WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.540 Welcome everyone to the deep dive. We take these 00:00:02.540 --> 00:00:05.540 really complex bundles of information you send 00:00:05.540 --> 00:00:07.360 our way and try to boil them down to the core 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:09.439 insights, the really fascinating stuff. Yeah, 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:12.199 exactly. And today we are diving into a career 00:00:12.199 --> 00:00:15.109 that's... Well, it's defined by more than just 00:00:15.109 --> 00:00:17.629 talent, isn't it? It's about radical transformation, 00:00:17.890 --> 00:00:20.829 almost like strategic image warfare and just 00:00:20.829 --> 00:00:23.309 incredible longevity in pop culture. Absolutely. 00:00:23.390 --> 00:00:25.769 We're looking at Miley Cyrus, who you could almost 00:00:25.769 --> 00:00:29.070 call the ultimate pop chameleon. I mean, if you're 00:00:29.070 --> 00:00:31.089 looking for an artist who just never, ever stays 00:00:31.089 --> 00:00:33.750 in one place, who made changing her image, her 00:00:33.750 --> 00:00:36.329 whole brand. Well, that's her. Right. And we've 00:00:36.329 --> 00:00:39.770 got sources here covering what? two decades it's 00:00:39.770 --> 00:00:42.450 a huge amount of material and what it shows isn't 00:00:42.450 --> 00:00:46.070 really chaos maybe but more like a very carefully 00:00:46.070 --> 00:00:49.509 managed career yeah built on this deep creative 00:00:49.509 --> 00:00:52.149 restlessness yeah our mission today feels pretty 00:00:52.149 --> 00:00:54.189 huge the sources take us through her entire timeline 00:00:54.189 --> 00:00:56.049 you know from that billion dollar disney start 00:00:56.049 --> 00:00:59.390 that made her a global name right up to now where 00:00:59.390 --> 00:01:02.450 she's this grammy -winning artist breaking chart 00:01:02.450 --> 00:01:05.209 records we're gonna track her evolution across 00:01:05.209 --> 00:01:08.730 so many genres i mean Bubblegum pop, rock, hip 00:01:08.730 --> 00:01:11.590 hop, country, even psychedelic stuff. It's wild. 00:01:11.849 --> 00:01:13.790 And then there are the public image shifts, the 00:01:13.790 --> 00:01:16.549 controversies, the big personal changes. And, 00:01:16.590 --> 00:01:19.150 you know, what was the actual impact of all those 00:01:19.150 --> 00:01:21.909 choices commercially and culturally? It's like 00:01:21.909 --> 00:01:24.750 studying control through, well, what looks like 00:01:24.750 --> 00:01:26.810 anarchy sometimes. Let's maybe start with the 00:01:26.810 --> 00:01:29.349 basics, though, because even her name tells a 00:01:29.349 --> 00:01:31.930 story of change, right? She was born Destiny 00:01:31.930 --> 00:01:36.349 Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992, in Franklin, Tennessee. 00:01:36.709 --> 00:01:39.950 Destiny Hope. Yeah. And the nickname Miley is 00:01:39.950 --> 00:01:41.769 actually pretty sweet. It just came from smiley 00:01:41.769 --> 00:01:43.730 because apparently she smiled a lot as a baby. 00:01:43.870 --> 00:01:47.030 And she made it official Miley Ray Cyrus in 2008. 00:01:47.629 --> 00:01:50.590 The Ray is a tribute to her grandfather, Ronald 00:01:50.590 --> 00:01:52.870 Ray Cyrus. And the family connection, obviously 00:01:52.870 --> 00:01:55.069 you can't ignore it. Daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, 00:01:55.310 --> 00:01:58.430 the country star, and her godmother, Dolly Parton. 00:01:58.489 --> 00:02:00.750 Doesn't get much bigger than that. Right. The 00:02:00.750 --> 00:02:04.189 sources really emphasize how that sort of southern 00:02:04.189 --> 00:02:07.230 celebrity background laid the groundwork for 00:02:07.230 --> 00:02:10.210 her moving between pop, country, rock later on. 00:02:10.289 --> 00:02:12.669 She kind of had that credibility baked in from 00:02:12.669 --> 00:02:14.830 the start. Yeah, that's a good point. And there's 00:02:14.830 --> 00:02:16.710 another early detail the sources mentioned. Maybe 00:02:16.710 --> 00:02:18.830 it hints at the intense energy she's always had. 00:02:18.930 --> 00:02:22.189 She was born with supraventricular tachycardia, 00:02:22.189 --> 00:02:25.550 SVT. Oh, really? Yeah. It's a condition causing 00:02:25.550 --> 00:02:28.789 an unusually fast resting heart rate. Now, obviously 00:02:28.789 --> 00:02:31.509 that's medical, but it almost feels symbolic, 00:02:31.710 --> 00:02:34.069 doesn't it? Given the relentless pace she keeps 00:02:34.069 --> 00:02:37.409 up across all her different identities. Interesting. 00:02:37.569 --> 00:02:39.810 And the career started young. Her acting debut 00:02:39.810 --> 00:02:42.469 was in her dad's show Doc back in 2001. Right, 00:02:42.530 --> 00:02:44.810 as Kylie. But the really big decision, the one 00:02:44.810 --> 00:02:46.770 that basically set her path for the next decade, 00:02:46.810 --> 00:02:48.930 was choosing to audition for Hannah Montana instead 00:02:48.930 --> 00:02:51.530 of a role in the adventures of Sharkboy and Lava 00:02:51.530 --> 00:02:53.810 Girl. Wow. Talk about a sliding doors moment, 00:02:53.870 --> 00:02:57.169 right? One path leads to global superstardom. 00:02:57.250 --> 00:03:01.310 And the other. Maybe just a footnote. Crazy. 00:03:03.789 --> 00:03:06.949 Okay, so let's unpack Hannah Montana. Because 00:03:06.949 --> 00:03:10.530 it wasn't just a hit show. It was like a corporate 00:03:10.530 --> 00:03:13.550 and cultural juggernaut. Oh, completely. The 00:03:13.550 --> 00:03:15.629 sources break down how it happened really clearly, 00:03:15.710 --> 00:03:17.750 starting right from the casting. And the casting 00:03:17.750 --> 00:03:19.909 itself is interesting, right? Because she wasn't 00:03:19.909 --> 00:03:21.930 the obvious choice initially. Not at all. She 00:03:21.930 --> 00:03:24.330 was only 13 and she actually auditioned for the 00:03:24.330 --> 00:03:26.569 Best Friend role first. Oh, I didn't know that. 00:03:26.770 --> 00:03:29.909 Yeah. But the producers saw something. Her charisma, 00:03:30.090 --> 00:03:32.919 her singing. what they called her goofy acting, 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:35.379 and they gave her the lead, Miley Stewart. Even 00:03:35.379 --> 00:03:37.080 though they had initially turned her down for 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:39.199 being too small and too young, they basically 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:41.379 broke their own rules for her. And it paid off 00:03:41.379 --> 00:03:45.000 instantly. Premiered in March 2006. Biggest audience 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:47.120 ever for Disney Channel at the time. It just 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:49.780 blew up. Highest rated series on basic cable. 