7 Things

Miley Cyrus stepped away from her teen idol persona with the release of "7 Things" on June 18, 2008. The track served as the lead single for her second studio album Breakout, marking a deliberate pivot toward a grittier pop-punk and country-pop sound. Written by Cyrus along with Tim James and Antonina Armato, the song features production duties handled solely by Armato. Its driving rhythm section and guitar-heavy arrangement signaled a rebellious new chapter in her career compared to the polished teen-pop of her previous work.

The lyrics list seven specific grievances against an ex-boyfriend before twisting into a confession that she still loves him despite his flaws. This structure captured the messy reality of young heartbreak while fueling intense tabloid speculation that the song targeted her then-boyfriend Nick Jonas. Cyrus never confirmed or denied the rumors, allowing the narrative to dominate media coverage. Commercially, the single reached number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first top-ten hit on that chart, and peaked at number 10 in Australia.

Brett Ratner directed the official music video, which premiered on YouTube on June 28, 2008. The visual features Cyrus performing in a warehouse setting intercut with footage of teenage fans lip-syncing the chorus. By early 2025, the video had accumulated over 370 million views. Critics noted the effective genre shift; Rolling Stone called it a surprisingly effective pop-punk kiss-off, while Entertainment Weekly gave it a B rating for being catchy but shallow. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the single 2× Platinum. [تعديل]