"Miley and hammers up a tree"

Maybe she's got anaemia, because Miley Cyrus is vigorously licking an iron hammer in her video for Wrecking Ball. It's another outing for her freakishly large tongue, which has been hanging out of Miley's mouth like an unwanted sock on a washing line for the best part of a month.

As other websites have pointed out, the 20-year-old is also "naked" and "straddling" a demolition ball in the clip, in scenes which are no worse than a Rihanna video, but which will attract vituperous abuse because Miley has become a poster-girl for unnecessary crudity after that MTV performance.

The sad thing is this song didn't need any controversy to sell it. Unlike the try-hard We Won't Stop, Wrecking Ball is a full-throated declamation of pop angst. It was written by music mastermind Dr Luke, but the crashing drums and towering chorus could be the work of Ryan Tedder in full-on power ballad mode. Rank it alongside Halo and Battlefield, and try to forget about Miley's bottom.

Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball

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