00:03:49.900 --> 00:03:51.840 Boom, she's the teen idol for that whole generation. 00:03:52.020 --> 00:03:55.080 Overnight, yeah. And commercially, wow. It was 00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:57.139 way more than a TV show. It was this massive 00:03:57.139 --> 00:03:59.580 machine. The sources point out she was the first 00:03:59.580 --> 00:04:01.759 person at Disney to have deals across everything 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:06.080 at the same time. TV, movies, merchandise, and 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:09.860 music. Analysts called it a billion -dollar franchise. 00:04:10.259 --> 00:04:13.379 A billion dollars. And that early success included 00:04:13.379 --> 00:04:16.639 two number one soundtracks on Billboard, but 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:19.180 credited to Hannah Montana, the character. Right, 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:22.240 not Miley Cyrus. Exactly. And that distinction, 00:04:22.500 --> 00:04:24.079 you know, the character being bigger than her, 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:26.720 that's really key to understanding why she pushed 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:28.920 so hard for independence later. But even while 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:31.060 Hannah Montana was dominating, her solo career 00:04:31.060 --> 00:04:33.220 was already being built kind of in parallel, 00:04:33.339 --> 00:04:35.759 like a strategic escape plan almost. Yeah, Hollywood 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:38.339 Records signed her for a four -album deal specifically 00:04:38.339 --> 00:04:41.519 for non -Hannah stuff. So even the company knew 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:43.540 they needed this duality for the long run. So 00:04:43.540 --> 00:04:45.600 her solo Did You was kind of bundled, wasn't 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:49.810 it? It was unusual. Hannah Montana 2. Meet Miley 00:04:49.810 --> 00:04:53.610 Cyrus in 2007, a two -disc set. The second disc 00:04:53.610 --> 00:04:55.930 was her official solo debut. And it still went 00:04:55.930 --> 00:04:58.110 to number one. Yep, number one on the Billboard 00:04:58.110 --> 00:05:00.889 200, sold over three million copies eventually. 00:05:01.550 --> 00:05:04.610 Then her second solo album, Breakout in 2008, 00:05:04.889 --> 00:05:08.189 also hit number one, even better first week sales. 00:05:08.550 --> 00:05:10.829 And she was writing more by them. That's the 00:05:10.829 --> 00:05:13.370 key thing. The sources note she co -wrote eight 00:05:13.370 --> 00:05:16.610 songs on Breakout. She was already pushing, even 00:05:16.610 --> 00:05:19.410 then, to be seen as a songwriter. not just the 00:05:19.410 --> 00:05:22.250 girl in the wig. It shows that ambition was there 00:05:22.250 --> 00:05:24.569 early on. And you can't talk about this time 00:05:24.569 --> 00:05:26.750 without mentioning Party in the USA. That song 00:05:26.750 --> 00:05:30.230 just exploded beyond Disney. Oh, totally. From 00:05:30.230 --> 00:05:33.430 the 2009 EP, The Time of Our Lives, it became 00:05:33.430 --> 00:05:35.649 like the anthem for that moment, didn't it? Still 00:05:35.649 --> 00:05:37.509 gets played everywhere. Absolutely. Definitely 00:05:37.509 --> 00:05:40.230 her first huge signature song away from the hand 00:05:40.230 --> 00:05:42.610 of character. It went 14 times platinum in the 00:05:42.610 --> 00:05:45.230 U .S., just massive. And the label even marketed 00:05:45.230 --> 00:05:48.579 that EP as a transitioning album. Ah. Yeah, like 00:05:48.579 --> 00:05:51.060 gently trying to ease the public into a more 00:05:51.060 --> 00:05:53.180 mature sound. A bridge away from the blonde wig, 00:05:53.259 --> 00:05:55.519 basically. And the live shows back then. The 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:58.920 demand was apparently insane. Unbelievable for 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:03.740 a teen star. The best of both worlds tour. 2007 00:06:03.740 --> 00:06:06.980 -08. Ticketmaster people were comparing the demand 00:06:06.980 --> 00:06:11.120 to The Beatles or Elvis. Beatles or Elvis? For 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:13.540 a teenager? That's wild. It's almost hard to 00:06:13.540 --> 00:06:16.079 believe, right? The demand was so crazy, it led 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:19.019 directly to that 3D concert movie, Hannah Montana 00:06:19.019 --> 00:06:21.600 and Miley Cyrus, best of both worlds concert. 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:23.759 Right, I remember that. And she just kept breaking 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:26.540 records, Hannah Montana. The movie's soundtrack 00:06:26.540 --> 00:06:28.920 in 2009 made her the youngest artist ever. She 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:31.519 was 16 to have four number one albums on the 00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:34.360 Billboard 200. Commercially, she was just unstoppable. 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:37.300 And then comes the other side of that coin. Massive 00:06:37.300 --> 00:06:39.720 fame, especially teen fame controlled by a huge 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:42.040 company. Controversy is almost inevitable, right? 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:44.079 Especially when the star starts trying to break 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:46.279 free. Exactly. The storm started brewing pretty 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:48.779 early, around 16. And you can see that clash 00:06:48.779 --> 00:06:50.779 between the star and the machine starting. What 00:06:50.779 --> 00:06:52.759 were the first big ones? The sources point to 00:06:52.759 --> 00:06:54.579 a couple of key moments that started cracking 00:06:54.579 --> 00:06:57.300 that perfect Disney image. First, those leaked 00:06:57.300 --> 00:07:00.040 photos in 2008. Oh yeah, the hacked email account. 