollywood Records. April 29, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  6. ^ a b c Haberman, Lia (May 4, 2010). "Miley Cyrus Spills on "Sexy" New Video". E!. Comcast. Retrieved May 4, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  7. ^ a b Finn, Natalie (May 4, 2010). "Miley Cyrus Says Liam's Proud of Her New Video (So Why Couldn't He Watch Her Shoot?)". E!. Comcast. Retrieved May 4, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  8. ^ a b Gibson, Cristina (April 12, 2010). "Miley Cyrus Celebrates "Edgy" Video With New Boy". E!. Comcast. Retrieved April 30, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  9. ^ a b Schwartz, Terri (May 4, 2010). "Miley Cyrus Breaks Free In 'Can't Be Tamed' Video". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved May 4, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  10. ^ "Miley Cyrus ruffles a few feathers in raunchy video for new single Can't Be Tamed". Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers Ltd. May 6, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  11. ^ a b c d Warren, Tina (May 5, 2010). "Miley Cyrus' Dresses As A Sexy Bird In 'Can't Be Tamed' Video". MTV News. MTV. Retrieved May 6, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  12. ^ http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1638580/20100506/cyrus__miley.jhtml
  13. ^ Lee, Ann (May 5, 2010). "Miley Cyrus breaks free in Can't Be Tamed music video". Metro. Associated Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  14. ^ Roberts, Sorya (May 5, 2010). "Miley Cyrus' 'Can't Be Tamed' music video has singer, 17, pole dancing in plunging S&M-style corsets". The New York Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  15. ^ Staff, Eol (April 29, 2010). "Miley Cyrus' "Can't Be Tamed" Video Debuting on E!". E!. Comcast. Retrieved April 30, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  16. ^ Miley Cyrus Grows Up with "Can't Be Tamed" Video
  17. ^ Miley Cyrus 'Can't Be Tamed,' Leaving Hannah Montana Behind
  18. ^ http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/05/cyrus_debuts_mature_look_in_ca.html
  19. ^ a b Miley Cyrus "Can't Be Tamed" Video: Has Our Little Tween Star Flown the Coop?
  20. ^ U.S. teen star Miley Cyrus shows sexy side in racy music video
  21. ^ Miley Cyrus in controversial, sexy new video
  22. ^ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20366518,00.html
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