music-mix.ew.com
Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O’Connor is no stranger to controversy (she famously tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II while saying, “Fight the real enemy!” on Saturday Night Live in 1992), but the 46-year-old musician finds nothing amusing about Miley Cyrus’ headline-grabbing antics — or her recent willingness to strip off her clothes.
O’Connor has penned an open letter to the artist formerly known as Hannah Montana in response to Cyrus’ recent Rolling Stone cover story, in which she explained that O’Connor’s iconic music video for “Nothing Compares 2 U” helped inspire her own “Wrecking Ball” clip — you know, the one that features Cyrus licking a sledgehammer and swinging naked on a wrecking ball.
“Nothing but harm will come in the long run, from allowing yourself to be exploited,” O’Connor warns, “and it is absolutely NOT in ANY way an empowerment of yourself or any other young women, for you to send across the message that you are to be valued (even by you) more for your sexual appeal than your obvious talent.”
“The music business doesn’t give a sh– about you, or any of us,” she continues. “They will prostitute you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think it’s what YOU wanted… None of the men oggling you give a sh– about you either, do not be fooled.”
O’Connor’s words are harsh, but she weaves in moments of sincere admiration for Cyrus’ musical ability throughout the piece. “You have enough talent that you don’t need to let the music business make a prostitute of you,” O’Connor argues. “Your records are good enough for you not to need any shedding of Hannah Montana. She’s waaaaaaay gone by now. Not because you got naked but because you make great records.”