00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:04.209 Right. Underwear, swimsuit pics, immediate outrage 00:07:04.209 --> 00:07:07.310 from parents, media talking about her being too 00:07:07.310 --> 00:07:09.509 sexualized too soon. And then the Vanity Fair 00:07:09.509 --> 00:07:12.610 shoot. That was huge. Massive. The Annie Leibovitz 00:07:12.610 --> 00:07:15.230 shoot. Initially, everyone thought she posed 00:07:15.230 --> 00:07:17.810 topless. The New York Times later clarified she 00:07:17.810 --> 00:07:19.589 was actually wrapped in a bed sheet. But the 00:07:19.589 --> 00:07:21.970 perception was already out there. Exactly. The 00:07:21.970 --> 00:07:24.149 damage was done. She was instantly painted as 00:07:24.149 --> 00:07:27.089 rebellious. And by 2009, she was already testing 00:07:27.089 --> 00:07:30.199 boundaries on stage, too. The Teen Choice Awards 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:33.079 performance. Yeah. Party in the USA again. It 00:07:33.079 --> 00:07:35.680 caused a national uproar, seriously, just because 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:37.879 of her outfit and what people called pole dancing 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:40.180 on an ice cream cart. An ice cream cart. I know. 00:07:40.279 --> 00:07:42.800 But what's fascinating is how quickly the narrative 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:45.019 turned against her. She was in this impossible 00:07:45.019 --> 00:07:48.019 spot, needed to grow up, shed the Disney identity 00:07:48.019 --> 00:07:51.160 to stay relevant and evolve artistically. But 00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:53.959 any move towards being more mature or even slightly 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:56.920 rebellious got blown up and condemned. Totally. 00:07:57.290 --> 00:07:59.649 especially by conservative critics and parts 00:07:59.649 --> 00:08:02.149 of the press. So you can see why a radical shift 00:08:02.149 --> 00:08:04.670 was probably inevitable. Gentle steps clearly 00:08:04.670 --> 00:08:07.329 weren't cutting it for her or for the public's 00:08:07.329 --> 00:08:10.050 appetite for drama. The stage was set for bangers. 00:08:10.529 --> 00:08:13.209 OK, so Hannah Montana wraps up and the next phase 00:08:13.209 --> 00:08:16.310 is all about making a very loud, very visible 00:08:16.310 --> 00:08:19.250 break from that teen past. Starts around 2010. 00:08:19.689 --> 00:08:22.410 But interestingly, she tried film first, right? 00:08:22.490 --> 00:08:25.019 Not music straight away. Yeah. That suggests 00:08:25.019 --> 00:08:27.060 she was still kind of figuring out what her independent 00:08:27.060 --> 00:08:29.680 voice would be. She did the last song, the Nicholas 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:31.680 Sparks movie, which actually did well. Right. 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:33.500 That's where she met Liam Hemsworth. Exactly. 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:35.779 And she announced a break for music to focus 00:08:35.779 --> 00:08:39.220 on acting. But the movies after that, like LOL 00:08:39.220 --> 00:08:42.389 and So Undercover. They didn't really land. Yeah, 00:08:42.529 --> 00:08:44.669 those kind of flopped. Right. So it seemed clear 00:08:44.669 --> 00:08:46.590 her path of being taken seriously as an adult 00:08:46.590 --> 00:08:48.789 had to be through music and performance, not 00:08:48.789 --> 00:08:51.110 necessarily movies. So then came Can't Be Tamed 00:08:51.110 --> 00:08:54.029 in 2010. That album felt like a real statement 00:08:54.029 --> 00:08:56.669 of intent. Very dance pop, much more aggressive 00:08:56.669 --> 00:08:59.570 image. Definitely intentional. It was her first 00:08:59.570 --> 00:09:02.710 album not to hit number one on Billboard. Which 00:09:02.710 --> 00:09:05.129 is interesting. Shows maybe the public wasn't 00:09:05.129 --> 00:09:07.789 quite ready or maybe just confused by the sudden 00:09:07.789 --> 00:09:10.309 change. The title says it all, really. Can't 00:09:10.309 --> 00:09:12.830 be tamed. Pretty much summed it up. Total defiance. 00:09:12.970 --> 00:09:15.850 Yeah. And the performances got way more provocative, 00:09:16.029 --> 00:09:18.629 like pretending to kiss a female dancer on Britain's 00:09:18.629 --> 00:09:21.389 Got Talent. That caused a stir. And the personal 00:09:21.389 --> 00:09:23.929 controversy started piling up, too, fueling that 00:09:23.929 --> 00:09:26.629 rebellious narrative. Oh, yeah. The big one was 00:09:26.629 --> 00:09:30.230 that video in December 2010 of her smoking salvia 00:09:30.230 --> 00:09:33.610 from a bong. She was 18, filmed by friends, leaked 00:09:33.610 --> 00:09:37.070 online instantly. Huge media storm. Right. And 00:09:37.070 --> 00:09:38.409 wasn't there something with an animated movie, 00:09:38.669 --> 00:09:42.590 Hotel Transylvania? Yes. The sources mention 00:09:42.590 --> 00:09:44.429 this, and it really shows how far she was pushing 00:09:44.429 --> 00:09:46.610 against that old Disney image. She was apparently 00:09:46.610 --> 00:09:48.590 dropped from voicing a character in the film. 00:09:48.769 --> 00:09:51.450 Why? Because she was photographed, let's say, 00:09:51.529 --> 00:09:54.049 interacting inappropriately with a penis -shaped 00:09:54.049 --> 00:09:56.389 cake at Liam Hemsworth's birthday party. Wow. 00:09:56.490 --> 00:09:59.149 Okay. Yeah, that's not very Disney. Definitely 00:09:59.149 --> 00:10:02.460 not. It showed her choices were becoming deliberately 00:10:02.460 --> 00:10:05.340 provocative, almost designed to alienate her 00:10:05.340 --> 00:10:08.879 old corporate image. But maybe the biggest signal 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:12.419 of this whole internal shift was the hair. The 00:10:12.419 --> 00:10:15.980 big chop. The blonde pixie cut. Yeah. Cutting 00:10:15.980 --> 00:10:18.940 off all that long brown hair. Yeah. She said 00:10:18.940 --> 00:10:21.559 herself she never felt more herself in her whole 00:10:21.559 --> 00:10:24.200 life after that. It felt like a real physical 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:26.580 liberation from the Hannah character. So then 00:10:26.580 --> 00:10:30.000 things get really interesting around 2013. She 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:32.799 makes this deliberate pivot towards hip -hop 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:35.259 and R &B. This wasn't just image anymore. It 00:10:35.259 --> 00:10:38.100 was a whole new sound. Exactly. And it came with 00:10:38.100 --> 00:10:40.539 big changes behind the scenes, too. She hired 00:10:40.539 --> 00:10:43.679 Larry Rudolph, who famously managed Britney Spears 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:45.320 through her controversial periods. All right, 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:47.440 sending a signal there. Right. And she signed 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:50.120 with RCA Records. Musically, she started working 00:10:50.120 --> 00:10:52.159 with producers like Pharrell Williams, Mike Will 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:54.700 Made It, getting that heavy, dirty South feel 00:10:54.700 --> 00:10:56.700 people talked about. This wasn't just dabbling. 