The Shag. Business in the front, party in the back. Billy Ray Cyrus‘ unbridled territory. Many have tried to put a label on the phenomenon, but none have managed to do it justice. The mullet may be known as society’s single most polarising beauty trend, but any seasoned fan knows this is child’s play. The mullet isn’t one thing—it encompasses a vast array of styles and attitudes.
The term as we know it was first coined in the 1994 Beastie Boys song ‘Mullet Head’, but the unassuming hairstyle actually has a much richer (and extensive) history surrounding it. Contrary to popular belief, the trend didn’t begin in the 1980s. Rather, the mullet’s roots date way back to the Ancient Greeks and Romans and have continued to pop up time and time again.
If you ask us, it’s the perfect hairstyle for any era and it’s no surprise that it has become a symbol for rebellion. Take David Bowie’s iconic red mullet as Ziggy Stardust, for instance: he trailblazed the punk shag of the ’70s. Well known for his trademark androgyny, Bowie’s look dismantled arbitrary gender binaries, with his mullet style walking the line between femininity and masculinity. His hair was an integral part of his alter ego, and would go on to serve as inspiration for generations to come. The point is: Mullets are in and they’re here to stay.
We’ve seen it on our favourite country fellas, we’ve seen it on our favourite new wave icons, and now we’re seeing it on our favourite celebs in 2020. Here are our picks for this year’s best celebrity mullets.
Miley Cyrus
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Like father, like daughter. Cyrus has actually gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to mullets: In just one year, she’s debuted multiple different styles, much to our delight.
From the subtler, Patti Smith-inspired shag to the full-on mullet crop, the singer has tried it all. In fact, she’s openly acknowledged her new-wave muses Joan Jett and Debbie Harry in a (scarily believable) Photoshop edit:
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In light of this, we thought it was only fitting that she came up as number one.
Finn Wolfhard
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If there’s one thing Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard is known for, it’s his incredible mop of curls. We’ve seen them short, we’ve seen them long, and we’ve seen them straightened; but most importantly, we’ve seen them cut into a mullet.
Wolfhard’s Noel Gallagher-esque ‘do is one of our favourite celeb mullets in recent memory. It’s versatile, it’s edgy, and it looks cool as all heck. What’s not to love?
Conan Gray
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The ‘Heather’ singer is one of the newer admissions into the mullet club, but a welcomed one nonetheless. There’s something truly mesmerising about a curly shag haircut that we can’t quite pin down.
Troye Sivan
Not many dared to go as hard on the mullet trend as Troye Sivan did this year. When we said “business in the front”, we did not anticipate that he would go this hard with “party in the back”. Plus, when you throw in those soft, face-framing curls, what choice do we have but to simp?
Kesha Rose
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The ‘TiK ToK’ singer-turned-beauty mogul sported one of the most exciting mullets we’ve seen all year back in June for Pride Month. The neon, highlighter-yellow hue is just the cherry on top of an absolutely iconic look. 10/10.
Billie Eilish
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While we’re on the topic of neon-coloured mullets, how could we possibly forget Billie Eilish? The ‘Therefore I Am’ singer has been rocking the slime green neon roots for a long while now, but we have to say that they looked their best in a shag (just look at the texture and dimension!). Granted, Eilish actually began sporting the hairstyle back in November of last year. However, since she has largely kept the cut (albeit longer) throughout this year, we’re counting it!
Debby Ryan
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The former Disney Channel star took us by surprise with this hair makeover, but we’ve got to admit—we love it. Ryan has sported the same healthy, long locks (fringe optional) for far too long, and we’ve just been waiting for a change like this.
Maisie Williams
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The Game Of Thrones actress took her locks to UK-based salon Bleach London for this absolute winner of a cut. The honey-blonde ends and the dark roots give her messy chop incredible dimension—not to mention, the cut frames her face perfectly!
Barbie Ferreira
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The Euphoria star is no stranger to the mullet, but her most recent attempt at the trend is our favourite of hers to date.
Zac Efron
The 17 Again star committed to a little baby mullet at the Attaboy Barber Shop in Australia, then turned the scissors on the barber’s boss, Robby.
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