Miley Cyrus Says Her, Billy Ray Cyrus Have “Wildly Different” Relationships with Fame
Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Reading Time: 3 minutes
Pop megastar Miley Cyrus is getting nostalgic about her life before Hannah Montana. In a TikTok series inspired by her new song “Used To Be Young,” the singer reflected on her relationship with fame and her dad Billy Ray Cyrus.
Miley Cyrus Believes Dad Billy Ray Cyrus is ‘Underappreciated’
During the second part of the series, the “Flowers” singer recalled how she grew up with a country crooner father. Cyrus was born in 1992 when “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray was ranking on top of the country music charts.
“When I was born, my dad had the No. 1 country song,” she said. “When I see the numbers, I just see the humans behind it enjoying the music. And I just see people in numbers.”
According to Cyrus, her perspective of fame is wildly distinct from her dad’s relationship with it. While she’s always been treated to feel like an idol, Billy Ray wasn’t raised that way.
“My dad grew up the opposite of me, so I think that’s where me and my dad’s relationship to fame and success is wildly different,” she said. “Him feeling loved by a big audience impacted him emotionally more than it ever could me. When he feels special or important, it’s like healing a childhood wound. And I’ve always been made to feel like a star.”
The “Wrecking Ball” hitmaker also showed clips of Billy Ray playing the guitar and singing to her as a child. This led Cyrus to recall “a lot of great memories singing music with my dad, like, learning and absorbing.”
“I think I can see my wheels turning and watching his voice and the way that he’s using the instrument. I will say I feel, vocally, my dad was underappreciated,” she said.
Miley and Billy Ray’s tandem had been popular for years because of teen sitcom Hannah Montana. At present, however, reports claim that the two are no longer of speaking terms due to Billy Ray’s relationship with much younger singer Firerose.
@mileycyrus Used To Be Young (Series) – PART 2
♬ Used To Be Young OUT NOW – Miley Cyrus
She Says Cheerleading Prepared Her for Her Music Career
In another part of the TikTok series, Cyrus talked about her experiences and learnings as a cheerleader. According to the singer, cheerleading taught her about “hard work and dedication.”
“Foundationally, it laid out the road for me to follow later in my career,” she said.
Having said that, the singer claimed that competing as a cheerleader has geared her up for music. Particularly, the sport strengthened her mental stamina during her touring days.
“Traveling as a cheerleader really set me up for touring. Like the show or the competition may only be a day — and that’s what people don’t really understand about touring: The show is only 90 minutes but that’s your life,” she said.
Later, the singer explained how the sport made her love the idea of having a coach. For her, having “someone to respect” and “someone to look up to” meant having someone to rely on.
“My mentors are everything to me,” she said. “The people that have already done what I’ve done and can give me the cheat codes.”
@mileycyrus Used To Be Young (Series) – PART 6
♬ Used To Be Young – Miley Cyrus
