Miley Cyrus dishes on coming Bangerz Tour

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"I don't have a hard time making fun of myself," said Miley Cyrus, the foam-fingered starlet known for the twinkle in her eye and the twerk in her heart. On Wednesday, the outlandish pop star took part in a teleconference to publicize and elaborate upon her coming Bangerz Tour, which is set to launch on Valentine's Day at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. For the 25-minute chat, Cyrus answered questions that were submitted by journalists online and vetted by a moderator. She revealed nothing shocking, her manner was upbeat and she maintained her composure throughout. And when it was over, you could have knocked the phone-holding journalists over with a wrecking ball.

The arena tour takes in 38 North American cities, with stops in Montreal (March 29) and Toronto (March 31), in addition to the Vancouver kickoff. Hesitant to ruin surprises, the 21-year-old Nashvillian did reveal that the stage design and visual component of the concerts would be "something to remember" and that her grandiose ideas have posed problems logistically. "It's something I've actually had to fight for a little bit," said the sparky singer, whose 2011 Gypsy Heart Tour grossed more than $26-million (U.S.). Cyrus went on to say that some of the arenas would not be able to handle all of the show's equipment, but that in each city the spectacle would be "the biggest it can be."

As for some of the visual components, Cyrus characterized the 3-D imaging as "so dope." Costumes, it was revealed, have been worked upon by well-known fashion designers Phillipe and David Blond, Marc Jacobs and Jeremy Scott, whose creations in particular were singled out by the fun-loving exhibitionist as "really insane." As well, past designs by the legendary Bob Mackie will be employed. Cyrus characterized those pieces as "really sick. …

"Clothes for me, or the lack thereof, say a lot," she summed up.

Illustrations to be shown on video screens were developed by the Canadian animator John Kricfalusi, known for creating the The Ren & Stimpy Show, an offbeat television series which ran in the early 1990s. (The character Stimpy was an affable but soft-headed feline, usually pictured with its tongue hanging from its mouth.)

As for the concert program, Cyrus noted that a nightly acoustic set would be featured, and that the length and song list for the stripped-down segment would vary from show to show, depending on audience reaction and her whims. Over all, she said, songs from her latest album Bangerz would be emphasized, rounded out with cover songs and past hits.

While not responding directly to a Globe and Mail question on lip-synching, the dusky-voiced Wrecking Ball singer said the 90-minute productions would not be heavily choreographed – except for the stunts opening and closing each show – and that her vocals would be the focus. The concerts would be "completely live," she said.

"I don't rehearse too much," Cyrus acknowledged. "I want every night to feel like a different show," she continued, adding that the production was built around "me and my ADD."

(It is not known whether the impulsive singer actually suffers from attention deficit disorder, but it is unlikely the diagnosis would be challenged.)

The tour competes with jaunts by her pop peers. Tickets have already gone on sale for the North American leg of Lady Gaga's artRave: The ARTPOP Ball (May 4 to July 21). Seats for Katy Perry's massive Prismatic World Tour (June 22 to Oct. 10) are available next week.