You might be surprised to know that it was Swedish pop group ABBA that made Miley Cyrus realize what she wanted: to be on stage and to perform. After viewing “Mamma Mia!” With her daddy-o Billy Ray Cyrus, she was inspired.
The Broadway hit motivated the young Cyrus. The way the story goes is that Miley, who was just eight at the time, grabbed her dad’s arm after the event and said “I want to be an actress.” Seems that the songs from “Mamma Mia” and the on-stage dramatics opened up Cyrus’ eyes to the world of acting and theatre.
She has 140m Followers
When you’re as famous as Miley Cyrus, and you’re a household name pretty much worldwide (thanks YouTube), it’s no wonder Miley Cyrus has a fan base (or follower base) that rivals the Kardashians.
Okay maybe we lied, Kim K is closing in on 240 million followers, which is probably why she’s a billionaire (imagine how much she gets paid for one ad!), but anyway, 140 million is still a crazy amount! From her younger days on Disney with “Hannah Montana” to her more lewd looks, a la “Wrecking Ball” or pretty much anything 2014 onward, she’s amassed quite the following.
She Loves Lucky Charms Cereal
Okay let’s talk seriously for a minute here - how good are Lucky Charms cereal?? The oats are contrasted with all that sugary goodness in the multicolored marshmallows, and they just melt in your mouth. And if you let the candy sit in milk a little while, it colors the milk and makes it tastier to drink!
Just like little kids, we also pick out the candy in the cereal and then slyly tip the oats into the sink. Kidding, that’s wasteful! But also, massive respect to Miley Cyrus for telling the world this is indeed her favorite cereal. You dear, have excellent taste!
ABBA Made Her Realize She Wanted to Be a Performer
You might be surprised to know that it was Swedish pop group ABBA that made Miley Cyrus realize what she wanted: to be on stage and to perform. After viewing “Mamma Mia!” With her daddy-o Billy Ray Cyrus, she was inspired.
The Broadway hit motivated the young Cyrus. The way the story goes is that Miley, who was just eight at the time, grabbed her dad’s arm after the event and said “I want to be an actress.” Seems that the songs from “Mamma Mia” and the on-stage dramatics opened up Cyrus’ eyes to the world of acting and theatre.
She Met Ex-Husband Liam Hemsworth on “The Last Song”
Ever seen “The Last Song”? Don’t want to? Okay, then *unfriends.* Just kidding! But hey, if you want a little more context on how Aussie Liam Hemsworth and Miss America (at the time anyway!) Miley Cyrus first locked eyes and began a relationship that would last over a decade.
While many critics provided negative reviews, the film still managed to gross $89 million, which, against $20 million as their budget, was technically a success! A story we heard was that Miley at the time, too shy to ask Hemsworth directly, asked a kid on set to hand him a note asking if he liked her. Cute!
Her Real Name is Destiny
Born Destiny Hope Cyrus in November 1992, to parents Billy Ray and the lovely Leticia Jean, it wasn’t actually the name she was most commonly called. From a young age, her moniker was “Smiley” which then led to “Miley” (so adorable!)
You can just tell how cute her smile was way back when!) So ever since she was a baby really, she’d been called Miley, and decided to legally change that name. In an ode to her dad, she chose her middle name as “Ray” because she wanted the same one! So her full name is “Miley Ray Cyrus.”
“We Can’t Stop” Wasn’t for Miley
You often hear about songs being written for certain people and then ending up being a hit for another artist - almost like it had been written for them. This is the same story with Miley’s hit “We Can’t Stop.”
Released in 2013 (wow, can you believe that was almost a decade ago, whaaaat?), the party smash had been written for none other than Rihanna! Fun fact: Rihanna’s hits “Umbrella” and “Disturbia” were actually meant for Britney Spears and Chris Brown! A happy accident we think!
Her Film Debut Was On a Tim Burton film
The film, “Big Fish” may seem like an odd match for a kid who’d grown up on Disney Channel, but the fantasy comedy, directed by Mr. Tim Burton, was in fact Miley Cyrus’ first acting job!
There’s always something magical about Tim Burton films - maybe it’s his fantastical worlds which he creates. In the film, Cyrus had a small role at the age of 10, after she’d taken on acting classes. You probably would miss her if you didn’t know because she is such a baby in it!
She Auditioned Not for Hannah Montana, But Her Bestie On The Show
Pretty amazing right? When Miley Cyrus initially auditioned for the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana”, it wasn’t in fact for the lead role! When young Cyrus rocked up to the audition, it was in fact for Montana’s bestie, Lilly Truscott. The show, which followed a teenager leading a double-life (kinda like “The Lizzie Maguire Movie”), balancing normal high school woes and popstar fame!
