The Stunning Transformation Of Miley Cyrus
Fans knew Miley Cyrus was going to be the voice of a generation thanks to her strong vocals and Dolly Parton cover of "Jolene." The pop star was bound for greatness, especially with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, at her side.
The star began acting when she was young and is best known for her lead role on Disney's "Hannah Montana," which aired in 2004 (via Elle). Due to the show's success, she was able to release numerous albums that climbed the charts. Miley's 2010 album, "Can't Be Tamed," thrust her into the limelight as it showed off her wild personality as she tried to strip herself of her Disney Channel persona.
Miley was only 12 when tweens everywhere wanted to be just like her and get the best of both worlds; she was trying to make her way into the music world, we can all connect with that, right? Anyways, once she found her footing, Miley never looked back and soon became a chameleon with her ever-changing looks.
Miley's stardom shined bright in a resurfaced audition tape
In "Hannah Montana," Miley Cyrus played a normal California girl by day and a pop star by night. Fans fell in love with the fashions and quick wig changes. Cyrus flaunted her long brown hair, and many little girls started to copy her look!
In 2021, Cyrus's audition video for the show surfaced, which only proved to fans how sweet she used to be as she smiled for the cameras and marketed her baby-face looks. She even used her mile-wide smile to win over the casting directors as she sported a red graphic t-shirt that read, "I go to school to gossip," (via People).
The singer reminisced about the audition recalling, "The first time I was ever in this building, which I drove to from Nashville with my mom ... I had to sign in at the desk right there and tell them, 'I'm here for an audition." She even tried out with a song she had written herself!
The Hollywood A-lister had zero tattoos and looked like your average American girl sporting the ever-popular butterfly clips in her hair, (per Cosmopolitan). Fans were half ready to see her holding an American Girl doll by her side. Instead, the video shows her going through three rounds of auditions, eventually causing her to land the part of a lifetime!
Miley took a bigger step away from Disney
Until 2010, Miley Cyrus was every bit the Disney princess she was expected to be. However, toward the end of that year, her look took a turn towards the darker side.
E! News reported that she strutted herself on stage in an olive green onesie during a concert in Portugal, which showed off her toned bum. The then 17-year-old turned heads with her sexier look, and many were taken aback by the overnight change. The leather jacket added to her badass look as she aimed to try and move into a new demographic and further away from her Disney roots.
In 2011 Cyrus embarked on the "Gypsy Heart Tour" which was her third concert as a singer. This is the time she started to channel Selena with studded bras and riskier fashion choices. She also said goodbye to her long locks and chose a bob that eventually would turn into a blonde pixie cut.
Miley takes on more controversial and extreme looks
How could fans forget the craziest look of them all: the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. During the heated performance that scandalized both Miley Cyrus' and Robin Thicke's career, she wore a skin-colored latex bra and bottoms. Fans will recall that she gyrated herself over Thicke while sticking her tongue out. This look was a far cry from her "Hannah Montana" uniform.
During the show, the singer jumped around in her skimpy ensemble as she kept rubbing herself against the "Blurred Lines" singer. She later spoke to Harper's Bazaar about how she was typecast due to the performance saying, "It became something that was expected of me. In the beginning, it was kind of like saying, '[Screw] you. Girls should be able to have this freedom or whatever.' But it got to a point where I did feel sexualized."
As of writing, Cyrus seems to be channeling her father's "Achy Breaky Heart" days on her Instagram with a modernized mullet. She also has high aspirations as she recently joked that she would be willing to go to the moon with Elon Musk after both were on the same episode of "SNL," (per Billboard).
Miley embraced her post-party girl persona
In the latter half of the 2010s, Miley Cyrus started a new era in her life. The singer shed her iconic platinum pixie cut, the twerking teddy bears, and the over-the-top gyrating in exchange for a more mature, toned-down style that seemed to better resonate with her original fans. In 2018, she partnered with musician and collab king Mark Ronson to produce "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart." The hit song brought Cyrus back to her country roots. It combined her twangy vocals with Ronson's hypnotic country-pop beats. In the dystopian music video, a silver-clad, ponytail-wearing Cyrus looks fierce and stunning without trying too hard. She put the focus solely on her amazing vocals instead of any shockingly skimpy outfits or wild dance moves. This stage of her career also marked the return of her darker hair.
Around this time, the "We Can't Stop" singer began focusing heavily on the charitable causes close to her heart. She launched The Happy Hippie Foundation in 2015, per Teen Vogue. The organization brings awareness to the issues facing LGBTQ+ homeless youth today.
This stage in Cyrus' life also brought another big change — she married her longtime sweetheart, Liam Hemsworth. After years of "will they, won't they," Cyrus and the Australian actor finally tied the knot in 2018 (via CNN).
Miley's turbulent love life sparked further growth
Subsequently, 2019 was a year of heartbreaks for Miley Cyrus. In August 2019, less than eight months after they were married, Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth announced their split. "Ever-evolving, changing as partners and individuals, they have decided this is what's best while they both focus on themselves and careers," a rep for the couple told Us Weekly.
Cyrus picked up the pieces and found love elsewhere. She started dating Kaitlynn Carter of "The Hills" shortly after her announced split, but their romance ended just a month later, per People. The following month, Cyrus began dating fellow singer Cody Simpson. TMZ broke the news that the couple split the following year.
Even as Cyrus dealt with heartbreak after heartbreak, she remained focused on her music career. She started channeling her inner rockstar in her performances and her style. She opted to wear solid black outfits, transitioned her hair back to a vibrant blonde, and wore her hair in a long, shaggy 'do. Plus, those iconic bangs were back! Her posh new look was on full display at the 2019 VMAs. We all know the singer has had a checkered past with the popular award show, but no one can deny that she looked absolutely stunning when she took the stage to perform her song "Slide Away." Cyrus was in the midst of dealing with her separation from Hemsworth, making the performance that much more raw (via Billboard).
Miley looks back while moving forward
In January 2023, Cyrus dropped her hit single "Flowers." The song was, without a doubt, a banger. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 upon debut and became the song to blast at summer parties. The music video for "Flowers" shows a smiling, healthy-looking Cyrus walking around town, tossing her black-and-blonde tresses left and right as she dances at home, and looking like an utter queen in her oversized power suit. The song signaled the beginning of a carefree, emboldened Cyrus.
With the release of her newest single, "Used To Be Young," Cyrus appears at her most vulnerable. The emotional ballad carries listeners away on a journey through the former Disney star's controversial life, not skipping over the parts that landed her in hot water. In her song, Cyrus also acknowledges that she's not the girl living in the fast lane anymore, but she's unapologetic for this and her actions. As the song's name suggests, she was young, she had fun, and she chooses to cherish each memory instead of shaming herself or dwelling on the past.
It's been one wild ride thus far in Cyrus' life, but it's clear she's decided to embrace each leg of the journey as a learning opportunity. Just like the rest of her fans, we're excited to see what comes next for her.