Welcome everyone to the deep dive. We take these
really complex bundles of information you send
our way and try to boil them down to the core
insights, the really fascinating stuff. Yeah,
exactly. And today we are diving into a career
that's... Well, it's defined by more than just
talent, isn't it? It's about radical transformation,
almost like strategic image warfare and just
incredible longevity in pop culture. Absolutely.
We're looking at Miley Cyrus, who you could almost
call the ultimate pop chameleon. I mean, if you're
looking for an artist who just never, ever stays
in one place, who made changing her image, her
whole brand. Well, that's her. Right. And we've
got sources here covering what? two decades it's
a huge amount of material and what it shows isn't
really chaos maybe but more like a very carefully
managed career yeah built on this deep creative
restlessness yeah our mission today feels pretty
huge the sources take us through her entire timeline
you know from that billion dollar disney start
that made her a global name right up to now where
she's this grammy -winning artist breaking chart
records we're gonna track her evolution across
so many genres i mean Bubblegum pop, rock, hip
hop, country, even psychedelic stuff. It's wild.
And then there are the public image shifts, the
controversies, the big personal changes. And,
you know, what was the actual impact of all those
choices commercially and culturally? It's like
studying control through, well, what looks like
anarchy sometimes. Let's maybe start with the
basics, though, because even her name tells a
story of change, right? She was born Destiny
Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992, in Franklin, Tennessee.
Destiny Hope. Yeah. And the nickname Miley is
actually pretty sweet. It just came from smiley
because apparently she smiled a lot as a baby.
And she made it official Miley Ray Cyrus in 2008.
The Ray is a tribute to her grandfather, Ronald
Ray Cyrus. And the family connection, obviously
you can't ignore it. Daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus,
the country star, and her godmother, Dolly Parton.
Doesn't get much bigger than that. Right. The
sources really emphasize how that sort of southern
celebrity background laid the groundwork for
her moving between pop, country, rock later on.
She kind of had that credibility baked in from
the start. Yeah, that's a good point. And there's
another early detail the sources mentioned. Maybe
it hints at the intense energy she's always had.
She was born with supraventricular tachycardia,
SVT. Oh, really? Yeah. It's a condition causing
an unusually fast resting heart rate. Now, obviously
that's medical, but it almost feels symbolic,
doesn't it? Given the relentless pace she keeps
up across all her different identities. Interesting.
And the career started young. Her acting debut
was in her dad's show Doc back in 2001. Right,
as Kylie. But the really big decision, the one
that basically set her path for the next decade,
was choosing to audition for Hannah Montana instead
of a role in the adventures of Sharkboy and Lava
Girl. Wow. Talk about a sliding doors moment,
right? One path leads to global superstardom.
And the other. Maybe just a footnote. Crazy.
Okay, so let's unpack Hannah Montana. Because
it wasn't just a hit show. It was like a corporate
and cultural juggernaut. Oh, completely. The
sources break down how it happened really clearly,
starting right from the casting. And the casting
itself is interesting, right? Because she wasn't
the obvious choice initially. Not at all. She
was only 13 and she actually auditioned for the
Best Friend role first. Oh, I didn't know that.
Yeah. But the producers saw something. Her charisma,
her singing. what they called her goofy acting,
and they gave her the lead, Miley Stewart. Even
though they had initially turned her down for
being too small and too young, they basically
broke their own rules for her. And it paid off
instantly. Premiered in March 2006. Biggest audience
ever for Disney Channel at the time. It just
blew up. Highest rated series on basic cable.
Boom, she's the teen idol for that whole generation.
Overnight, yeah. And commercially, wow. It was
way more than a TV show. It was this massive
machine. The sources point out she was the first
person at Disney to have deals across everything
at the same time. TV, movies, merchandise, and
music. Analysts called it a billion -dollar franchise.