After her audition, she quickly became the favorite to take the lead role, before skyrocketing to worldwide fame at just thirteen! The show ran for four total seasons, within which she managed to showcase her singing talent, and thus kickstarting her career.
Her Hit ‘Party in the USA’ Wasn’t Written for Miley!
Legend (Wikipedia) goes that the song was actually written by Dr. Luke (“Since U Been Gone”, “I Kissed a Girl”, “Who Knew” - wow, what a slew of hits!) but also had some help from Jessie J. The song in the first place was written to be sung by Jessie J, but she felt that the song wasn't quite her vibe, and sent it to Cyrus.
The song then went on to receive overwhelmingly positive feedback, peaking at the number two spot on the famed BillboardHot 100. Also every time the song comes on anywhere, people absolutely go bonkers and want to dance and yell about the USA.
She Has Tachycardia
Miley insists that her condition isn’t serious, but fans will always be worried when their favorite celeb opens up about a heart issue. It first came out in “Miles to Go”, her autobiography, that she had tachycardia. The condition means that the heart rate exceeds the range of what’s normal as far as the heart rate goes.
She says that while she’s on stage, the condition barely bothers her, but day-to-day she has moments where it does become difficult to live with. But we’re sure that if anyone is going to get the best care and treatment for anything, it’s going to be a celeb like Miley!
She’s Friends with Kanye West
Okay yet to confirm that they’re actually *besties*, but a cute little exchange at an awards night almost guaranteed the beginning of a friendship! Following Miley’s controversial VMA performance, Kanye released a comment “Just go, go for it, do what you feel.” Don’t you just love it when Kanye is being supportive Kanye?
He also urged the artist to “twerk” more - and that was his only criticism for her performance. But it’s been heard before that Kanye is a great supporter of Miley’s and thinks she has great potential. Naw.
She was Kicked out of Private School!
Well well well, Miss Miley wasn’t the angel that you all thought she was - so even from a young age, she had the “wrecking ball” attitude. She revealed in an interview with E! News, the real reason that she’d been kicked out of school. Any guesses what was so outrageous and rebellious that the private school decided to expel her?
Swearing? Profanity? Interrupting teachers? Nah. She simply told her classmates about le baiser français, or the French kiss. How naughty! But also, a bit of an overreaction from the school, it is, after all, just a kiss!
She Doesn’t Go back and Listen to her Albums
If we’d sung a few of the hits that Miley had, we’d probably bring them out every now and again just to you know, toot our own horn, or test if our vocals were still up to scratch. But not Miley! The pop star insists on washing herself clean of the album once she’s done recording it.
Obviously, there’s an exception to be made for national tours and such, but on the whole, Cyrus doesn’t like to dwell on the past and go back and visit her former self. We kinda get it. But also, surely Cyrus sings along to “Party in the USA” when it comes on.
She Grew Up on a Ranch in Tennessee
Country roads, take me home, to a place, I belooooo—-oong! Okay, enough John Denver, we’re talking about Miley Cyrus here. But the lyric still stands as relevant. Because we are talking about the yeehaw childhood Miley had as she grew up. The family home of the Cyrus family was a ranch in Tennessee.
But it wasn’t just any old ranch - it was set on over 500 acres! However, due to her acting commitments after scoring the role on “Hannah Montana”, the family couldn’t commute to and from Tennessee, so they moved to Los Angeles!
Do You know What Her First Job Was?
Perhaps it’s not the job you’d expect a kid to be running around doing, but when your dad is a country music singer-songwriter and a bit of a heartthrob, it apparently is a job that you’d have. The job you ask? Picking up the underwear and bras that were thrown at her dad. Seems crazy and perhaps a strange parenting activity, but hey, maybe that got her familiar around the stage.
Surely he had enough money to hire someone - or hey, here’s a thought, ask security - to do this “dirty” work instead of his kid-daughter. Thoughts?
She Loves This Treat!
Miley, you are a persona after our own hearts. Why? Because we too love cookie dough. It’s simple, it’s uncooked, it probably has salmonella in it due to the raw eggs (depends on how you make your cookies too!), but there’s something about taking a chunk out of a slab of cookie dough.
Maybe it’s the creamed butter and sugar, or the choc chips, or whatever you put in your cookies. Maybe it’s the fact it’s uncooked and we don’t have to wait for it to cook and cool down!