00:10:56.700 --> 00:10:59.120 It was a full dive into that sound. And the collaborations 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:01.200 came quickly, showing she could actually fit 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:04.549 in that world. Yep. Snoop Lion's ashtrays and 00:11:04.549 --> 00:11:08.450 heartbreaks, Will .iam's fall down, and especially 00:11:08.450 --> 00:11:11.789 Mike Will made its 23, which hit number 11 on 00:11:11.789 --> 00:11:14.429 the Hot 100. She was embedding herself right 00:11:14.429 --> 00:11:16.789 in the middle of it. Which all leads up to bangers 00:11:16.789 --> 00:11:20.039 in 2013 and just... The media explosion that 00:11:20.039 --> 00:11:22.279 followed. This was the big comeback, the definitive 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:24.759 break from the past. For sure. The first single, 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:28.259 We Can't Stop, was huge globally. Broke the Vivo 00:11:28.259 --> 00:11:30.980 record for views in 24 hours. First video to 00:11:30.980 --> 00:11:33.059 hit 100 million views there. It proved that the 00:11:33.059 --> 00:11:34.919 shock value and the new sound could absolutely 00:11:34.919 --> 00:11:37.240 work commercially. But the moment everyone remembers, 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:40.360 the one that dominated headlines for weeks. The 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:43.960 2013 VMA performance. Oh, that performance with 00:11:43.960 --> 00:11:46.779 Robin Thicke. It was pure spectacle designed 00:11:46.779 --> 00:11:48.820 to shock. And boy, did it succeed. Yeah, the 00:11:48.820 --> 00:11:51.519 foam finger. The simulated sex acts. Social media 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:53.820 just imploded. People called it disturbing. A 00:11:53.820 --> 00:11:56.840 train wreck. But importantly, critics also pointed 00:11:56.840 --> 00:11:59.379 out that the sexuality, while provocative, felt 00:11:59.379 --> 00:12:01.919 like it wasn't just for the male gaze. Ah, interesting. 00:12:02.019 --> 00:12:04.889 Like Madonna. Exactly. People immediately made 00:12:04.889 --> 00:12:07.370 that comparison, using shock not just for attention, 00:12:07.610 --> 00:12:10.590 but to grab control of her own narrative, her 00:12:10.590 --> 00:12:13.049 own body. And then almost right after that chaos, 00:12:13.289 --> 00:12:16.350 she drops Wrecking Ball. The timing was brilliant. 00:12:16.690 --> 00:12:20.590 This huge emotional power ballad became her first 00:12:20.590 --> 00:12:23.090 U .S. number one single. And the video was just 00:12:23.090 --> 00:12:25.149 as talked about. Oh, yeah. Swingin' naked on 00:12:25.149 --> 00:12:27.860 a wrecking ball. 19 million views in 24 hours. 00:12:28.460 --> 00:12:31.200 Massive controversy again. Sinead O 'Connor famously 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:33.600 wrote her those open letters. Criticizing her, 00:12:33.659 --> 00:12:35.860 right? Saying she was being objectified. Yeah, 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:37.980 arguing the spectacle was overshadowing her talent. 00:12:38.039 --> 00:12:41.120 But commercially, the Banger's era was a monster 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:43.879 success. She debuted at number one. Yep. 270 00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:47.299 ,000 copies first week. MTV named her Artist 00:12:47.299 --> 00:12:49.759 of the Year. Billboard called it the top music 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:53.120 moment of 2013. It was chaotic, sure, but it 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:55.399 cemented her control and proved she could escape 00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:57.799 Disney's shadow through these huge, risky moves. 00:12:58.039 --> 00:13:00.139 What's wild, though, is right at that peak, she 00:13:00.139 --> 00:13:02.679 immediately swerves again into something totally 00:13:02.679 --> 00:13:05.220 different and non -commercial, Miley Cyrus and 00:13:05.220 --> 00:13:08.279 her deadpits. That was the real curveball. a 00:13:08.279 --> 00:13:10.860 surprise album released for free online right 00:13:10.860 --> 00:13:13.220 after she hosted the VMAs in 2015. Well, she 00:13:13.220 --> 00:13:15.460 also came out as pansexual, right? First host 00:13:15.460 --> 00:13:18.559 to do that. Exactly. And the album itself, really 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:21.820 experimental, psychedelic pop rock, mostly self 00:13:21.820 --> 00:13:23.379 -written and produced, lots of collaboration 00:13:23.379 --> 00:13:26.159 with Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips. So not 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:28.740 exactly radio friendly. Not at all. She described 00:13:28.740 --> 00:13:31.279 it as a little psychedelic. But still in that 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:34.419 pop world, it showed she was willing to ditch 00:13:34.419 --> 00:13:37.700 the massive commercial machine for pure artistic 00:13:37.700 --> 00:13:40.480 freedom, even reportedly threatening her label, 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:43.340 RCA, if they didn't let her release it for free. 00:13:43.460 --> 00:13:46.000 It proved she'd prioritize creating over just 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:48.039 selling records when she wanted to. So after 00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:50.980 the psychedelic detour of Dead Pets, it feels 00:13:50.980 --> 00:13:53.059 like she kind of cycled back towards the mainstream 00:13:53.059 --> 00:13:55.980 for a bit, maybe cleaning the palette after all 00:13:55.980 --> 00:13:58.299 that noise. Yeah. The mid -2010s saw her doing 00:13:58.299 --> 00:14:01.899 things that felt a bit more... Structured. Starting 00:14:01.899 --> 00:14:04.139 with going back to TV in a big way. Right. The 00:14:04.139 --> 00:14:06.460 voice. Yep. She was a coach for two seasons, 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:09.559 11, 13. And she was the youngest coach ever on 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:12.080 any version of the show worldwide. It gave her 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:14.700 that mainstream visibility again. Kind of normalized 00:14:14.700 --> 00:14:16.940 her image after the Dead Pets experimentation. 