One of the most notable aspects of growing up in modern generations is that our habit of reminiscing is much more prevalent than in the past.
The nostalgia for the 90s is the most iconic example of this phenomenon – everyone is familiar with the concept of “90s kids,” and as that generation continues to age, there is an increased focus today on the media of the 2000s.
One of the biggest icons from that era is Miley Cyrus: the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley rose to fame after being cast as the star of the Disney Channel show “Hannah Montana,” in which a California teen struggles to balance her daily life and her secret life as a pop star.
Throughout the show’s run, Cyrus released two albums, “Meet Miley Cyrus” (in conjunction with “Hannah Montana 2”) and “Breakout,” as well as five studio albums as Hannah.
Cyrus’ break from her clean image first began with her 2010 single “Can’t Be Tamed,” which encompassed her desire to express herself and break free of the persona she was confined to. This coincided with the fourth season of “Hannah Montana” a month later, around the same time the show began to receive criticism that Cyrus was “too inappropriate” to be a role model for young viewers.
When “Bangerz” came out in 2013, “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball” were the only singles that made the charts - and even then, Cyrus’ new image was the subject of much debate.
When Cyrus released her single “Malibu” in 2017, it was her first song to hit the charts since 2013 – absolutely none of her work during her “Dead Petz” era made any impact in mainstream media. The closest her fifth album came to publicity was when Cyrus performed on “Saturday Night Live” in 2015, but the album generally received mixed reviews.
While Cyrus originally denied that her edgy persona was a phase, her recent appeal to a more reserved audience directly correlates with the downswing in her career.
Cyrus’ return to country is an appeal to the highest points of her career with only some of the success. Cyrus received wide acclaim for her cover of godmother Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” in 2012, in the midst of her changing image.
The manipulation of her career was best exemplified in 2017, when Cyrus performed a set at the Radio 1 Live Lounge and finished her show with the songs “See You Again,” which she released 10 years prior, and “Party in the U.S.A.,” which came out in 2009.
Cyrus more directly appealed to the nostalgia of her childhood fans in performing these songs, whereas works like “Malibu” showed the audience that Cyrus’ edgy phase was over. Both sides curtailed Cyrus’ wild image for something more conservative.
Cyrus has publicly stated that being the star of a hit show at a young age – not to mention balancing the multiple identities of “Hannah” and “Miley” - took an immense toll on her mental health that was unfair to put on a teenager. The show began in 2006 when Cyrus was 13 and continued until she was 18 in 2011.
Cyrus is a celebrity that isn’t easy to pin down: her experience as a child star obviously influenced the choices she made and she isn’t clearly defined.
On the one hand, Cyrus has publicly identified as genderfluid and pansexual, the latter of which she addressed in the 2017 song “She’s Not Him.” On the other hand, Cyrus has continually been criticized of appropriating black culture throughout her career, especially with her “hip hop” image and use of weed.
When Cyrus’ edgy image failed to win her fans, she changed specifically because it wasn’t profitable for her career.
The way Cyrus acts is understandable, though it doesn’t excuse her actions. Her edgy phase wasn’t profitable, her country phase isn’t as profitable as the peak of her career, so I’m genuinely not sure where she’s going to go from here.
The only thing I can say for sure is that Cyrus’ career is a reflection of what profits in society: to quote actress Amandla Stenberg, “What if we loved black people as much as black culture?” Time can only tell where Cyrus will go from here.