A billion dollars. And that early success included
two number one soundtracks on Billboard, but
credited to Hannah Montana, the character. Right,
not Miley Cyrus. Exactly. And that distinction,
you know, the character being bigger than her,
that's really key to understanding why she pushed
so hard for independence later. But even while
Hannah Montana was dominating, her solo career
was already being built kind of in parallel,
like a strategic escape plan almost. Yeah, Hollywood
Records signed her for a four -album deal specifically
for non -Hannah stuff. So even the company knew
they needed this duality for the long run. So
her solo Did You was kind of bundled, wasn't
it? It was unusual. Hannah Montana 2. Meet Miley
Cyrus in 2007, a two -disc set. The second disc
was her official solo debut. And it still went
to number one. Yep, number one on the Billboard
200, sold over three million copies eventually.
Then her second solo album, Breakout in 2008,
also hit number one, even better first week sales.
And she was writing more by them. That's the
key thing. The sources note she co -wrote eight
songs on Breakout. She was already pushing, even
then, to be seen as a songwriter. not just the
girl in the wig. It shows that ambition was there
early on. And you can't talk about this time
without mentioning Party in the USA. That song
just exploded beyond Disney. Oh, totally. From
the 2009 EP, The Time of Our Lives, it became
like the anthem for that moment, didn't it? Still
gets played everywhere. Absolutely. Definitely
her first huge signature song away from the hand
of character. It went 14 times platinum in the
U .S., just massive. And the label even marketed
that EP as a transitioning album. Ah. Yeah, like
gently trying to ease the public into a more
mature sound. A bridge away from the blonde wig,
basically. And the live shows back then. The
demand was apparently insane. Unbelievable for
a teen star. The best of both worlds tour. 2007
-08. Ticketmaster people were comparing the demand
to The Beatles or Elvis. Beatles or Elvis? For
a teenager? That's wild. It's almost hard to
believe, right? The demand was so crazy, it led
directly to that 3D concert movie, Hannah Montana
and Miley Cyrus, best of both worlds concert.
Right, I remember that. And she just kept breaking
records, Hannah Montana. The movie's soundtrack
in 2009 made her the youngest artist ever. She
was 16 to have four number one albums on the
Billboard 200. Commercially, she was just unstoppable.
And then comes the other side of that coin. Massive
fame, especially teen fame controlled by a huge
company. Controversy is almost inevitable, right?
Especially when the star starts trying to break
free. Exactly. The storm started brewing pretty
early, around 16. And you can see that clash
between the star and the machine starting. What
were the first big ones? The sources point to
a couple of key moments that started cracking
that perfect Disney image. First, those leaked
photos in 2008. Oh yeah, the hacked email account.
Right. Underwear, swimsuit pics, immediate outrage
from parents, media talking about her being too
sexualized too soon. And then the Vanity Fair
shoot. That was huge. Massive. The Annie Leibovitz
shoot. Initially, everyone thought she posed
topless. The New York Times later clarified she
was actually wrapped in a bed sheet. But the
perception was already out there. Exactly. The
damage was done. She was instantly painted as
rebellious. And by 2009, she was already testing
boundaries on stage, too. The Teen Choice Awards
performance. Yeah. Party in the USA again. It
caused a national uproar, seriously, just because
of her outfit and what people called pole dancing
on an ice cream cart. An ice cream cart. I know.
But what's fascinating is how quickly the narrative
turned against her. She was in this impossible
spot, needed to grow up, shed the Disney identity
to stay relevant and evolve artistically. But
any move towards being more mature or even slightly
rebellious got blown up and condemned. Totally.
especially by conservative critics and parts
of the press. So you can see why a radical shift
was probably inevitable. Gentle steps clearly
weren't cutting it for her or for the public's
appetite for drama. The stage was set for bangers.
OK, so Hannah Montana wraps up and the next phase
is all about making a very loud, very visible
break from that teen past. Starts around 2010.
But interestingly, she tried film first, right?