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:19.980 Put her back in living rooms, focused on her 00:14:19.980 --> 00:14:22.600 music knowledge. Not controversy. And she was 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:24.460 still acting a bit too, wasn't she? She was. 00:14:24.500 --> 00:14:26.740 She did that Woody Allen miniseries, Crisis in 00:14:26.740 --> 00:14:29.950 Six Scenes, playing a radical activist. that 00:14:29.950 --> 00:14:32.629 voice cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, 00:14:32.789 --> 00:14:35.409 still keeping her options open, never just doing 00:14:35.409 --> 00:14:38.409 one thing. Musically, this period brought Younger 00:14:38.409 --> 00:14:41.769 now in 2017. That felt like a big shift back 00:14:41.769 --> 00:14:44.169 towards her roots. Definitely. A conscious return 00:14:44.169 --> 00:14:47.330 to a country pop sound. Much cleaner, more acoustic, 00:14:47.570 --> 00:14:50.509 focused on songwriting again. A real contrast 00:14:50.509 --> 00:14:53.669 to Dead Pets. And Malibu was a hit from that 00:14:53.669 --> 00:14:55.929 album. Yeah, top 10 on the Hot 100. It proved 00:14:55.929 --> 00:14:57.769 she could switch styles and still have success 00:14:57.769 --> 00:15:00.190 without relying on shock value. Just good melody, 00:15:00.309 --> 00:15:02.250 more introspective lyrics. It seemed like a quieter 00:15:02.250 --> 00:15:04.649 time, maybe, but she was still using her platform, 00:15:04.830 --> 00:15:07.190 especially with philanthropy. Absolutely. The 00:15:07.190 --> 00:15:09.190 sources really highlight how she consistently 00:15:09.190 --> 00:15:13.149 uses her music for causes, like performing the 00:15:13.149 --> 00:15:16.429 climb. A Hannah Montana classic. Right. She performed 00:15:16.429 --> 00:15:18.389 it to honor the victims of the Las Vegas shooting, 00:15:18.490 --> 00:15:20.830 and then again at the March for Our Lives rally. 00:15:21.210 --> 00:15:23.809 It shows how those older songs can take on new 00:15:23.809 --> 00:15:27.029 meaning years later, become these unifying anthems. 00:15:27.029 --> 00:15:29.110 It's a strange kind of continuity to her whole 00:15:29.110 --> 00:15:32.450 career. OK, so moving into 2018, 2019, another 00:15:32.450 --> 00:15:36.090 shift, more collaborations, leaning into a kind 00:15:36.090 --> 00:15:38.629 of mature pop rock sound. Yeah, the track with 00:15:38.629 --> 00:15:41.049 Mark Ronson, Nothing Breaks Like a Heart. That 00:15:41.049 --> 00:15:43.509 was huge, especially internationally. Hit number 00:15:43.509 --> 00:15:46.360 two in the UK. really cemented her status as 00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:48.940 a serious adult vocalist outside the U .S. too. 00:15:49.080 --> 00:15:51.120 And she really built up a reputation for doing 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:53.639 amazing covers around this time. She did. Became 00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:56.279 known as a powerhouse cover artist. The sources 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:58.419 mention her version of Islands in the Stream 00:15:58.419 --> 00:16:01.200 for the Dolly Parton tribute and her take on 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:03.960 Ariana Grande's No Tears Left to Cry. Critics 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:06.259 really started focusing on her raw vocal talent 00:16:06.259 --> 00:16:08.600 again, acknowledging maybe the banger's spectacle 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:10.940 sometimes overshadowed just how good a singer 00:16:10.940 --> 00:16:13.440 she is. Wasn't she planning a series of EPs around 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:16.679 then? Yes. that was the plan started with she 00:16:16.679 --> 00:16:19.879 is coming in 2019 which did well debuted at number 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:22.200 five it was meant to be the first of three eps 00:16:22.200 --> 00:16:25.320 she is here and she is everything we're supposed 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:28.480 to follow making up a full album called she is 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:30.919 miley cyrus and it had some cool collabs on it 00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:34.399 rupaul swaley ghostface killer too yeah really 00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:37.879 diverse but that whole plan got scrapped before 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:39.860 we get to why there was also that black mirror 00:16:39.860 --> 00:16:41.860 episode that felt like a big cultural moment 00:16:41.860 --> 00:16:45.139 oh Rachel Jack and Ashley, too. Absolutely. Playing 00:16:45.139 --> 00:16:48.659 the exploited pop star Ashley O, it drew immediate 00:16:48.659 --> 00:16:50.860 comparisons to the whole Free Britney movement, 00:16:51.019 --> 00:16:53.059 which Miley herself supported. Right. It put 00:16:53.059 --> 00:16:54.379 her right in the center of that conversation 00:16:54.379 --> 00:16:57.059 about artists' rights and exploitation in the 00:16:57.059 --> 00:16:59.340 industry. Very timely. Very resonant. So that 00:16:59.340 --> 00:17:02.600 brings us to the Plastic Hearts era, 2020 to 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:06.829 2022, an era defined by rock music and... Well, 00:17:06.849 --> 00:17:08.710 resilience seems like the right word. And the 00:17:08.710 --> 00:17:11.470 reason those EPs got canceled was pretty major. 00:17:11.630 --> 00:17:13.529 Yeah, that whole album plan just fell apart because 00:17:13.529 --> 00:17:15.430 her life underwent massive changes. Her very 00:17:15.430 --> 00:17:18.049 public divorce from Liam Hemsworth, losing their 00:17:18.049 --> 00:17:20.069 house in the Woolsey fire. Devastating. Right. 00:17:20.130 --> 00:17:22.369 The sources make it clear the music had to change 00:17:22.369 --> 00:17:24.970 because her life changed so dramatically. It 00:17:24.970 --> 00:17:27.549 gave the next phase this really raw, authentic 00:17:27.549 --> 00:17:30.529 energy. She needed a new sound to deal with all 00:17:30.529 --> 00:17:33.380 that trauma. And that sound was rock. Plastic 00:17:33.380 --> 00:17:36.500 Hearts in 2020 was a full -on dive into rock 00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:39.819 and glam rock. Totally. She cited Britney Spears 00:17:39.819 --> 00:17:42.299 and Metallica as influences, which is quite a 00:17:42.299 --> 00:17:44.720 combo. It is. And she brought in actual rock 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:48.160 legends Dua Lipa on Prisoner, but also Billy 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:50.660 Idol, Joan Jett. They gave the album instant 00:17:50.660 --> 00:17:52.900 credibility within the genre. And it worked commercially 00:17:52.900 --> 00:17:55.279 too, right? Another successful reinvention. Absolutely. 