FIB traces the evolution of Miley’s career from Disney star to the New Miley and now Miley 2.0. Fans definitely waved the old Miley goodbye after the haircut, the tongue and the 2015 VMA’s. Since 2015 she’s released three albums, one of which flew very low under the radar. But what’s next for the Tennessee-born star?
The Disney Star Beginnings
Let’s throw it back to the Hannah Montana days. The guilty pleasure of coming home from school on an average Wednesday to a new episode of Hannah Montana just screaming to be watched. The sweet innocence of her youth made her ooze with popularity and success. The show lasted four seasons and 98 episodes with four soundtracks and a movie in 2009.
After the show’s last episode, Miley stated that she was excited to step out of “Hannah Montana” and be her own artist. She told BBC in an exclusive interview: “I worked for five years on something that was a character where I didn’t really get to be completely the creative person that I wanted to be so at this point I did the work that I had to do,” Miley told the network.
Miley Reinvents Herself
She then went on to release Can’t Be Tamed in 2010 which featured tracks like ‘Can’t Be Tamed’ and a cover of ‘Every Rose Has It’s Thorn’. The next couple of years were quiet for Miley in the music scene, so she looked towards the big screen. She appeared as the protagonist in The Last Song in 2010 where she met Liam Hemsworth and began dating him that year. She also went on to play the lead in LOL and So Undercover both in 2012 that didn’t really hit the mark at the box office. She also got engaged to Hemsworth that year.
2012 was a trying year for Miley. In late 2012, she went on to release Bangerz which featured tracks such as ‘We Can’t Stop’, ‘Wrecking Ball’ and ‘Adore You’. Fans watched as she sought to establish an individual identity outside of the Disney star machine and her efforts certainly didn’t come without controversy. She decided to leap into a more reckless, promiscuous Miley that the world wasn’t a fan of. Every pop star in the need of a reinvention goes with a dramatic haircut and wardrobe change and Miley was no different, going with a bleached blonde pixie cut and swapping out country boots and sundresses for a sexed up, edgier look. Her music video for ‘Wrecking Ball” which featured Miley wrapping her tongue around a sledgehammer and going sans clothes while straddling a wrecking ball also caused a stir. By 2013 this wasn’t the only thing to change, as Liam Hemsworth confirmed the engagement was off. Facing a personal nadir as her engagement crumbled, Miley went into radio silence mode and dropped out of the limelight.
The New Miley
She resurfaced to host and perform at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, making her debut as the new post-breakup Miley. She twerked, the internet had a field day and networks began mocking her every move in the industry. Let’s be honest though, Miley seemed like she DGAF. At least she was having fun, right?
Believe it or not but Miley released an album in 2015. Hadn’t heard of it? It’s called Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz and it flew way under the radar, partly because it was so strange, but mostly because she dropped it on Soundcloud after the VMAs for free. It was a 23 track album full of weird, crude and bizarre songs like “Dooo It!”, “Bang Me Box” and “Milky Milky Milk”. While there was some gross and explicit content in her lyrics and some real cringe moments in the songs, the album spoke about the kind of person Miley had become and a lot of people didn’t appreciate it. This was the real New Miley: the-hypersexualised-party-girl Miley, the-‘I don’t give a f-ck’-Miley, the-weird-covered-with-glitter-and-slime Miley, the-let’s-spell-everything-wrong Miley, the Miley and her Dead Petz era Miley.
.@MileyCyrus *unfollows*
— Marcus Jones (@MarcusJonesNY) August 31, 2015
@MileyCyrus is this some kind of joke? Miley and her dead pets? Wtf? Can this night not be about Miley. Tonight is about JUSTIN.
— Steffany (@JusDBiebArmy) August 31, 2015
“@MileyCyrus: Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz out now fo freeee motha fuckaz! Check dat $hit out. Garbage is also free. Coincidence I think not.
— Mike Scully (@MikeScully9) August 31, 2015
@MileyCyrus pic.twitter.com/ZaqFl2rtit
— vikki (@Vikttoriaaaa) August 31, 2015
Sorry, Miley.
The record was described by CoS as “a huge mess, but at least it was an honest one.” And you know what, we think Miley would probably agree.
Miley 2.0
But after this record, she died down a bit and has since worked in the shadows. She got back together with Liam in 2016 and a year later announces the release of her new single ‘Malibu’ and with an album to follow soon after.
Anyone who has heard the song ‘Malibu’ knows that the old smiley Miley is back. It consists of a simple yet busty beat with a kick drum or a cajon that plays under a gentle guitar riff that flows so nicely with her vocals. It is such a feel good song and you can’t help but smile when it plays. Her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, said that “this [song] is Miley leaning into her roots more than [he’s] ever heard,”. The song is accompanied by a music video that has her frolicking in fields and meadows for the first time since the 2009 Hannah Montana movie. It’s safe to say that Miley has found a balance between respect and being true to herself and her fans are loving that she’s back.
miley ray cyrus is back bitchez
— selien (@goddessmiIey) May 11, 2017
OOO KILL IT MILEYS BACK
— Anna Smales (@anna_smales) May 11, 2017
The video is BEAUTIFUL! The song is BEAUTIFUL! Welcome back!!! #MalibuOutToday #Malibu #MALIBUTODAY
— Mike Martin (@JoviFan1014) May 11, 2017
As for her upcoming album, rumours have surfaced that she touches base with her old country roots by bringing together classic instruments over electronic beats. We can expect an album full of happiness and feel-good vibes that will bring us back to a time before the tongue and the twerking. Here at FIB, we are excited to see what Miley 2.0 has to bring to the table.
Miley’s new single ‘Malibu’ is out now and available to buy or stream. Click below to listen:
Great piece! I’ve loved Miley at every stage 😉