Not music straight away. Yeah. That suggests
she was still kind of figuring out what her independent
voice would be. She did the last song, the Nicholas
Sparks movie, which actually did well. Right.
That's where she met Liam Hemsworth. Exactly.
And she announced a break for music to focus
on acting. But the movies after that, like LOL
and So Undercover. They didn't really land. Yeah,
those kind of flopped. Right. So it seemed clear
her path of being taken seriously as an adult
had to be through music and performance, not
necessarily movies. So then came Can't Be Tamed
in 2010. That album felt like a real statement
of intent. Very dance pop, much more aggressive
image. Definitely intentional. It was her first
album not to hit number one on Billboard. Which
is interesting. Shows maybe the public wasn't
quite ready or maybe just confused by the sudden
change. The title says it all, really. Can't
be tamed. Pretty much summed it up. Total defiance.
Yeah. And the performances got way more provocative,
like pretending to kiss a female dancer on Britain's
Got Talent. That caused a stir. And the personal
controversy started piling up, too, fueling that
rebellious narrative. Oh, yeah. The big one was
that video in December 2010 of her smoking salvia
from a bong. She was 18, filmed by friends, leaked
online instantly. Huge media storm. Right. And
wasn't there something with an animated movie,
Hotel Transylvania? Yes. The sources mention
this, and it really shows how far she was pushing
against that old Disney image. She was apparently
dropped from voicing a character in the film.
Why? Because she was photographed, let's say,
interacting inappropriately with a penis -shaped
cake at Liam Hemsworth's birthday party. Wow.
Okay. Yeah, that's not very Disney. Definitely
not. It showed her choices were becoming deliberately
provocative, almost designed to alienate her
old corporate image. But maybe the biggest signal
of this whole internal shift was the hair. The
big chop. The blonde pixie cut. Yeah. Cutting
off all that long brown hair. Yeah. She said
herself she never felt more herself in her whole
life after that. It felt like a real physical
liberation from the Hannah character. So then
things get really interesting around 2013. She
makes this deliberate pivot towards hip -hop
and R &B. This wasn't just image anymore. It
was a whole new sound. Exactly. And it came with
big changes behind the scenes, too. She hired
Larry Rudolph, who famously managed Britney Spears
through her controversial periods. All right,
sending a signal there. Right. And she signed
with RCA Records. Musically, she started working
with producers like Pharrell Williams, Mike Will
Made It, getting that heavy, dirty South feel
people talked about. This wasn't just dabbling.
It was a full dive into that sound. And the collaborations
came quickly, showing she could actually fit
in that world. Yep. Snoop Lion's ashtrays and
heartbreaks, Will .iam's fall down, and especially
Mike Will made its 23, which hit number 11 on
the Hot 100. She was embedding herself right
in the middle of it. Which all leads up to bangers
in 2013 and just... The media explosion that
followed. This was the big comeback, the definitive
break from the past. For sure. The first single,
We Can't Stop, was huge globally. Broke the Vivo
record for views in 24 hours. First video to
hit 100 million views there. It proved that the
shock value and the new sound could absolutely
work commercially. But the moment everyone remembers,
the one that dominated headlines for weeks. The
2013 VMA performance. Oh, that performance with
Robin Thicke. It was pure spectacle designed
to shock. And boy, did it succeed. Yeah, the
foam finger. The simulated sex acts. Social media
just imploded. People called it disturbing. A
train wreck. But importantly, critics also pointed
out that the sexuality, while provocative, felt
like it wasn't just for the male gaze. Ah, interesting.
Like Madonna. Exactly. People immediately made
that comparison, using shock not just for attention,
but to grab control of her own narrative, her
own body. And then almost right after that chaos,
she drops Wrecking Ball. The timing was brilliant.
This huge emotional power ballad became her first
U .S. number one single. And the video was just
as talked about. Oh, yeah. Swingin' naked on
a wrecking ball. 19 million views in 24 hours.
