Miley Cyrus 'Saturday Night Live' 2013: 'Wrecking Ball' Singer Scores Biggest Ratings on 'SNL' Since Justin Timberlake
It seems by all accounts Miley Cyrus' highly anticipated appearance on "Saturday Night Live" was a massive success for both sides. Cyrus, hot off her controversial "MTV Video Music Awards" performance with Robin Thicke, put her acting and singing chops to good use on "SNL." Cyrus was both the musical guest and host of the Oct. 5 episode of "SNL." The ratings are in, and according to reports, Cyrus' "SNL" performance was a huge success.
The Wrap reports that the show earned a 2.7 rating, bringing in about 6.7 million viewers. This is the show's highest ratings since March when Justin Timberlake played the host and musical guest role. By comparison, Timberlake's episode scored a 3.4 rating with about 8.4 million viewers. What is also impressive about Cyrus' performance is that she brought in great ratings despite a rebuilt cast. "SNL" veterans such as Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, and Fred Armisen are all gone. However, this didn't stop people from tuning in.
Whether you agree or disagree with Cyrus' antics, they are clearly working. Cyrus brought in great ratings for "SNL" and it appears that her new album Bangerz is going to do very well. Although the new Billboard 200 chart won't be revealed until Wednesday Oct. 16, Billboard reports that Bangerz is likely to top the charts, bringing in more than twice the opening amount of Cyrus' last album Can't Be Tamed.
Cyrus continues to make headlines with her racy and controversial behavior, but so far, it has equaled sales and ratings. Critics also can't say that Cyrus was a complete train wreck on "SNL," as she got through the show with a relatively clean performance. Cyrus is no Meryl Streep, but she showed she is capable of doing more than just singing. She also showed she can poke fun at herself and her recent behavior.