There are some songs that just shouldn?t be covered. A lot of people would agree that Nirvana?s Smells Like Teen Spirit was one of those.
But not Miley Cyrus.
Miley decided that she was the perfect person to belt out a borderline sacrilegious version of the Nirvana classic, on her latest tour.
Wearing a skin tight cat suit and stripper heels, Cyrus began to writhe and grind her way through the high tempo grunge track in front of a stunned audience comprising mainly of children who don't have a clue who Nirvana were and parents who probably loved Nirvana and are now collectively picturing Kurt Cobain?s headless corpse spinning in its grave.
Maybe Miley is just trying to bring a long forgotten cultural identity back into the modern zeitgeist; after all, her father was very successful in doing the same thing to the mullet at the height of his career.
And let's not forget that Miley herself has no doubt got a whiff of Teen Spirit about her too, what with all the pictures of her smoking suspicious looking substances from bongs and wearing less clothes than it's probably legal for anyone to see in a photograph? even if it is on her MySpace profile.
Undoubtedly Courtney Love is probably calling in the lawyers as we speak, trying to figure out just how much of Miley?s fortune she's now entitled to before she has her killed.
But until then, for those of you that can stand it, here is the video of Miley Cyrus breaking a generation of Achey, Breaky Hearts by covering Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Let's just hope she can keep her head about her for the next few years.
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Michael Park says
I like the fact that she went out of her way to sound like Courtney Love.
Randypan says
Looks like she’s having some sort of seizure at 0:50, a rock seizure.
Mithaearon says
A little part of me has just died….
and yes I am a 30 something holding on to my grunge past…..
T-Cake says
Randy – you read my mind. A totally rhythm-less seizure. I grew up listening to Nirvana, and I’m nearly 30. I kind of doubt that Billy Ray was cranking it in the Cyrus home during Miley’s youth.
Brandt Hardin says
Kurt Cobain changed my life with his music. This is sacrilege and he
John Kim says
Her voice isn’t that good, so I don’t get why they let her be a pop star
Misssmartypants says
You could almost call this sacrilegious . . . . How an eighteen yr old nitwit/poptart thought she had the right to attempt to pay homage to one of the greatest songs of all time. . . . and yes I am a 30 yr old too!
Chris says
@T-Cake, in fact, Billy Ray and Kurt Cobain were friends, having met on the road and bonded over the fact that both had baby daughters born a few months apart, i.e., Frances Bean Cobain, born in Aug. 1992 and Miley, born in Nov. 1992. And yes, Billy Ray often played his friend Kurt’s albums at home; that’s how Miley and her little brother Braisen became fans. I’ve known a lot of musicians in my life and the one thing I’ve noticed about them is that most serious among them know what it takes to be a professional and they appreciate that in others, regardless of genre. Miley’s version of “Seems Like Teen Spirit” was raw, real and in the best tradition of rock and roll. In my opinion, it passes the test of any good cover: it brings something new and fresh to the song and brings it alive again.
Chris says
I think Courtney Love says it best: roseofsharon666 courtney m loved @VeraciousKvetch why ? its not against the law. miley can do what she wants, its fine rock out w her cock out, why would i care?good for her
collin says
sounds like she had a little bit to much of something and wasnt able to come up with her own song
Si Sharp says
It’s all pop music, a concept Cobain really wasn’t scared of. Kurt was a good-natured chap and probably did get on with Cyrus. Can’t see him having too much creative respect for Cyrus’ music but my opinion counts for jack-shit since I didn’t know him.
The version is terrible. There are songs you shouldn’t cover. Not because they’re sacriligious (it’s a pop song dickwads not a piece of Jesus’s foreskin) but because your version can not move out from the shadow of the original. That said I’d rather hear a crappy pop version than a faithful version by Nickelback or some other bunch of earnest ballbags with shit hair.
JoeMomma says
The world has come undone. A quick google search revealed a few articles like this.
http://stereogum.com/641452/billy-ray-cyrus-kurt-cobain-were-bros/news/
ER says
Miley is brave, unlike most people knocking her here. She’s herself, she dances her way, sings her way, does life her way. Brave. She’ll cover anything and here she’s singing a song she likes. That’s what it is, a song, all you Nirvana snobs, it’s just a song. And what do you guys have to say about how Miley did Landslide? Funny how there’s nothing about that as Miley can’t be criticized for the outstanding job she did with that song. Or the confidence she showed when she performed with Joan Jett on Oprah. Of course Miley does rock, but Miley’s rock, not someone else’s. As far as bad covers go, give me a break. Have you heard Paul Anka do this cover, or even that kid on American Idol? There are horrid covers of this song, Miley did a good to decent job, she had some attitude going on. She’s not Kurt, it’s his song, but let Kurt try to do the Climb or Robot if we can bring him back at age 18 and see how good he does with Miley’s songs. How do you think Barbra Streisand would do singing the Climb? I don’t know, but I’d applaud her if she’d try. That takes guts. Bravo Miley. Keep singing this song and any other song you choose.
T-Cake says
Didn’t see that coming. I stand corrected. Still not wild about cover, though.
Si Sharp says
I agree! What outstanding bravery she shows by singing songs, even more so when you consider that she’s been raised to be a singer. It takes such courage to do the job you’re paid to do. Especially when you’re paid so much.
You silly person. She’s not evil, but get some perspective! You make her sound like she’s some kind of crazed maverick artist living in poverty. Just cause some ‘real music’ bores on a website forum don’t like the idea of some attractive (and essentially uninteresting) showbiz kid singing their song doesn’t make her Rosa fucking Parks.