She Admires Her Mother Most, “Tish” Cyrus
You know when you’re in school and you get the “who’s the person you admire most?” For Miley Cyrus, that one is easy peasy! Because it’s her mom, Tish. We also get some insight into their relationship through the track she released not too long ago, called “Mother’s Daughter”, which talks about their bond and how she feels she is just like her mom!
Maybe the parts that we love most about Miley - her rebellious nature and confidence - were bound to sprout up due to her mom’s influence! Pretty cool to have a mom who’s that encouraging and accepting!
She Has How Many Tattoos?
Did you know there have been articles written purely dedicated to Miley’s array of body art? Seventeen released an article that gives the full details on all of her tattoos. Big, small, abstract, or realistic, it’s rumored that the singer has 25 or so. There might be more, we just haven’t seen them all. If you catch our drift.
Anyway, from motorcycles to the running script, roses, and rock ’n’ roll, as well as some symbols found on walls in a cave, she’s got them all! We’re sure that over the next few decades of her career she’ll be inking herself more times too!
She Dated Justin Gaston
Time to well, turn back the time clocks for this one! A little blast from the past, back in 2008, when side fringes and band t-shirts were the norms, comes one of Miley’s ex-boyfriends. At the time, her relationship with Justin Gaston was a little controversial, owing to the fact Cyrus was just 15. Gaston was 20.
Gaston was a model at the time but then went on to sing and write songs. Also another fun fact: he was the love interest in Taylor Swift’s massive hit “Love Story.” He’s now married with two kids!
Which Video Clip Was the Fastest to Reach 100m Views?
Internet access is worth its weight in gold, and we’d wager that the majority of internet users are either Googling something or Youtubing something. Also Instagramming. But let’s stick to the first two. As soon as something debuts on Vevo and the like, you just sit with your popcorn and watch the views stack up.
For Cyrus, she probably didn’t think her “Wrecking Ball” video would become Youtube’s fastest to 100 million views clip! The song, but more so, the video, racked up views because well, Miley was nearly naked swinging on well, a wrecking ball. Publicity? Check.
Her Godmother is Dolly Parton
So there is no blood relation here, though you’d think it would be possible with the big smiles and big vocals! The reason Dolly Parton, the ‘Queen of Country’, became Cyrus’s godmother is actually because she knew Billy Ray Cyrus quite well! Parton had worked for Cyrus during the early 1990s, and the pair struck up a friendship.
So there was a reason for Dolly Parton’s cameo on “Hannah Montana” after all - life imitates art! Or the other way around. Anyway, we love their special bond, and we adore their duet of Parton’s hit song “Jolene.”
She Took a Homeless Man to the VMAs
After meeting Miley Cyrus, the once homeless man is probably now no longer homeless, but at the time it caused quite a stir at the VMAs! Miley Cyrus rocked up to the awards with a, uh, unknown individual on her arm. The story was that she’d met the young homeless man (who had gorgeous blonde hair by the way), at an LA homeless shelter.
When Cyrus won the award, she urged him to go on stage and accept it for her. He used her platform to talk about homelessness in the ‘City of Angels’, which received a lot more attention than any sign on any street corner. Props, Miley.
She Was Homeschooled
What with her hectic schedule growing up - between filming for Disney Channel, honing her craft of singing, and meeting and greeting fans - it’s no wonder that Cyrus was homeschooled. Also, the celebrity that comes when you’re young, is well, difficult to handle in a normal environment.
Particularly when it comes to school. She ended up graduating ahead of many of the people in her class due to her schedule, and, with the help of tutors, this was made so much easier. Cyrus is similar to others like Hailey Bieber and Taylor Swift.
She Has a Cameo in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”!
Okay, if you weren’t really paying attention at the end of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2” you totally would’ve missed Miley Cyrus’s cameo! The director of the film, James Gunn, thought her voice would be perfect for the short clip (seriously, it lasts for two seconds, it’s just one line!), and liked her energy.
Because we missed it in cinemas, we went back to find the clip and we had a “d’oh” moment! Cyrus voices Mainframe, who, in the comics, is a version of “the Vision” in an alternative universe. Let’s see where the multi-verse takes us then, eh?
She’s Also an Artist!
Not only is Miley musically gifted and a good actress, she also dabbles in the art world! The pop star debuted a collection of sculptures during New York Fashion Week in 2014, titled “Dirty Hippie.” Her art is psychedelic and rather out there, and not without statements - with her opinions on fast food, and capitalism showcased in each of her rather interesting pieces.
We aren’t sure how much it’s going to sell for, but critics labeled her art as ‘wild’ - which is kind of a compliment, especially since the singer is known for her track “Can’t Be Tamed.”
