Taylor Swift, ‘Blank Space’ vs. Miley Cyrus, ‘Wrecking Ball’ — Greatest Pop Video of the Modern Era [Semi Finals]

Last year, we ran a super-sized competition to determine the greatest pop song in modern history, from the 80s to today. Now, we're back—and this time, it's all about honoring the best and boldest in music videos.

We've reached the semi-finals in the 2010's edition of our search for the Greatest Pop Video of the Modern Era, and now Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus have entered the proverbial ring to battle it out for your votes! Swift won her first round by a small 5% margin, whereas Cyrus won hers by a whopping 37%, so maybe your votes will help even the scores!

With "Blank Space," Taylor Swift didn't just prove she knew how to create a perfect pop song, she also showed the world that her self-awareness would prevent her from succumbing to the incessant chatter of pop's most relentless critics. The video takes place in a gorgeous palace, fit for the kind of romantic princess that some of Swift's previous songs portrayed her as. But the video develops a striking counterbalance to this superficial romance by presenting a darker side to Swift: she's no longer so coy and playful. And the best part is that her handsome arm candy has no idea what she's capable of, even as she sings her scathing lyrics directly in his face.

In Miley Cyrus' controversial video for "Wrecking Ball," Cyrus showed us how she doesn't just love; she loves hard and isn't afraid to leave a path of destruction in her wake when she doesn't get what she wants. So when she tells her ex-lover, "Don't you ever say I just walked away," he can rest assured that their parting will not be such sweet sorrow. When she licks the sledgehammer or rides the wrecking ball naked, she's not just trying to shock audiences with her nudity; she's confronting the audience with her raw emotions presented in tight close-up. Ultimately, the clip finds Miley naked in more ways than one, to stunning effect.

So now it's time for you—our passionate and devoted readers—to cast your votes to help us determine who will move on to our final round of the 2010's! Will it be the maneating Taylor Swift or the scorned lover Miley Cyrus? You can vote once per hour until the poll closes on December 9 at 5 PM ET.