Massive controversy again. Sinead O 'Connor famously
wrote her those open letters. Criticizing her,
right? Saying she was being objectified. Yeah,
arguing the spectacle was overshadowing her talent.
But commercially, the Banger's era was a monster
success. She debuted at number one. Yep. 270
,000 copies first week. MTV named her Artist
of the Year. Billboard called it the top music
moment of 2013. It was chaotic, sure, but it
cemented her control and proved she could escape
Disney's shadow through these huge, risky moves.
What's wild, though, is right at that peak, she
immediately swerves again into something totally
different and non -commercial, Miley Cyrus and
her deadpits. That was the real curveball. a
surprise album released for free online right
after she hosted the VMAs in 2015. Well, she
also came out as pansexual, right? First host
to do that. Exactly. And the album itself, really
experimental, psychedelic pop rock, mostly self
-written and produced, lots of collaboration
with Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips. So not
exactly radio friendly. Not at all. She described
it as a little psychedelic. But still in that
pop world, it showed she was willing to ditch
the massive commercial machine for pure artistic
freedom, even reportedly threatening her label,
RCA, if they didn't let her release it for free.
It proved she'd prioritize creating over just
selling records when she wanted to. So after
the psychedelic detour of Dead Pets, it feels
like she kind of cycled back towards the mainstream
for a bit, maybe cleaning the palette after all
that noise. Yeah. The mid -2010s saw her doing
things that felt a bit more... Structured. Starting
with going back to TV in a big way. Right. The
voice. Yep. She was a coach for two seasons,
11, 13. And she was the youngest coach ever on
any version of the show worldwide. It gave her
that mainstream visibility again. Kind of normalized
her image after the Dead Pets experimentation.
Put her back in living rooms, focused on her
music knowledge. Not controversy. And she was
still acting a bit too, wasn't she? She was.
She did that Woody Allen miniseries, Crisis in
Six Scenes, playing a radical activist. that
voice cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,
still keeping her options open, never just doing
one thing. Musically, this period brought Younger
now in 2017. That felt like a big shift back
towards her roots. Definitely. A conscious return
to a country pop sound. Much cleaner, more acoustic,
focused on songwriting again. A real contrast
to Dead Pets. And Malibu was a hit from that
album. Yeah, top 10 on the Hot 100. It proved
she could switch styles and still have success
without relying on shock value. Just good melody,
more introspective lyrics. It seemed like a quieter
time, maybe, but she was still using her platform,
especially with philanthropy. Absolutely. The
sources really highlight how she consistently
uses her music for causes, like performing the
climb. A Hannah Montana classic. Right. She performed
it to honor the victims of the Las Vegas shooting,
and then again at the March for Our Lives rally.
It shows how those older songs can take on new
meaning years later, become these unifying anthems.
It's a strange kind of continuity to her whole
career. OK, so moving into 2018, 2019, another
shift, more collaborations, leaning into a kind
of mature pop rock sound. Yeah, the track with
Mark Ronson, Nothing Breaks Like a Heart. That
was huge, especially internationally. Hit number
two in the UK. really cemented her status as
a serious adult vocalist outside the U .S. too.
And she really built up a reputation for doing
amazing covers around this time. She did. Became
known as a powerhouse cover artist. The sources
mention her version of Islands in the Stream
for the Dolly Parton tribute and her take on
Ariana Grande's No Tears Left to Cry. Critics
really started focusing on her raw vocal talent
again, acknowledging maybe the banger's spectacle
sometimes overshadowed just how good a singer
she is. Wasn't she planning a series of EPs around
then? Yes. that was the plan started with she
is coming in 2019 which did well debuted at number
five it was meant to be the first of three eps
she is here and she is everything we're supposed
to follow making up a full album called she is
miley cyrus and it had some cool collabs on it
rupaul swaley ghostface killer too yeah really
diverse but that whole plan got scrapped before
we get to why there was also that black mirror
episode that felt like a big cultural moment
oh Rachel Jack and Ashley, too. Absolutely. Playing
the exploited pop star Ashley O, it drew immediate
comparisons to the whole Free Britney movement,
which Miley herself supported. Right. It put
her right in the center of that conversation
about artists' rights and exploitation in the
industry. Very timely. Very resonant. So that
brings us to the Plastic Hearts era, 2020 to
2022, an era defined by rock music and... Well,
resilience seems like the right word. And the
reason those EPs got canceled was pretty major.
