Turkish fashion photographer and creative director Mert Alas has teamed up with global pop star Miley Cyrus for one of the most talked-about music videos of the moment, directing the dark and provocative visuals for her new single “Bass Persuades”.
Released on 3 September, the video has made an immediate impact, generating nearly seven million views on YouTube in its first four days.
“Bass Persuades” is the title track and first single from Miley’s forthcoming tenth studio album, due out on 18 September. It also ushers in a new chapter for the Grammy-winning American singer, who is now styling herself simply as Miley, dropping Cyrus from her professional name.
At the centre of the new era’s striking visual identity is Mert Alas, who is credited as both director and creative director of the “Bass Persuades” video. He has also photographed the new album artwork.
One of Türkiye’s biggest international success stories in fashion photography, Alas has spent three decades working at the highest level, most famously as one half of photographic duo Mert & Marcus with Marcus Piggott. Vogue Türkiye has described Alas as one of the major stars Türkiye has given to the international art and fashion world, while his portfolio spans countless major magazine covers, advertising campaigns and some of the world’s best-known celebrities.
His longstanding friendship and creative relationship with Miley is evident in “Bass Persuades”, a highly stylised, choreography-heavy affair that places the singer amid a nocturnal world of leather, sweat and uninhibited dancing.
The video moves between a crowded, dimly lit club and smoky city streets, with Miley dressed predominantly in black and surrounded by leather-clad dancers. As the track builds, the action spills outdoors into a full-scale nighttime dance sequence. Pitchfork described the visuals as heavily influenced by “leather culture”, while The FADER called the clip “choreo-heavy” and said it matched the record’s darker pop aesthetic.
The song itself mixes pulsating dance-pop and 1980s-style synths with a message about putting down our phones and reconnecting with music, people and the dancefloor.
Reaction since its release has been lively. Many fans have praised Miley’s latest reinvention and the video’s raw, sensual energy, with some drawing parallels with her earlier Can’t Be Tamed period. Others have been less convinced, describing the new sound as too polished or generic and saying they had hoped for a return to the rockier Miley heard on Plastic Hearts.
Whatever the verdict on Miley’s latest musical transformation, the millions already watching “Bass Persuades” have given Mert Alas another huge global showcase for his distinctive visual style.
Watch Miley – “Bass Persuades” on YouTube.
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