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Miley Cyrus is one of the most versatile and influential artists of our time. From her humble beginnings as a child star on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana to her provocative and experimental musical shifts, she has proven herself as a pop chameleon who can adapt to any genre and style.
Origins
Miley Cyrus was born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992, in Franklin, Tennessee. She is the daughter of country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus and his wife Tish. She grew up on her family’s farm outside Nashville, where she developed a love for music and acting. Her sunny disposition as a child earned her the nickname “Smiley Miley”, which she later shortened to Miley.
She started her show business career at the age of nine, when she landed a role in an episode of her father’s TV series Doc. She also appeared in the film Big Fish (2003) as a young Ruthie. In 2005, she auditioned for the lead role in Hannah Montana, a Disney Channel series about a girl who leads a double life as a normal middle-school student and a glamorous pop singer. Despite being initially deemed too young and small for the character, she persisted and won the part. The show debuted in 2006 and became an instant hit, turning the 13-year-old into a bona fide star.
Music Career
As Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus released several successful soundtrack albums, such as Hannah Montana (2006), Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (2007), and Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009). She also embarked on a national tour called Best of Both Worlds in 2007, which was filmed and released as a concert film in 2008. She also released the country pop ballad “The Climb”, which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
As Miley Cyrus, she launched her solo career with the pop rock albums Meet Miley Cyrus (2007) and Breakout (2008), which contained the hit singles “See You Again” and “7 Things”. She also starred in the films Bolt (2008), The Last Song (2010), and LOL (2012). In 2010, she released her third album, Can’t Be Tamed, which marked a more mature and dance-pop direction for her music. The title track reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
After a hiatus, Miley Cyrus returned with a radical musical and image transformation with the R&B and hip hop-infused album Bangerz (2013), which became her fifth number-one album. The album featured the smash hits “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball”, the latter of which became her first U.S. number-one single and earned her a Grammy Award nomination. She also embarked on the controversial Bangerz Tour, which featured provocative costumes and stage antics.
She continued to experiment with different genres and styles on her follow-up projects, such as the psychedelic rock album Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz (2015), which she released for free online; the country pop album Younger Now (2017), which spawned the U.S. top-ten single “Malibu”; and the trap-inspired EP She Is Coming (2019), which included the feminist anthem “Mother’s Daughter”.
In 2020, she released her seventh studio album, Plastic Hearts, which incorporated elements of rock, pop, and synth-pop. The album received critical acclaim and became her sixth number-one album on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. It also featured the singles “Midnight Sky”, “Prisoner” (with Dua Lipa), and “Angels Like You”.
In 2021, she released a cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” for the tribute album The Metallica Blacklist, and collaborated with Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, and Chad Smith on the track. She also performed at several events, such as the Super Bowl LV pre-show, the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, and the Lollapalooza festival.
Achievements and Influence
Miley Cyrus is one of the most successful and influential artists of the 21st century. She has sold over 75 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She has also won numerous awards, such as 19 Teen Choice Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, four World Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, a People’s Choice Award, a GLAAD Media Award, and eight Guinness World Records. She has been featured in listicles such as the Time 100 in 2008 and 2014, Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2014 and 2021, and Billboard’s “Greatest of All Time Artists” in 2019.
She is also known for her activism and philanthropy, supporting causes such as animal rights, LGBTQ+ rights, environmentalism, homelessness, and mental health. She founded the Happy Hippie Foundation in 2014, a nonprofit organization that aims to fight injustice and provide support to homeless youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and other vulnerable populations. She has also donated to various charities and organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Amnesty International, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and MusiCares.
Miley Cyrus is a pop chameleon who keeps reinventing herself and pushing the boundaries of music and culture. She is an icon of authenticity, creativity, and empowerment, inspiring millions of fans around the world with her talent and courage.
