7 Things - Music Video

Music Video

Cyrus invited Brett Ratner, director of the "7 Things" music video, to her home to tell him how much the song meant to her and what it was about. After proposing numerous ideas to each other, they decided to make the video "simple with a white backdrop". Cyrus said that neither she nor Ratner wanted the video to be "all about " because the song's message was universal; "almost every girl in America could say they hate their ex or current boyfriend," claimed Cyrus. As a result, the video features numerous adolescent girls including actresses Nicola Peltz, Liana Liberato, and Maiara Walsh. During the planning session, Cyrus showed Ratner a collection of personal items her ex had given her, such as photographs and his dirty socks, which she had stowed away beneath her bed. They decided to include some of these items as props in the music video. For example, the necklace Cyrus wears in the video was her ex-boyfriend's medical identification tag, which he received because of his diabetes mellitus.

The video was shot on May 30, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Unexpectedly, several girls began crying during the shoot; Cyrus attributed this to the emotions in the song. Ratner was impressed with Cyrus' instinct and ability to address emotional issues while making them "fun at the same time". Ratner compared her to Madonna, saying, "she can be hanging out and laughing, and then you put the camera on her and it's like, 'Holy shit!'" The effervescence made editing more difficult for the director. He said, "It was the hardest video I've ever edited because every moment was great. Every moment that she was on camera, she was amazing. She's got an incredible quality about her. She gets the camera, and that's what it takes to make a great music video." Cyrus commented that she felt the video was "more honest than song" and that she was "singing out to that special person".

The video commences with a close-up shots of Cyrus' face as she counts in the backup band behind her. For a moment, she is replaced by a different girl holding a small stuffed monkey. Cyrus then reappears, holding onto her necklace and wearing a multicolored sequin sundress designed by Sass & Bide, black Chuck Taylor All-Stars, and leg warmers. Her wavy hair styled loose and in front of her shoulders. As Cyrus continues to sing, she is replaced by more girls holding different items, including teddy bears, stuffed animals, snow globes, and love letters. As the song approaches its chorus, Cyrus and the girls start dancing and jumping. Cyrus continues singing as she holds a white rose and a girl deletes a text message from her boyfriend. At one point, Cyrus holds a photograph of her and an ex-boyfriend with black curly hair, his face obscured by a doodle on a piece of notebook paper. At the end of the video, Cyrus blows the camera a kiss, mouths "I love you," and turns away.