Why The Tongue Face?
Ever wondered why, of all the celebrities that pose for photos, the person whose tongue we’ve seen the most is that of Miley Cyrus? Her signature tongue-out look was actually - no shocks here- an act of rebellion. Sometimes we think maybe Miley was trying a little too hard to rid herself of the Disney Channel image, but this one is kinda fun, right?
Miley, in interviews, mentioned that the hounding paparazzi would often call out to her, asking for her to “blow a kiss.” Her response? “I don’t want to blow you a kiss!” And voila, the tongue came out instead. It could’ve been worse, right?
She Dated Nick Jonas
By being one of the Disney Channel gang, it’s no wonder that these two crossed paths. Recently, Miley took to Instagram to post a bit of a throwback to her old profile which had a few photos that took us on a trip down memory lane!
One picture that fans were puzzled at was one of her and a baby-faced (still is baby-faced), Nick Jonas, at a theme park on a ride together! The pair apparently dated while she was on “Hannah Montana” and Nick was part of the boy band with his brothers. Cute!
She Has How Many Pets?
Another reason to love Miley: she adores animals! What with her ranch in Tennessee, she definitely has the space and the money to keep fifteen (and even more) pets! She has seven (yes, seven!) dogs - many of which are rescues and adopted by Miley! Their names are pretty great: Emu, Bean, Dora, Daisy, Happy, Barbie, and Tani!
In her divorce from Liam Hemsworth, Miley won custody of all her pets, which also include three cats, a pig, and two mini horses. At least she has her animal family to keep her smiling when things get tough!
She Loves “Achy Breaky Heart”
Call it a cliche, but we’re pretty sure the majority of Americans know Billy Ray Cyrus for his hit “Achy Breaky Heart.” Yes sure, the single went triple platinum down under and was at the top of the charts in the states, but Billy Ray is probably most proud that it’s his daughter Miley’s favorite song of his!
Maybe that will change with his feature on “Old Town Road” with Lil Nas X, but a good old wholesome country tune about love is the one that Miley has cited as her favorite of all of her dad’s songs!
She Has an Autobiography
“Miles to Go” is the title of Miley’s autobiography. Co-authored by Hilary Liftin (a now well-known ghostwriter), it was released by Disney Hyperion back in 2009. Seems crazy for a teenager to write a memoir, but when you’re the star of one of the Disney Channel’s biggest successes, it makes more sense!
Miley goes into detail about her relationship with her mom and dad, as well as how she feels about the media presence in her life as well as the milestones she wishes to achieve in her life.
She’s Pansexual
In 2015 the singing sensation rocked the world with the coming-out event of the year. She was just 22 years old and boy was she exploring. Good for her, we say. In the October issue of Elle Magazine UK, the young Miley said "“I’m very open about it — I’m pansexual. But I’m not in a relationship.
I’m 22, I’m going on dates, but I change my style every two weeks, let alone who I’m with.” In case, you aren't fully versed in the terms, pansexuality is a better way of just saying that you are attracted to all genders. Looking back at Miley's dating history, we see how that's true!
She is the Star of Gucci’s New Campaign
Here's a little secret; Miley Cyrus has just been announced as the latest ambassador or campaign star for Gucci! It comes as no surprise that Gucci would choose the now-edgy pop star to head its fragrance campaign. With Gucci’s signature psychedelic mash of art, glamour, and everything ostentatious, it seems like a great collaboration!
Cyrus is photographed promoting the latest Gucci fragrance, “Flora Gorgeous Gardenia.” And to us, Cyrus, sporting a Debbie-Harry-style haircut and shoulder pads, looks to be blooming!
She Has Over 1 Billion Google Hits!
Imagine rivaling Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga in the simple Google search. Well, for Miley that’s a reality. The teen sensation turned edgy pop star has over one billion Google hits. So when you search for her name, it pops up on the web over a billion times. Crazy!
And that’s not the only billion she’s reached: earlier this year she revealed to her followers that she’d reached one billion streams on the music-streaming app Spotify. She joins the ranks of just well, two others: Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga!
She Doesn’t Enjoy Watching a Certain Movie
For Miley, looking back at her role in the “Hannah Montana” movie is probably like watching embarrassing old home videos of when we were all little. In the same way that Miley Cyrus doesn’t enjoy re-listening to her old albums, she feels the same way about “Hannah Montana.”
In interviews, she’s said that she also tries to block out that part of her life: how she acted, dressed, and performed at the time. But she shouldn’t be so harsh - we all had times in our lives where we felt embarrassed or hoped that no one would ever see the footage again, except it was easier for us to hide because we weren’t global superstars!
