6:50 am - 02/15/2014
VANCOUVER - Miley Cyrus is like a cheap bonbon: A pop artist in a shiny, attention-grabbing wrapper. The candy itself tastes a lot like other cheap sweets found in the pop bin. But the exterior is so gaudy to look at you can't help but notice it standing out from the rest.
It wasn't necessarily the strength of Cyrus' Bangerz that made her become one of the top newsmakers of 2013: It was the foam finger at the MTV Video Music Awards (and essentially crushing Robin Thicke's career); the appropriation of twerking; and the risqué, overtly explicit content of her post-Hannah Montana/Disney years — sex, money, drugs — coalesced into the flick of a pointy tongue and her signature "I don't give a f---" grin.
But as cheap, shiny pop candy is wont to do — especially "dangerous" treats — it sells by the crate load. And also helps to build hype for an album and tour that have been heralded as Miley's big shot at becoming not just an A-list pop superstar (which she arguably is at this point), but the A-list pop name to beat from now on.
So one couldn't help but walk into an essentially sold-out Rogers Arena for the kickoff of the Bangerz tour Friday night (on Valentine's Day, to stay on the candy tip) with a slight feeling of apprehension, and the hope that Miley could show everyone that she is not the player, she is the game itself.
Because that's exactly the point of Miley's latest outing. Like every other pop star before her, Miley is playing the game with absolute pinpoint perfection. Even shock-rocker Alice Cooper, the man who essentially invented the modern theatrical rock concert, wasn't shocked but rather awed by her tactics (or that of her marketing team, not that it makes much of a difference).
Walking into the arena Friday night, it was plain to see that Cyrus' influence is wide: Fans young and old lined the concourse, packed the front of merch tables, with the mid-20s crowd decked in club gear, downing more than their share of bubbly alcoholic beverages. Things were about to get "turnt up" in here, to borrow one of Miley's favourite lines (pun intended).
Speaking of lines, some were indeed blurred.
While the room was adorned with strings of party balloons, the vibe was certainly not children-friendly (and the crowd consisted of many).
It was actually disturbing to see kids and parents clutching posters of Cyrus sporting an essentially crotchless unitard or wearing T-shirts showing her making out with herself in a mirror. There were also inflatable bananas on sale (we'll let you figure that one out yourself).
First review of Miley's Bangerz tour
VANCOUVER - Miley Cyrus is like a cheap bonbon: A pop artist in a shiny, attention-grabbing wrapper. The candy itself tastes a lot like other cheap sweets found in the pop bin. But the exterior is so gaudy to look at you can't help but notice it standing out from the rest.
It wasn't necessarily the strength of Cyrus' Bangerz that made her become one of the top newsmakers of 2013: It was the foam finger at the MTV Video Music Awards (and essentially crushing Robin Thicke's career); the appropriation of twerking; and the risqué, overtly explicit content of her post-Hannah Montana/Disney years — sex, money, drugs — coalesced into the flick of a pointy tongue and her signature "I don't give a f---" grin.
But as cheap, shiny pop candy is wont to do — especially "dangerous" treats — it sells by the crate load. And also helps to build hype for an album and tour that have been heralded as Miley's big shot at becoming not just an A-list pop superstar (which she arguably is at this point), but the A-list pop name to beat from now on.
So one couldn't help but walk into an essentially sold-out Rogers Arena for the kickoff of the Bangerz tour Friday night (on Valentine's Day, to stay on the candy tip) with a slight feeling of apprehension, and the hope that Miley could show everyone that she is not the player, she is the game itself.
Because that's exactly the point of Miley's latest outing. Like every other pop star before her, Miley is playing the game with absolute pinpoint perfection. Even shock-rocker Alice Cooper, the man who essentially invented the modern theatrical rock concert, wasn't shocked but rather awed by her tactics (or that of her marketing team, not that it makes much of a difference).
Walking into the arena Friday night, it was plain to see that Cyrus' influence is wide: Fans young and old lined the concourse, packed the front of merch tables, with the mid-20s crowd decked in club gear, downing more than their share of bubbly alcoholic beverages. Things were about to get "turnt up" in here, to borrow one of Miley's favourite lines (pun intended).
Speaking of lines, some were indeed blurred.
While the room was adorned with strings of party balloons, the vibe was certainly not children-friendly (and the crowd consisted of many).
It was actually disturbing to see kids and parents clutching posters of Cyrus sporting an essentially crotchless unitard or wearing T-shirts showing her making out with herself in a mirror. There were also inflatable bananas on sale (we'll let you figure that one out yourself).
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