00:17:55.880 --> 00:17:58.579 Debuted at number two, it became her 12th top 00:17:58.579 --> 00:18:01.400 10 album. And get this, it broke the record for 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:04.420 the most U .S. Billboard 200 top five albums 00:18:04.420 --> 00:18:07.299 by a female artist in the 21st century. Wow. 00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:09.819 That really speaks to her staying power across 00:18:09.819 --> 00:18:11.960 all these changes. Doesn't it? Long after the 00:18:11.960 --> 00:18:14.759 teen idol phase. And she really focused on live 00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:16.779 performance again, especially post -pandemic 00:18:16.779 --> 00:18:19.119 lockdowns, like performing at that first TikTok 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:21.839 tailgate before the Super Bowl in 2021. And she 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:24.009 signed new deals, too. It moved to Columbia Records 00:18:24.009 --> 00:18:27.650 in 2021. Yeah. And got an overall deal with NBCUniversal, 00:18:27.670 --> 00:18:29.650 which led to her doing that annual New Year's 00:18:29.650 --> 00:18:32.529 Eve party special she hosts now. She became a 00:18:32.529 --> 00:18:34.630 major network personality again. And she wrapped 00:18:34.630 --> 00:18:37.029 up that period with a live album. Attention. 00:18:37.269 --> 00:18:39.990 Yeah. Miley Live in 2022. And it wasn't just 00:18:39.990 --> 00:18:42.130 a standard live album. She said it was curated 00:18:42.130 --> 00:18:45.390 by the fans, for the fans, included covers, but 00:18:45.390 --> 00:18:48.349 also two unreleased tracks, Attention and You. 00:18:48.759 --> 00:18:50.900 So really engaging with her audience directly. 00:18:51.160 --> 00:18:53.500 Exactly. And critics praised her voice again, 00:18:53.619 --> 00:18:56.440 one calling it a force to be reckoned with, seamlessly 00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:58.700 fitting whatever genre she chooses to tackle. 00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:01.240 That kind of sums up where she was heading into 00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:04.440 this latest massive era of vocalists who can 00:19:04.440 --> 00:19:06.849 conquer anything. OK, so that brings us right 00:19:06.849 --> 00:19:10.190 up to 2023. And what feels like maybe the absolute 00:19:10.190 --> 00:19:12.910 peak of her adult career so far, driven by endless 00:19:12.910 --> 00:19:15.509 summer vacation and, well, that song. Flowers. 00:19:15.690 --> 00:19:18.430 Yeah, a cultural phenomenon. Announced during 00:19:18.430 --> 00:19:20.750 her New Year's show, dropped January 13, 2023. 00:19:21.069 --> 00:19:22.849 Went straight to number one on the Billboard 00:19:22.849 --> 00:19:25.890 Hot 100. Her second U .S. number one. Right. 00:19:25.970 --> 00:19:28.390 And her longest running number one in a decade. 00:19:28.859 --> 00:19:31.220 It felt like the moment the whole world really 00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:34.720 embraced this mature, self -assured, empowered 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:37.619 Miley. And the speed of its success was just 00:19:37.619 --> 00:19:39.559 staggering, wasn't it? The streaming numbers. 00:19:39.660 --> 00:19:42.339 Historic. At the time, it was the fastest song 00:19:42.339 --> 00:19:45.660 ever to hit 100 million Spotify plays just seven 00:19:45.660 --> 00:19:49.680 days. And fastest to a billion plays 112 days. 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:52.480 A billion plays in under four months. Insane. 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:56.220 It hit number one in 37 countries. The IFPI officially 00:19:56.220 --> 00:19:58.589 named it the best -selling song. globally for 00:19:58.589 --> 00:20:01.250 2023. These aren't just pop star numbers. These 00:20:01.250 --> 00:20:03.509 are mega superstar numbers. She reached that 00:20:03.509 --> 00:20:06.009 level. And even on radio, its staying power was 00:20:06.009 --> 00:20:08.710 unbelievable. Record -breaking. Longest run ever 00:20:08.710 --> 00:20:10.849 at number one on any Billboard Airplay chart, 00:20:11.009 --> 00:20:13.569 57 weeks straight on Adult Contemporary. And 00:20:13.569 --> 00:20:15.750 the most weeks ever on top of all Billboard Airplay 00:20:15.750 --> 00:20:18.730 charts, combined 106 weeks. Over two years combined 00:20:18.730 --> 00:20:21.069 at number one on radio charts. It's just undeniable 00:20:21.069 --> 00:20:23.900 dominance. Lasted way over a year. And the album, 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:26.759 Endless Summer Vacation, followed in March 2023. 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:29.119 What was the vibe there? Her first on Columbia 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:31.819 Records, she called it her love letter to L .A. 00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:36.480 Mostly sophisticated pop, dance pop, really reflecting 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:38.579 her growth physically and mentally after the 00:20:38.579 --> 00:20:41.200 divorce, the fire, the pandemic. And she did 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:43.299 those backyard sessions specials too, right, 00:20:43.380 --> 00:20:45.519 on Disney Plus app. Yeah, which was a really 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:47.680 interesting deliberate choice. Going back to 00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:50.240 Disney Plus ad, the platform that launched her. 00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:54.200 but now completely as the adult artist in full 00:20:54.200 --> 00:20:57.299 control full circle in a way with all that success 00:20:57.299 --> 00:21:01.299 the big awards had to follow and the grammys 00:21:01.299 --> 00:21:04.180 finally came through for her in 2024. her first 00:21:04.180 --> 00:21:07.380 two wins record of the year, and best pop solo 00:21:07.380 --> 00:21:09.900 performance, both for Flowers. And she made sure 00:21:09.900 --> 00:21:11.859 everyone knew it during the performance. Oh yeah, 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:13.940 changing the lyrics live on stage. I just won 00:21:13.940 --> 00:21:16.660 my first Grammy. Such a great spontaneous moment 00:21:16.660 --> 00:21:18.859 of pure joy and vindication after that long, 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:21.619 often bumpy road. Her status as a go -to collaborator 00:21:21.619 --> 00:21:24.799 seemed locked in too. Definitely. 2024 saw her 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:27.400 on Pharrell's Doctor, Work It Out, and maybe 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:30.259 even bigger, that duet with Beyonce on Cowboy 00:21:30.259 --> 00:21:32.579 Carter, Two Most Wanted. Which won a Grammy too. 00:21:32.819 --> 00:21:35.960 Her third. Best country duo group performance. 