Miley Cyrus is all grown up.
The former Disney starlet reflects on her rowdy teen years and early 20s in her new song “Used to Be Young,” released Friday.
Cyrus, 30, debuted the pensive tune and its emotional music video, in which she wears a vintage Mickey Mouse tee, on the 10th anniversary of two monumental — albeit controversial — moments in her career: her twerking performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards and the release of her hit “Wrecking Ball.”
“I know I used to be crazy / I know I used to be fun,” she sings during the chorus. “You say I used to be wild / I say I used to be young.”
The lyrics also find the “Hannah Montana” alum remembering “every one” of the nights she was “wasted” and how she ultimately realized “open bars lead to broken hearts.”
Prior to its release, Cyrus shared on Instagram that she wrote “Used to Be Young” almost two years ago when she began working on her “Endless Summer Vacation” album.
“I have spent the last 18 months painting a sonic picture of my perspective to share with you. The time has arrived to release a song that I could perfect forever,” she captioned a candid post Tuesday.
“Although my work is done, this song will continue to write itself everyday. The fact it remains unfinished is a part of its beauty. That is my life at this moment ….. unfinished yet complete.”
2023 has been a busy year for the Grammy nominee so far.
To promote her latest album, she has had two “Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions)” concert specials; the first debuted in March on Disney+ and its retrospective follow-up aired Thursday on ABC.
Cyrus is also gearing up for the 10th anniversary of her landmark “Bangerz” album in October. To celebrate, she put together a deluxe version on vinyl featuring updated packaging and a bonus track.
The “Flowers” singer infamously made the head-turning transition from a child star to a no-holds-barred virtuoso during her “Bangerz” era, which saw her twerk on Robin Thicke at the VMAs with her tongue out, ride a wrecking ball while naked and smoke joints onstage.
The scandalous behavior sparked intense backlash from the media and general public, which Cyrus looked back on in a recent interview.
“I carried some guilt and shame around myself for years because of how much controversy and upset I really caused,” she told British Vogue in her June cover story. “Now that I’m an adult, I realize how harshly I was judged.”
