Review Revue: Critics React To Miley Cyrus’ “Can’t Be Tamed” Video

Robbie Daw | May 5, 2010 1:30 pm

For her latest single “Can’t Be Tamed,” Miley Cyrus returned to songwriter/producers Antonina Armato and Tim James, who were behind the boards for the Disney star’s previous Top 10 hits “See You Again” and “7 Things.” But if anyone thought Miley’s fine-feathered music video for the song (watch here) was going to be a tame affair, they were in for a naughty awakening! Let’s head below to see what the critics thought of the 17-year-old pop princess’ bump-‘n’-grind declaration of independence!

First of all, major props to Towleroad for this headline: “Miley Cyrus Hatched Overnight And She’s Ready To Peck.”

Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly‘s Music Mix rates “Can’t Be Tamed” favorably by noting, “This here video might be dark and a tad conceptually racy, but it’s not like Miley is stripping or baring much skin, a la some of the stars who have morphed themselves before us in the past.” (Gee, Tanner—whoever could you be referring to?)

The San Francisco Chronicle‘s SFGate blog admits they may have been hasty in pre-judging Miley’s new adult direction unfavorably: “Frankly, this is a new sound for Miley Cyrus and when artists takes a new direction it’s always at considerable risk. This corner didn’t think she could pull it off. So wrong. So very wrong.”

New York magazine’s Vulture blog brands the “Can’t Be Tamed” vid a “Gaga Lite production,” while praising the “surprisingly appealing choreography.”

E!, which premiered the video, announces that “Miley joins the rock starlet ranks of Xtina, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga with feathers flying, workin’ some striking costumes ‘n’ cosmetics.”

MTV Buzzworthy‘s Chris Ryan declares the whole thing to be “a pretty clear metaphor for both Miley living a constant life of scrutiny, always under the microscope, and her rebirth as a young woman and different kind of artist.” The writeup ends on an upbeat tick: “We can’t wait to see where she flies off to next.”

Hecklerspray is a bit more prickly to the bird-themed clip: “Yes, our little Miley Cyrus is all grown up. ‘Can’t Be Tamed’ is said to represent ‘the next step of Miley’—which is presumably the step where she rips off things that Britney Spears was doing at the height of her mental difficulties.”

Things are stated a bit more bluntly by blogger MuuMuse, who plants tongue firmly in cheek by commenting, “Generally the young siren succeeds here, throwing in some boob shots, the word “Hell” (BURN HER), and some saucy hip swinging/stripping. There’s even a millisecond where it seems she’s going in for the kill with another lady. (Oh, grlll.)”

The Huffington Post added a poll to gauge readers’ opinions of Miley in “Can’t Be Tamed.” So far the majority have voted that she’s “too sexy for 17.”

And perhaps in the end, Neon Limelight sums it up best: “Although Cyrus will swear up, down and around that the clip isn’t about being overtly sexy or sexual, there’s no getting around the shots of thigh galore, way too much underage cleavage and bumping and grinding. Miley can’t be tamed, but she sure can drum up controversy.”

So what do you think of Miley Cyrus’ “Can’t Be Tamed” video? A brilliant act of defiance from one of today’s brightest young stars? Way too sexy? Not enough feathers? Let us know below!