Key Takeaways

• Personal evolution through therapy: Miley underwent transformative EMDR therapy that helped her overcome stage fright and realize she was carrying her mother's emotional pain, leading to breakthrough healing around family dynamics and her relationship with fame.

• Redefining beauty and emotional authenticity: Her new album "Something Beautiful" aims to reclaim beauty as encompassing all human experiences—including rage and pain—while emphasizing that expressing difficult emotions, especially for women, is both necessary and beautiful.

• Career transition and artistic independence: After winning her first Grammy for "Flowers," Miley is approaching a significant career rebirth, moving away from mainstream expectations toward becoming an "untethered" artist who prioritizes authentic storytelling over commercial success.

• Boundary-setting and self-advocacy: She's learned to "mother herself" by setting interview boundaries and creating personal safety, recognizing that taking control of her narrative is essential for her wellbeing and artistic integrity.

• Industry perspective on female artists: Miley believes rebellious female artists face longer paths to critical recognition compared to their male counterparts, but emphasizes that connecting authentically with millions of fans ultimately validates the artistic journey.

Deep Dive

Introduction and Setting

• Lulu Garcia Navarro introduces her interview with Miley Cyrus, highlighting her evolution from Disney Channel's Hannah Montana to Grammy-winning pop star
• The interview was recorded in New York during Met Gala season, where Miley describes herself as a "misfit" at the event
• She sat with Cartier and enjoyed meeting musician John Baptiste, who impressed her by discussing musical keys

• Miley reflects on her approach to interviews, noting she previously told interviewers to "ask me anything"
• She now understands the importance of being in control of interviews and recognizes her ability to set boundaries and leave if uncomfortable
• Discusses learning to create personal safety and comfort for herself through the concept of "mothering myself" after realizing she won't always have her mother with her
• Her mother previously provided a sense of safety and protection in uncomfortable situations

• Won her first Grammy for "Flowers" after years of feeling unrecognized, acknowledging that not being recognized previously was more painful than she admitted
• Believes her unique path and style contributed to delayed recognition
• Discusses overcoming the "Hannah Montana" label and being taken seriously as an artist
• Notes that female artists, especially those rebellious or open about sexuality, often take longer to be critically recognized
• Felt frustrated by lack of opportunities compared to male Disney artists (e.g., Jonas Brothers), though she felt validated by millions of fans who connected with her work

• The album aims to reclaim and reimagine the concept of beauty, exploring beauty in both joyous and painful moments (birth, death)
• Emphasizes that emotional experiences - including rage - are beautiful because they demonstrate being alive
• Miley describes herself as highly emotional and believes in the importance of expressing rage and anger, especially for women
• Experienced significant rage after her "Plastic Hearts" album, feeling trapped in a "tornado" of her own public image due to feeling unsupported by people she trusted

• Describes her music as falling into two categories: "normal" music (easily understood) and "weird" music (more challenging)
• Focuses on making music that tells her stories, emphasizing authenticity over diversifying into other product lines
• "The End of the World" song was written about an emotional moment when her mother went on vacation to Italy without her, inspired by a phone call where her mother expressed sadness
• She's releasing a visual film to accompany her album, motivated by wanting to do one thing extremely well
• Influenced by Dolly Parton's philosophy of doing what you're passionate about

• Originally got Hannah Montana because she was a singer, not primarily an actress, with minimal acting experience before the show
• Finds it challenging to find acting roles that fully absorb her and prefers roles where she can either be completely herself or completely transform
• Recognizes her own strong personality as a potential challenge in acting

• As a child, enjoyed getting attention, often performing as a "mannequin" in stores to attract crowds
• Sang on stage from a young age, motivated by people's reactions rather than technical skill assessment
• Was bullied during middle school, which she attributes partly to attention from being her father's daughter
• During this period, became more shy and wanted to be "under the radar," feeling socially unsuccessful
• Has been doing consistent therapy since age 17-18 to process her experiences and is interested in potentially connecting with other former child actors

• Feels "cleaned up" from past challenges and expresses concern for young performers like Sabrina Carpenter who seem to be overextending themselves
• Regarding the 2013 VMAs controversy, views the criticism as adults not acting maturely and believes her performance wasn't as shocking as it seemed at the time
• Disagrees with Sinead O'Connor's critique of the "Wrecking Ball" video, attributing her different perspective to being raised in the entertainment industry from birth

• Understands the music industry as a business where artists become merchandise and looks forward to being an "untethered" artist in the future
• Performed "Nothing Compares to You" at SNL 50 as a way of paying respect to Sinead O'Connor
• Describes having two distinct identities: public performer and private self, comparing her performance persona to a "superhero cape" or drag
• Comfortable with being called a "diva" and describes herself as "difficult, but not for no reason"

• Dolly is her godmother, connected through Hannah Montana where Dolly played her aunt
• Has known Dolly since infancy through her father's music connections and developed a close, familial relationship during Hannah Montana era
• Dolly sees her like a daughter; they "chose each other"

• Has grown accustomed to public scrutiny and media attention, noting that social media's quick pace helps mitigate long-term negative attention
• Feels compassionate towards family members who didn't choose public life and is willing to accept public opinions as a trade-off for her lifestyle

• No longer estranged from her father and has learned to respect her parents as individuals, not just as parents
• Previously internalized her mother's pain from her parents' relationship, but her perspective has matured

• Underwent EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy involving a unique, hypnotic state of consciousness
• During the session, experienced vivid memories related to her family history, including feeling her biological grandmother discussing putting her mother up for adoption
• Had a transformative experience visualizing supportive family members around her and emerged completely free of stage fright
• Realized she was carrying her mother's emotional pain and desire to be loved

• Discusses her father's challenging childhood in rural Kentucky and complex family dynamics
• Worked through guilt and shame about potentially eclipsing her father's dreams through EMDR therapy
• Maintains a relationship focused on shared interests like music and movies

• Both interviewer and Miley are sober, with Miley noting generational differences in approaches to mental health and support
• Believes support is crucial in maintaining sobriety, though hasn't deeply discussed sobriety with her father

• Not currently passionate about becoming a mother, acknowledging the significant responsibility and energy required
• Views motherhood as something one should be deeply committed to and emphasizes the importance of feeling a genuine "burn" for parenting

• Sees current album as potentially the last time she'll approach her career in this exact manner
• Feeling less attached to mainstream success and taking significant professional risks with current project
• Anticipating significant changes in her career towards the end of this year and beginning of next year, describing this period as "winding down" her current approach
• References her album's song "Reborn" as symbolizing her perspective on personal transformation and a forthcoming "rebirth" in how she approaches her career