Miley Cyrus threw fans a curveball at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, taking on one of the greatest songs of all time instead of delving into her many “Bangerz” hits. Cyrus and the Flaming Lips leader Wayne Coyne remotely performed the Beatles’ “Lucy In The Sky of Diamonds,” and the cover crashed into the 2014 ceremony, which aired live on Sunday night (May 18), like a wrecking ball.
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Miley Wins Top Streaming Artist (Watch):
Cyrus has always demonstrated a desire to experiment with her music, and for the Billboard Music Awards, which aired live on ABC from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the pop superstar reached back in time for a grandiose rendition of the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” classic. With the Coyne by her side and also covered in tinsel, Cyrus presented the song with shimmering streamers, roaring instrumentation and a palpable reverence of the source material, belting out the words as confetti flew into her mouth.
At last year’s Billboard Music Awards, Cyrus announced the release of an then-unreleased single, “We Can’t Stop” — and what a difference a year has made. “We Can’t Stop” rejiggered Cyrus’ standing in the pop universe, “Wrecking Ball” bestowed the singer with the first Hot 100 No. 1 single of her career, and the Bangerz tour rightfully celebrated a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart.
Miley Cyrus: The ‘Bangerz’ Cover Story
Cyrus is a finalist for Top Artist at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, along with Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake. The pop singer’s performance followed sets by Pitbull, Shakira, Ariana Grande, 5 Seconds of Summer, OneRepublic and many more of mainstream music’s biggest personalities.
Check out Miley’s video Q&A with Billboard, way back when she graced our cover last summer: