2013 In Review: The year of Miley Cyrus

She came in like a wrecking ball, all right – 2013 was the year Miley Cyrus finally shook off that Disney princess image and became the pop phenomenon everybody was talking about.

When it comes to growing up on stage, it feels like Miley Cyrus has done it ten times over. From her beginnings as smiley child star of Disney TV show Hannah Montana, to her early attempts at breaking out to be a popstar in her own right, Miley is world class when it comes to a pop image reboot. But 2013 was the year that changed everything – nobody’s ever going to get Hannah Montana mixed up with Miley Cyrus again. This Disney princess was leaving her tiara behind – she had a new crown in her sights.

We could tell things were afoot when Miley got her hair lopped and chopped in 2012, and Miley started off 2013 with a new musical outlook. She featured on a couple of collaborations with high-profile stars Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion if we’re to give him bang up-to-date name) and Black Eyed Peas’ boffin will.i.am, but it was with We Can’t Stop that we really saw the new, improved (for most of us, anyway) Miley Cyrus.

The song – accompanied by a beautifully shot, Instagram-esque video of rich-kid hedonism – was a tribute to any teenager who’d just wanted to stay up a bit longer and dance with teddy bears. It wasn’t only Miley’s first Top 10 hit on the Official Singles Chart, it was her first ever Number 1! Yes, Miley finally struck gold with her ninth Top 40 single, taking residence at the summit in August. But she wasn’t done there.

Before things get really interesting, take a look at the video for We Can't Stop. Skull made of fries, anyone?

Following up that very special first Number 1 was the infamous appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards, when Miley made sure anybody sleeping at the back of class and unaware of ‘twerking’ got a front-row seat for a crash course. Showbiz’s A-listers looked on in, wel,l let’s call it admiration, as Miley strutted her stuff on stage in a rubbery, flesh-coloured bikini and a foam finger, before she got hip-to-hip with 2013’s other hugely controversial star Robin Thicke for a performance of Blurred Lines that was truly unforgettable.

Such was the media storm around Miley’s twerk-out that outspoken pop star Sinead O’Connor wrote her a series of open letters.

Never one to waste a good publicity opportunity, Miley moved straight on to her next project: the video for new single Wrecking Ball and the release of her fourth album Bangerz. Clearly a fan of those literal vids we all love to watch on YouTube, Miley decided to cut out the middle man and make one of her very own instead of waiting for a fan to do the honours.

Signing up notorious photographer Terry Richardson on directorial duties, Miley pulled on her very favourite DM boots and climbed atop – yes, you’ve guessed it – an actual wrecking ball and went for a swing. She also licked a sledgehammer, which would only have got less attention in newspapers and on blogs if there’d been an alien invasion the same day.

Watch Wrecking Ball in all its hammer-slurping glory:

Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball on MUZU.TV.

Chart-wise, it was a smart move, as the star scored her first Official Charts Number 1 double! Miley was the first – and indeed only – artist in 2013 to land the top spot on the Official Singles Chart and Official Albums Chart in the same week, as Wrecking Ball and Bangerz took their rightful places atop each.

"I truly appreciate the love I'm getting from the UK," Miley told OfficialCharts.com as we broke the news. "Not only is this my second Number 1 single, but even more amazing is my album has also gone in at Number 1!” She also gave the gift of parody, as Wrecking Ball skits were all over YouTube, and no Christmas tree was complete without a Miley Cyrus ‘Wrecking Bauble’.

Watch a Chatroulette-style parody of Wrecking Ball. Warning: this guy's bod is not quite as toned as Miley's.

The time between that first Number 1 We Can’t Stop and total Miley domination with that Official Charts double? About two months. Now that is a chart moment!

Do you remember where you were when you first saw Miley twerking with Robin Thicke?