Like all revolutions, this one started with a single shot.
On March 20, 2013, when Miley Cyrus posted a video of her twerking to J Dash's "WOP," we had no way of knowing it was the preamble to her Declaration of Independence, that with each posterior pop she was further distancing herself from her Disney-fied past and beginning her bid to become the most audacious star in pop. Mostly we were just wondering why she was wearing a unicorn onesie.
(...)
Ultimately, that's what separates her from the rest of the field. Compared to the Arianas and the Selenas of the world, Miley's decisions don't feel as if they're the end product of branding meetings and focus groups. Instead, they are unfiltered (and unhinged) to the max. And sure, both Katy and Gaga featured rappers on their respective albums this year, but they felt more like after-the-fact accessories. Miley, on the other hand, seemed to include French Montana or Big Sean on Bangerz mainly because she was, first and foremost, a fan. Let the critics cry about cultural appropriation ... Miley's just going to keep doing her thing, partially because she's just 21, but mostly because she spent the first 10 years of her career doing anything but.
Make no mistake, Miley's independence has been hard fought; and now that she's the one in control, good luck trying to wrest it away from her. It would be easy to chalk up her 2013 success to pure luck, but that would be selling her short. Perhaps it's time we all give her credit, not just for making all the calls, but doing so without fear or hesitation. Will others attempt to replicate her IDGAF-style career reinvention in 2014? Almost certainly. Will they succeed? Probably not. If we've learned anything this year, there's only one Miley Cyrus.
And to think, it all started with one twerk video.
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