00:21:37.339 --> 00:21:40.059 Winning Grammys in pop and country now, just 00:21:40.059 --> 00:21:42.480 validating that whole versatile background. And 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:44.680 she hasn't stopped. There's already a new album 00:21:44.680 --> 00:21:48.180 out, Something Beautiful, May 2025. Ninth studio 00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:51.900 album. She described it as hypnotic, an attempt 00:21:51.900 --> 00:21:54.220 to medicate somewhat of a sick culture through 00:21:54.220 --> 00:21:57.400 music. So still ambitious, still tackling big 00:21:57.400 --> 00:22:00.779 themes. Critics seem to like it, calling it introspective, 00:22:00.779 --> 00:22:03.930 a prog pop fantasia. Suggests she's still pushing 00:22:03.930 --> 00:22:06.130 into more complex conceptual work. And it wasn't 00:22:06.130 --> 00:22:07.730 just an album, right? There was a film, too. 00:22:07.910 --> 00:22:10.690 A visual album? A musical film of the same name? 00:22:10.769 --> 00:22:13.250 She co -wrote and directed it. Premiered at Tribeca. 00:22:13.470 --> 00:22:15.710 Billboard called it a one -of -a -kind pop opera. 00:22:15.930 --> 00:22:18.349 Just shows the total creative control she has 00:22:18.349 --> 00:22:20.950 now over the whole package. Music, visuals, concept. 00:22:21.269 --> 00:22:23.369 A world away from the Disney days. And maybe 00:22:23.369 --> 00:22:25.690 the ultimate full -circle moment. Getting named 00:22:25.690 --> 00:22:29.019 a Disney legend in 2024. At 31. the youngest 00:22:29.019 --> 00:22:31.279 ever recipient, recognized for her contributions 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:33.839 to the company that started it all. From teen 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:36.720 idol through rebellion to respected icon celebrated 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:39.180 by the very machine she once fought so hard to 00:22:39.180 --> 00:22:42.460 escape. It's quite a journey. So beyond the music, 00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:45.559 beyond the constant reinvention, Miley Cyrus 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:48.559 has always been incredibly open about her personal 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:51.829 identity, her lifestyle. Let's touch on how she 00:22:51.829 --> 00:22:53.849 talks about sexuality and gender because that 00:22:53.849 --> 00:22:56.230 feels really central to your whole story. It 00:22:56.230 --> 00:22:58.069 really does. And it's been remarkably consistent, 00:22:58.230 --> 00:23:00.410 actually, even as the music changes. She came 00:23:00.410 --> 00:23:02.670 out to her mom as gender fluid and pansexual 00:23:02.670 --> 00:23:05.490 when she was just 14. Wow, that young. Yeah. 00:23:05.930 --> 00:23:08.410 And she said publicly she doesn't relate to being 00:23:08.410 --> 00:23:11.230 boy or girl. She's open to loving anyone who 00:23:11.230 --> 00:23:13.910 loves her for who she is. That openness was a 00:23:13.910 --> 00:23:16.710 huge deal, especially when she hosted the VMAs 00:23:16.710 --> 00:23:20.930 in 2015 as the first openly pansexual host. made 00:23:20.930 --> 00:23:22.690 her such an important figure for young people 00:23:22.690 --> 00:23:25.230 figuring out their own identities. And that complexity 00:23:25.230 --> 00:23:27.890 definitely seemed to inform her relationship 00:23:27.890 --> 00:23:30.230 with Liam Hemsworth, that whole on -again, off 00:23:30.230 --> 00:23:32.470 -again saga. Right. Culminating in the marriage 00:23:32.470 --> 00:23:35.690 in 2018, then the divorce in 2020, she even talked 00:23:35.690 --> 00:23:38.210 about how the marriage redefined what it looks 00:23:38.210 --> 00:23:39.970 like for someone that's a queer person like me 00:23:39.970 --> 00:23:42.170 to be in a hetero relationship. And didn't she 00:23:42.170 --> 00:23:44.109 say the house fire was a big factor in them getting 00:23:44.109 --> 00:23:47.470 married? She did. Losing their home in the Woolsey 00:23:47.470 --> 00:23:50.650 fire, she said it made them realize No one has 00:23:50.650 --> 00:23:53.269 promised the next day push them towards that 00:23:53.269 --> 00:23:56.150 commitment, perhaps rooted in that shared trauma. 00:23:56.650 --> 00:23:59.069 Very intense. She's also been pretty outspoken 00:23:59.069 --> 00:24:01.410 about not wanting kids. Yeah. Since about 2019. 00:24:02.150 --> 00:24:04.869 Very vocal about being child free. And she specifically 00:24:04.869 --> 00:24:09.009 linked it to concerns about climate change, adding 00:24:09.009 --> 00:24:11.869 another layer of sort of social commentary to 00:24:11.869 --> 00:24:13.970 her personal choices. OK. Shifting to wellness. 00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:16.900 Her relationship with substances, especially 00:24:16.900 --> 00:24:19.920 cannabis, was super public during the bangers 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:21.980 phase. Oh, definitely. She was very open about 00:24:21.980 --> 00:24:24.039 it, famously called cannabis the best drug on 00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:26.440 earth back then. And that incident at the MTV 00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:29.440 Europe Music Awards in 2013, where she lit up 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:31.720 what looked like a joint on stage that really 00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:33.740 cemented the rebellious image. But she shifted 00:24:33.740 --> 00:24:36.420 away from that now, right? Sobriety. A really 00:24:36.420 --> 00:24:38.559 clear shift, yeah. Shows another kind of evolution 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:41.720 focused on longevity, maybe. She first quit around 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:44.710 younger. now in 2017, saying she wanted to be 00:24:44.710 --> 00:24:47.230 super clear for that album cycle. And then she 00:24:47.230 --> 00:24:50.369 became strictly sober, no cannabis, no alcohol, 00:24:50.410 --> 00:24:53.369 after having vocal cord surgery in late 2019, 00:24:53.809 --> 00:24:56.950 recognizing the impact it had on her voice, her 00:24:56.950 --> 00:24:59.769 health. Her mom even said in 2020, Miley was 00:24:59.769 --> 00:25:02.869 the cleanest person I know, a total turnaround 00:25:02.869 --> 00:25:05.390 from her early 20s. There was also that controversy 00:25:05.390 --> 00:25:08.569 about her diet change, wasn't there? From veganism. 00:25:08.609 --> 00:25:10.869 Yeah. Shows how everything she does gets scrutinized. 00:25:10.910 --> 00:25:12.470 She'd been vegan for years. It was part of her 00:25:12.470 --> 00:25:15.289 public identity. But in 2020, she switched to 00:25:15.289 --> 00:25:17.210 being pescatarian because she was suffering from 00:25:17.210 --> 00:25:19.849 an omega -3 deficiency. Her brain wasn't functioning 00:25:19.849 --> 00:25:22.990 properly. And people got mad. Oh, the vegan community 00:25:22.990 --> 00:25:25.109 online gave her a lot of backlash, accused her 00:25:25.109 --> 00:25:27.349 of being a hypocrite. She talked about how hard 00:25:27.349 --> 00:25:29.569 it was, saying she cried for the fish because 00:25:29.569 --> 00:25:32.029 eating it felt wrong to her. It just highlights 00:25:32.029 --> 00:25:34.390 the intense pressure she's under for every single 00:25:34.390 --> 00:25:36.950 choice. So let's try and sum up her artistic 00:25:36.950 --> 00:25:38.990 footprint. It's just incredibly broad, isn't 00:25:38.990 --> 00:25:43.529 it? Pop, rock, country, teen pop, hip hop, psychedelic. 