Yeah, that whole album plan just fell apart because
her life underwent massive changes. Her very
public divorce from Liam Hemsworth, losing their
house in the Woolsey fire. Devastating. Right.
The sources make it clear the music had to change
because her life changed so dramatically. It
gave the next phase this really raw, authentic
energy. She needed a new sound to deal with all
that trauma. And that sound was rock. Plastic
Hearts in 2020 was a full -on dive into rock
and glam rock. Totally. She cited Britney Spears
and Metallica as influences, which is quite a
combo. It is. And she brought in actual rock
legends Dua Lipa on Prisoner, but also Billy
Idol, Joan Jett. They gave the album instant
credibility within the genre. And it worked commercially
too, right? Another successful reinvention. Absolutely.
Debuted at number two, it became her 12th top
10 album. And get this, it broke the record for
the most U .S. Billboard 200 top five albums
by a female artist in the 21st century. Wow.
That really speaks to her staying power across
all these changes. Doesn't it? Long after the
teen idol phase. And she really focused on live
performance again, especially post -pandemic
lockdowns, like performing at that first TikTok
tailgate before the Super Bowl in 2021. And she
signed new deals, too. It moved to Columbia Records
in 2021. Yeah. And got an overall deal with NBCUniversal,
which led to her doing that annual New Year's
Eve party special she hosts now. She became a
major network personality again. And she wrapped
up that period with a live album. Attention.
Yeah. Miley Live in 2022. And it wasn't just
a standard live album. She said it was curated
by the fans, for the fans, included covers, but
also two unreleased tracks, Attention and You.
So really engaging with her audience directly.
Exactly. And critics praised her voice again,
one calling it a force to be reckoned with, seamlessly
fitting whatever genre she chooses to tackle.
That kind of sums up where she was heading into
this latest massive era of vocalists who can
conquer anything. OK, so that brings us right
up to 2023. And what feels like maybe the absolute
peak of her adult career so far, driven by endless
summer vacation and, well, that song. Flowers.
Yeah, a cultural phenomenon. Announced during
her New Year's show, dropped January 13, 2023.
Went straight to number one on the Billboard
Hot 100. Her second U .S. number one. Right.
And her longest running number one in a decade.
It felt like the moment the whole world really
embraced this mature, self -assured, empowered
Miley. And the speed of its success was just
staggering, wasn't it? The streaming numbers.
Historic. At the time, it was the fastest song
ever to hit 100 million Spotify plays just seven
days. And fastest to a billion plays 112 days.
A billion plays in under four months. Insane.
It hit number one in 37 countries. The IFPI officially
named it the best -selling song. globally for
2023. These aren't just pop star numbers. These
are mega superstar numbers. She reached that
level. And even on radio, its staying power was
unbelievable. Record -breaking. Longest run ever
at number one on any Billboard Airplay chart,
57 weeks straight on Adult Contemporary. And
the most weeks ever on top of all Billboard Airplay
charts, combined 106 weeks. Over two years combined
at number one on radio charts. It's just undeniable
dominance. Lasted way over a year. And the album,
Endless Summer Vacation, followed in March 2023.
What was the vibe there? Her first on Columbia
Records, she called it her love letter to L .A.
