Courtesy of Hollywood Life

Cyrus when she was in Hannah Montana compared to now.

At age 12, Miley Cyrus became a teenage sensation with the release of the popular Disney Channel TV show “Hannah Montana.” 

Cyrus was born in Franklin, Tenn., and grew up with five siblings. It just so happened that her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, was a popular country singer and American actor whose fame peaked from the 1990s to the early 2010s. This helped land her roles as a child actor and singer, and his experience later impacted her own journey through fame. 

“Watching him go through the ups and downs of being in the spotlight has been really helpful for me, and it’s made me understand how to deal with all the different emotions that come with fame,” Cyrus said in a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone. 

“Hannah Montana” was an instant hit with teen audiences, telling the story of a young girl named Miley Stewart who tried to balance her double-life being a typical high school student and the pop star Hannah Montana. During her time on the show, Cyrus became intertwined with her characters, Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana. This was mainly because the public always associated her with Hannah Montana, making it difficult for her to separate herself from the fictional persona.

Cyrus also released three albums under the stage name Hannah Montana, each featuring different songs from the show. Her actual “debut” album, dubbed “Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus,” was also released with multiple songs and tracks from Hannah Montana.

Eventually, as Cyrus grew into her late teens, she felt even more discontent with her role as Hannah Montana because it no longer felt authentic to her.
“I think people loved ‘Hannah Montana’ because it was real and I was under there. But at some point I didn’t know who I was because I was so busy being somebody else,” Cyrus said in a 2011 interview.

Between acting, singing and other responsibilities, she also carried an intense workload. She said she felt like a corporate machine where she woke up at 5 a.m. every day, rushing to get her hair and makeup ready so she could film her scenes. In the evening, she would go back home to do her school work and record music.

Cyrus’s unhappiness with the role was also a result of immense pressure to stay with her Disney image and maintain the persona that she had cultivated with her years on “Hannah Montana.” As she progressed through her teenage years, Cyrus finally started to break free from the image with her personal albums. 

 In 2008 and 2010, she released two new albums, “Breakout” and “Can’t Be Tamed.” Both albums went on to be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), meaning it sold at least 1 million units, and “Breakout” debuted as No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200.

As the singer began to release more albums, her musical style began to evolve as well. When she started recording music, her main focus was on pop music, releasing songs like “Party in the U.S.A” on her EP. However, when she started recording more of her albums she began to expand into more genres such as country pop. She even released a full rock album named “Plastic Hearts” in 2020. 

  Her album “Can’t Be Tamed” featured more mature lyrics and sexual undertones on certain tracks, which spurred a lot of controversy from parents because of her traditionally child-friendly persona.

 This controversy came to a head with her 2013 album “Bangerz,” which contained multiple references to sex, drugs and partying. In her MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) performance that same year, she was seen twerking on stage with singer Robin Thicke, resulting in multiple negative comments from both critics and fans alike. 

Cyrus has admitted that the constant criticism — whether about her provocative performances or public breakups — took a significant toll on her mental health. The relentless scrutiny left her feeling misunderstood and isolated, leading to bouts of self-doubt and emotional exhaustion. Ultimately, this pressure forced her to take a step back in 2019 and focus on her well-being and sobriety.

During this time, her voice began to undergo changes. Because of her hectic schedule and frequent tours, Cyrus developed a vocal cord condition called Reinke’s Edema. After undergoing a surgery to restore her vocal cords, her voice became more raspy, adding an additional depth and a distinct style to her music.  

Nowadays, Cyrus has taken a more reflective turn and released her latest album “Endless Summer Vacation,” a pop album with introspective lyrics and themes. In this album, she reflects on the feelings and pressures she had felt throughout her Hollywood journey. In her song “Used To Be Young,” she reflects on her past controversies and expresses her belief of “living without regrets,” citing that she wouldn’t be the same person today without those experiences. 

Cyrus’s journey shows the importance of breaking away from an image that doesn’t represent you anymore, especially in an industry that rewards staying with a single familiar facade. Cyrus pushed back against that trap, choosing to redefine herself even when it meant facing backlash. Her journey is a reminder that growth requires making uncomfortable choices, and that it is important to embrace our past mistakes and choices, as that is what shapes who we are today.

“I would not go back and change anything. Each moment shaped who I am today,” Cyrus shared on Facebook in January.