00:25:43.569 --> 00:25:45.670 All of it. And she's got that really distinctive 00:25:45.670 --> 00:25:47.910 voice, that mezzo -soprano with the rasp, the 00:25:47.910 --> 00:25:50.750 Nashville twang, as you called it. It gives everything 00:25:50.750 --> 00:25:53.509 she does this unique edge, whether it's pop or 00:25:53.509 --> 00:25:56.009 rock. And her influences are just as varied. 00:25:56.190 --> 00:25:59.670 Elvis is her number one, she says. But also Madonna, 00:26:00.029 --> 00:26:02.589 Dolly Parton, Britney, Joan Jett, Metallica. 00:26:03.130 --> 00:26:05.970 A real mix. She absorbs everything. Which leads 00:26:05.970 --> 00:26:08.269 to that constant comparison, the pop chameleon, 00:26:08.269 --> 00:26:10.529 often compared to Madonna. Right. Critics call 00:26:10.529 --> 00:26:12.789 her the Madonna of her generation because of 00:26:12.789 --> 00:26:15.430 that constant reinvention, the confrontational 00:26:15.430 --> 00:26:18.130 use of sexuality in a way that feels like it's 00:26:18.130 --> 00:26:21.079 asserting control, not just... catering to male 00:26:21.079 --> 00:26:23.279 expectations. Finally, we absolutely have to 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:25.420 mention her philanthropy, because that seems 00:26:25.420 --> 00:26:27.539 like the one constant thread through all the 00:26:27.539 --> 00:26:29.779 chaos and change. The Happy Hippie Foundation, 00:26:30.119 --> 00:26:32.980 which she started in 2014, its focus is specific. 00:26:33.259 --> 00:26:36.019 Fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ 00:26:36.019 --> 00:26:38.980 youth, and other vulnerable populations. That 00:26:38.980 --> 00:26:41.240 mission has stayed consistent. And she uses her 00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:43.220 platform really effectively for it, like that 00:26:43.220 --> 00:26:45.759 hashtag Instapride campaign. Yeah, with Instagram, 00:26:45.980 --> 00:26:48.130 showcasing transgender. and gender expansive 00:26:48.130 --> 00:26:50.529 people. And she supports tons of other charities. 00:26:50.609 --> 00:26:53.609 Make a wish, Elton John AIDS Foundation. But 00:26:53.609 --> 00:26:56.049 maybe the most powerful example the sources give 00:26:56.049 --> 00:26:59.549 is the 2014 VMAs. When she won for Wrecking Ball. 00:26:59.869 --> 00:27:01.869 Instead of giving a speech, she had a young homeless 00:27:01.869 --> 00:27:04.650 man named Jesse Held accept the award for her 00:27:04.650 --> 00:27:07.890 to raise awareness for my friend's place. Using 00:27:07.890 --> 00:27:10.049 that massive moment, not for herself, but for 00:27:10.049 --> 00:27:13.029 the cause. That speaks volumes. Yeah. And donating 00:27:13.029 --> 00:27:15.029 half a million dollars after the Woolsey fire, 00:27:15.049 --> 00:27:17.609 too. Right. Tangible support. The sources say 00:27:17.609 --> 00:27:21.190 she supports over 39 charities. So whatever controversies 00:27:21.190 --> 00:27:23.829 swirl around her image, that commitment to social 00:27:23.829 --> 00:27:26.430 issues seems unwavering. Hashtag tag tag outro. 00:27:26.589 --> 00:27:29.319 Synthesis and final thought. So if we zoom out 00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:32.420 and look at this whole incredible timeline, the 00:27:32.420 --> 00:27:35.519 main takeaway has to be strategic, constant reinvention, 00:27:35.579 --> 00:27:37.900 right? This deliberate, almost aggressive shedding 00:27:37.900 --> 00:27:40.619 of skin at every turn. Absolutely. From Hannah 00:27:40.619 --> 00:27:43.299 Montana through the shock of bangers, the rock 00:27:43.299 --> 00:27:45.920 of plastic hearts, the global triumph of endless 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:49.599 summer vacation. She's just mastered transformation. 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:53.400 The output is staggering. Nine studio albums, 00:27:53.740 --> 00:27:56.720 five soundtracks, those Grammy wins, three now 00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:58.619 at the Beyonce collab, and topped off with being 00:27:58.619 --> 00:28:01.240 a Disney legend. She is, without a doubt, one 00:28:01.240 --> 00:28:03.420 of the most successful, enduring, and just plain 00:28:03.420 --> 00:28:06.480 interesting pop stars of this century. Yeah, 00:28:06.500 --> 00:28:08.660 Billboard put her at number 15 on their list 00:28:08.660 --> 00:28:10.680 of the greatest pop stars of the 21st century. 00:28:10.940 --> 00:28:14.140 And their summary was perfect. She's endured. 00:28:14.940 --> 00:28:17.220 Because no matter what style she's trying out, 00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:19.339 at the end of the day, she's always still just 00:28:19.339 --> 00:28:22.319 being Miley. She really is the ultimate example 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:25.319 of turning that tricky childhood fame into adult 00:28:25.319 --> 00:28:28.140 artistry, completely on her own terms. Even if 00:28:28.140 --> 00:28:30.200 those terms were often volatile, they always 00:28:30.200 --> 00:28:32.160 felt authentic to her at the time. Which brings 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:33.960 us to a final thought for you, the listener. 00:28:34.119 --> 00:28:35.920 Her latest album is called Something Beautiful, 00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:38.579 and she described it as trying to medicate a 00:28:38.579 --> 00:28:40.890 sick culture. So it makes you wonder. The staying 00:28:40.890 --> 00:28:43.490 relevant as a pop superstar today required this 00:28:43.490 --> 00:28:46.329 level of constant genre -hopping reinvention 00:28:46.329 --> 00:28:49.329 and public self -examination. Or is it just her 00:28:49.329 --> 00:28:51.329 unique talent and personality that drives this 00:28:51.329 --> 00:28:53.349 path, regardless of the spectacle? Could she 00:28:53.349 --> 00:28:55.309 have been just as successful staying in one lane? 00:28:55.549 --> 00:28:57.650 It's definitely something to chew on, especially 00:28:57.650 --> 00:29:00.289 as we watch the next generation of young stars 00:29:00.289 --> 00:29:03.849 try to navigate that same journey, escaping the 00:29:03.849 --> 00:29:06.529 corporate mold to find their own voice. A deep 00:29:06.529 --> 00:29:09.029 dive completed. Thanks so much for joining us.