Mostly sophisticated pop, dance pop, really reflecting
her growth physically and mentally after the
divorce, the fire, the pandemic. And she did
those backyard sessions specials too, right,
on Disney Plus app. Yeah, which was a really
interesting deliberate choice. Going back to
Disney Plus ad, the platform that launched her.
but now completely as the adult artist in full
control full circle in a way with all that success
the big awards had to follow and the grammys
finally came through for her in 2024. her first
two wins record of the year, and best pop solo
performance, both for Flowers. And she made sure
everyone knew it during the performance. Oh yeah,
changing the lyrics live on stage. I just won
my first Grammy. Such a great spontaneous moment
of pure joy and vindication after that long,
often bumpy road. Her status as a go -to collaborator
seemed locked in too. Definitely. 2024 saw her
on Pharrell's Doctor, Work It Out, and maybe
even bigger, that duet with Beyonce on Cowboy
Carter, Two Most Wanted. Which won a Grammy too.
Her third. Best country duo group performance.
Winning Grammys in pop and country now, just
validating that whole versatile background. And
she hasn't stopped. There's already a new album
out, Something Beautiful, May 2025. Ninth studio
album. She described it as hypnotic, an attempt
to medicate somewhat of a sick culture through
music. So still ambitious, still tackling big
themes. Critics seem to like it, calling it introspective,
a prog pop fantasia. Suggests she's still pushing
into more complex conceptual work. And it wasn't
just an album, right? There was a film, too.
A visual album? A musical film of the same name?
She co -wrote and directed it. Premiered at Tribeca.
Billboard called it a one -of -a -kind pop opera.
Just shows the total creative control she has
now over the whole package. Music, visuals, concept.
A world away from the Disney days. And maybe
the ultimate full -circle moment. Getting named
a Disney legend in 2024. At 31. the youngest
ever recipient, recognized for her contributions
to the company that started it all. From teen
idol through rebellion to respected icon celebrated
by the very machine she once fought so hard to
escape. It's quite a journey. So beyond the music,
beyond the constant reinvention, Miley Cyrus
has always been incredibly open about her personal
identity, her lifestyle. Let's touch on how she
talks about sexuality and gender because that
feels really central to your whole story. It
really does. And it's been remarkably consistent,
actually, even as the music changes. She came
out to her mom as gender fluid and pansexual
when she was just 14. Wow, that young. Yeah.
And she said publicly she doesn't relate to being
boy or girl. She's open to loving anyone who
loves her for who she is. That openness was a
huge deal, especially when she hosted the VMAs
in 2015 as the first openly pansexual host. made
her such an important figure for young people
figuring out their own identities. And that complexity
definitely seemed to inform her relationship
with Liam Hemsworth, that whole on -again, off
-again saga. Right. Culminating in the marriage
in 2018, then the divorce in 2020, she even talked
about how the marriage redefined what it looks
like for someone that's a queer person like me
to be in a hetero relationship. And didn't she
say the house fire was a big factor in them getting
married? She did. Losing their home in the Woolsey
fire, she said it made them realize No one has
promised the next day push them towards that
commitment, perhaps rooted in that shared trauma.
Very intense. She's also been pretty outspoken
about not wanting kids. Yeah. Since about 2019.
Very vocal about being child free. And she specifically
linked it to concerns about climate change, adding
another layer of sort of social commentary to
her personal choices. OK. Shifting to wellness.
Her relationship with substances, especially
cannabis, was super public during the bangers
phase. Oh, definitely. She was very open about
it, famously called cannabis the best drug on
earth back then. And that incident at the MTV
Europe Music Awards in 2013, where she lit up
what looked like a joint on stage that really
cemented the rebellious image. But she shifted
away from that now, right? Sobriety. A really
clear shift, yeah. Shows another kind of evolution
focused on longevity, maybe. She first quit around
younger. now in 2017, saying she wanted to be
super clear for that album cycle. And then she
became strictly sober, no cannabis, no alcohol,
after having vocal cord surgery in late 2019,
recognizing the impact it had on her voice, her
health. Her mom even said in 2020, Miley was
the cleanest person I know, a total turnaround
from her early 20s. There was also that controversy
about her diet change, wasn't there? From veganism.
