Russell Bailey

Disney Princesses

Britney Spears. Christina Aguilera.  Justin Timberlake.  All three superstars, and all a product of Disney.  Arguably some our best pop talent today, and they all got their start on the Mickey Mouse Club.

I was listening to the radio last week and heard for the first time “Party in the USA,” but didn’t recognize the voice.  A little bit cheesy maybe, but part of the song struck a cord with me.  Maybe its because I relate to the story of being new to Hollywood, and building my own career.  Either way, it sounded to me like a song of a young artist who was definitely breaking into the industry.

So when I got back home, I looked up the song on the net, and to my disbelief, it was Miley Cyrus.  I was shocked – even though I’d never seen Hannah Montana, I was sure that anything that came from Miley Cyrus would have to be for tween girls – until I saw the music video.

Now forget about Miley for a second and just watch the video.  It is aesthetically beautiful – the director did a fabulous job with different levels of lighting and contrast.  It is eye candy for any director of photography.  Part two: Miley.  After watching this video, I know that Miley Cyrus is no longer Hannah Montana.  She truly is entering the arena of young pop stars – following in the footsteps of Christina and Britney – but for some reason, I think that she is more ready for it than either of them were.

I want to put her in a movie – a real movie.  Get rid of the Disney stigma, and see what she is capable of.  As a dual threat, crossing the boundaries between music and screen, I have a feeling that her career is just beginning.