Miley Cyrus Says She Was Harshly Judged after ‘Bangerz’

It’s been a decade since Miley Cyrus released Bangerz, her fourth studio album. The hitmaker previously recalled the rebellious era with British Vogue and spoke out about the naysayers that reacted after her exit from Disney Channel. 

The 16-song collection features some of Cyrus’ biggest hits, including “We Can’t Stop,” “Wrecking Ball,” “Do My Thang,” and “Hands in the Air” with Ludacris. The collection was the first release since Can’t Be Tamed, her 2010 album and departure from teen sitcom Hannah Montana. 

She unconventionally exploded into adulthood, with an explicit music video for “Wrecking Ball” swinging half-naked from a demolition ball. During the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, fans quickly recognized that she was not a blonde-wig-wearing pop star anymore – but a young adult seeking creative freedom. 

However, Cyrus told the outlet that she still feels the repercussions of her teenage years. Cyrus explained that she was trying to remove herself from the world of Disney Channel. 

“I was creating attention for myself because I was dividing myself from a character I had played. Anyone, when you’re 20 or 21, you have more to prove. ‘I’m not my parents. I am who I am,’” said the now-30-year-old. “I carried some guilt and shame around myself for years because of how much controversy and upset I really caused.” 

She is now looking back on the transition with a new perspective. 

“Now that I’m an adult, I realize how harshly I was judged,” recalled the hitmaker. “I was harshly judged as a child by adults, and now, as an adult, I realize that I would never harshly judge a child.”

Cyrus has come a long way since Bangerz. Her latest installment, Endless Summer Vacation, displays her growth as an artist and as a trailblazer. Cyrus admitted that she is now putting everyone’s opinions on the back burner and focusing on her well-being. 

“I make choices that I’m proud of that protect me,” she read from a journal entry. “I put my mental and physical health before a paycheque… I freed up space for myself to be with friends and family doing what I love, which is working out, eating well, learning ways about how to enhance my life, and staying dedicated to practices and protocols that are specifically designed for me.”

Cyrus has been channeling her new mindset into her music. When an esteemed songwriter knocked on her door with a party-inspired track, she turned it down because it didn’t align with her values. 

“It was like, you know, the standard f**ked up in the club track. And I was like, ‘I’m two years sober. That’s not where I spend my time, you know. You’re more likely to catch me and my friends literally walking through rose gardens or going to a museum,’” she shared. “It’s not about being self-serious. I’m just evolved.” 

(Photo by Ovidio Gonzalez/Getty Images for MC)