Yeah. Shows how everything she does gets scrutinized.
She'd been vegan for years. It was part of her
public identity. But in 2020, she switched to
being pescatarian because she was suffering from
an omega -3 deficiency. Her brain wasn't functioning
properly. And people got mad. Oh, the vegan community
online gave her a lot of backlash, accused her
of being a hypocrite. She talked about how hard
it was, saying she cried for the fish because
eating it felt wrong to her. It just highlights
the intense pressure she's under for every single
choice. So let's try and sum up her artistic
footprint. It's just incredibly broad, isn't
it? Pop, rock, country, teen pop, hip hop, psychedelic.
All of it. And she's got that really distinctive
voice, that mezzo -soprano with the rasp, the
Nashville twang, as you called it. It gives everything
she does this unique edge, whether it's pop or
rock. And her influences are just as varied.
Elvis is her number one, she says. But also Madonna,
Dolly Parton, Britney, Joan Jett, Metallica.
A real mix. She absorbs everything. Which leads
to that constant comparison, the pop chameleon,
often compared to Madonna. Right. Critics call
her the Madonna of her generation because of
that constant reinvention, the confrontational
use of sexuality in a way that feels like it's
asserting control, not just... catering to male
expectations. Finally, we absolutely have to
mention her philanthropy, because that seems
like the one constant thread through all the
chaos and change. The Happy Hippie Foundation,
which she started in 2014, its focus is specific.
Fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ
youth, and other vulnerable populations. That
mission has stayed consistent. And she uses her
platform really effectively for it, like that
hashtag Instapride campaign. Yeah, with Instagram,
showcasing transgender. and gender expansive
people. And she supports tons of other charities.
Make a wish, Elton John AIDS Foundation. But
maybe the most powerful example the sources give
is the 2014 VMAs. When she won for Wrecking Ball.
Instead of giving a speech, she had a young homeless
man named Jesse Held accept the award for her
to raise awareness for my friend's place. Using
that massive moment, not for herself, but for
the cause. That speaks volumes. Yeah. And donating
half a million dollars after the Woolsey fire,
too. Right. Tangible support. The sources say
she supports over 39 charities. So whatever controversies
swirl around her image, that commitment to social
issues seems unwavering. Hashtag tag tag outro.
Synthesis and final thought. So if we zoom out
and look at this whole incredible timeline, the
main takeaway has to be strategic, constant reinvention,
right? This deliberate, almost aggressive shedding
of skin at every turn. Absolutely. From Hannah
Montana through the shock of bangers, the rock
of plastic hearts, the global triumph of endless
summer vacation. She's just mastered transformation.
The output is staggering. Nine studio albums,
five soundtracks, those Grammy wins, three now
at the Beyonce collab, and topped off with being
a Disney legend. She is, without a doubt, one
of the most successful, enduring, and just plain
interesting pop stars of this century. Yeah,
Billboard put her at number 15 on their list
of the greatest pop stars of the 21st century.
And their summary was perfect. She's endured.
Because no matter what style she's trying out,
at the end of the day, she's always still just
being Miley. She really is the ultimate example
of turning that tricky childhood fame into adult
artistry, completely on her own terms. Even if
those terms were often volatile, they always
felt authentic to her at the time. Which brings
us to a final thought for you, the listener.
Her latest album is called Something Beautiful,
and she described it as trying to medicate a
sick culture. So it makes you wonder. The staying
relevant as a pop superstar today required this
level of constant genre -hopping reinvention
and public self -examination. Or is it just her
unique talent and personality that drives this
path, regardless of the spectacle? Could she
have been just as successful staying in one lane?
It's definitely something to chew on, especially
as we watch the next generation of young stars
try to navigate that same journey, escaping the
corporate mold to find their own voice. A deep
dive completed. Thanks so much for joining us.