Miley Cyrus – Building A Media Empire

Miley Cyrus - American Idol Gives Back
Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images North America)

It’s been a long-lasting love fest between American consumers and Miley Cyrus. She became an over-night sensation and never looked back.

So who is in the center of this media fire storm? Well it’s Miley Cyrus. She now has a hit movie, an incredible “Hannah Montana” tour and oh yes, that hit TV show that seems to now air all the time on the Disney Channel.

Miley Cyrus is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, who is famous himself for his hugely hit single “Achy Breaky Heart.” Cyrus was born in Nashville as Destiny Hope Cyrus, but at an early was nicknamed “Smiley,” which then became Miley by her father.

Americans have spent billions of dollars over the last few years into the Miley Cyrus / Hannah Montana empire. Young girls have been bombarded with an endless array of products every time they enter a retail store. Everything and anything with even a picture of Hannah or Miley has come into our homes, making our childless neighbors or those with a cadre of boys scratch their heads in curiosity as to why this teenager’s face graces so many surfaces.

Cyrus shot to instant stardom in the Disney hit show when she was just 14 years old. The Disney teen TV  ”Hannah Montana” show debuted on March 24, 2006. The Hannah Montana series focuses on a young girl who lives a double life – one as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) by day and two, a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night. The secret is Miley Stewart hides her true identity from the public. Only her close friends and family know the truth.

The cable TV show became the most-watched program for kids ages 6 to 14. The show also produced a hit soundtrack that debuted at number one of the Billboard Top 200. Billboard magazine critic Ray Waddell described Miley’s charm as “charisma and a very winning personality that’s easily conveyed by both television and live performance.”

In 2007, Miley Cyrus released a follow-up album “Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus,” which sold more than a million copies. Cyrus went on a 54-city concert tour. People magazine reported Cyrus was dating fellow teen pop star Nick Jonas of Jonas Brothers’ fame, who guest-starred on “Hannah Montana” and toured with Cyrus. Teen magazine website J-14.com often features news on Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers.

In 2008 Miley Cyrus was again featured on the cover of People magazine and dubbed “the world’s richest kid,” in a cover story about teen superstars. Cyrus signed a seven-figure book deal, raked in an estimated $1 million per week while on tour and is projected to sell $1 billion worth of “Hannah Montana” merchandise.

But like most celebrities, Cyrus has hit hard with negative news that created a media sensation. At the same time Cyrus’s People magazine cover hit stands, Vanity Fair magazine ran racy photos of Cyrus and a controversy erupted. Many critics attacked Miley Cyrus, saying she disappointed her pre-teen fan base and deemed the photos inappropriate because of their provocative and sexy nature. Cyrus quickly issued a public apology just as the Vanity Fair magazine was hitting the stands.

Miley Cyrus released her new music video Let’s Do This. This will serve as the theme song for Hannah Montana: The Movie, which will be open in U.S. theaters on April 10, 2009. The lyrics do show an attempt for Cyrus to break out of her Hannah Montana cookie cutter image.

Hannah Montana is the latest Disney pop star to try her hand at movies. Whether Miley Cyrus follows either the divergent paths of Lindsay Lohan or Hilary Duff will remain to be seen. While to date, she has not made the poor choices of Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) will have to be strong and have a strong supporting cast against the many evil temptations of Hollywood culture.

Miley Cyrus - Hannah Montana

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