Miley Cyrus Performs ‘Wrecking Ball,” and Acoustic ‘We Can’t Stop’ on SNL

Miley Cyrus was the musical guest as well as the host of “Saturday Night Live.” Watch her perform her party anthem ‘We Can’t Stop,’ seated and accompanied by three acoustic guitarists. She also performed ‘Wrecking Ball,’ fully clothed.

The 20-year-old pop star and former Disney Channel Hannah Montana defied expectations of another headline grabbing live TV performance. With the MTV VMAs still talked about as if it took place yesterday, she didn’t need to. The twerking was all in her parody video on SNL — “We Can Stop (the Government)” as she portrayed Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann in full tongue wagging, twerking glory, alongside Taran Killam as House Speaker John Boehner, with a fondness for body-hugging white underwear and, of course twerking.

The success of the revamped “We Can’t Stop” music video will be debated, much like the government shutdown itself. But the contrasting live performances were notable. As Sinead O’Connor so passionately intoned in three open letters, Miley Cyrus has plenty of talent, she doesn’t need to strip down and become prostituted by the music industry. It’s not to say the pop star heeded the words of the elder icon but it was notable to see her performing in clothing and without twerking.

She took to the stage to perform her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit single “Wrecking Ball,” as she wore a long sports jersey that was only demurely sheer and in no way distracting from the soaring melody and poignant lines of the song as she was backed by a rock band and backup singers. She returned to the stage, as noted, with an acoustic version of “We Can’t Stop,” singing the lyrics of the anthem to good times — “It’s our party we can do what we want / It’s our party we can say what we want” and so on — as she sat surrounded by three acoustic guitarists.

Defying expectations is a wise strategy. One does not want to become a parody of one’s self. So Miley Cyrus wisely let members of Congress twerk in revealing underwear as she herself sang. Her new album ‘Bangerz’ — being the purpose of the ceaseless publicity that we are collectively giving her — is due out on Tuesday, October 8th. Critics’ reviews are mostly favorable.