Some Great Advice to Her Beloved Sis, Noah
Some nice sister-to-sister advice that Cyrus once gave her sister Noah was “don’t read what people are saying about you.” Amen to that! The internet is a cesspool of bored, angry, and jaded individuals who just want to bring people down and shame them for being out there and being themselves.
Where someone succeeds, you’ll find ten more haters in the comments. Whether it’s to body shame or to take jibes at a person’s talent, it usually all stems from jealousy. So if you can block out that noise and just focus on yourself and your success, you win life.
Her Idol is Britney Spears
When we were kids and teenagers, pretty sure we all danced around in our bedrooms with a hairbrush singing “ my loneliness, is killing me” (except now we actually know what loneliness is because dating is pretty darn tough these days). Miley was just like the rest of us!
Many times she has mentioned that Britney Spears is her idol or at least one of her idols! Cyrus is also a big campaigner who has shown support and love for Britney Spears as part of the “Free Britney Movement” as the pop star tries to unshackle herself from her father. #freebritney
She Dated Kaitlynn Carter
At the age of fourteen, Miley had a conversation with her mum, Tish, telling her that she liked girls too. She’s also dated Stella Maxwell, Victoria’s Secret model, but that’s another story. Anywho, the situation with Carter, a blogger, was that the pair fell hard and fast and were doing things like moving in together after just a month.
Seems pretty fast right? Well, sources close to the couple said that the reason the month-long relationship ended was that it was just too much, and way too soon. Seems fair.
She Dated Cody Simpson
Talk about moving from one Australian to another, Miley should just move down under and she’ll definitely find love! Just kidding, we know that love is a battlefield. Anyway, the former beau of supermodel Gigi Hadid dated Miley Cyrus for about a year.
The first thing that got fans talking was a rather saucy, somewhat NSFW pic of the pair with their matching tattoos, half-naked. Cyrus dated Simpson from 2019 to the end of summer 2020. Simpson has since moved on with *gasp* another model, Marloes Stevens.
Let’s Talk About “Bright Minded”
Miley took up to starting her own talk show, albeit in a slightly different manner. The singer began her own talk show via her Instagram account, through the live video function.
The show, called “Bright Minded”, has a rather catchy theme song, and is a form of support for people “stuck at home.” Her talk show has featured Demi Lovato and even Mrs. Hailey Bieber!
She Came Out to Her Mother At 14
Ah, the teenage years. A tender time for everyone, where emotions (and hormones) are running thick and fast. For Cyrus, she was a teenager just like all of us, with secrets and urges and mood swings. For Miley though, it was a more pivotal time in terms of her orientation.
At the age of fourteen, she tells fans and audiences that this was the time she decided to “come out” to her mom, Tish. She shared with her mom that she really didn’t just like girls, but she “loved” them. Aaw.
She Founded the Happy Hippie Foundation
If you search for “happyhippies.org" you will be greeted by a smiley face, with the letter ‘H’ for eyes, and a rainbow background. Seems fun, yeah? We also know that Miley Cyrus is a fan of anything and everything colorful and psychedelic, so it makes sense.
Celebrating over five years since it was established by the singer, “Happy Hippie Foundation” is a non-profit that aims to serve homeless youth, LGBTQ youth, and “other vulnerable populations.” We love that Cyrus puts her money where her mouth is, and she stands for equality and love for all humans in any situation. She’s such a beautiful soul!
Elvis Presley Is One of Her Biggest Musical and Fashion Inspirations
Who doesn’t love “the King”? You know, Elvis Presley. The white jumpsuit, the flare bottoms, the hair, the sunglasses, the glitz, the dulce de leche caramel voice. It certainly did it for Miley Cyrus! It’s not the first time she’s cited Presley as one of her biggest inspirations, and we don’t blame her.
Miley’s looked up to “the King” for many years, musically, for his showmanship and also for his fashion! A classic guy to look up to, and a big thumbs up from us!
Her Half Brother is Trace Cyrus
Remember that song EVERYONE was singing or humming or dancing to back in… 2008, you know “Shake shake, shake shake, a-shake it!” Okay well, the guitarist, with the side fringe, piercings, tattoos, and suit vest, is actually Miley’s half-brother, Trace!
Born in 1989, he was actually adopted as a child by Billy Ray Cyrus (his mom was Trish, but she had him with another guy), and then also went down the musical path! And fun fact: he dated Brenda Song (hello, London!) For 7 years.
Her Dad is Of Course Billy Ray Cyrus
Her last name definitely had been heard before, many years before she was brought into the world. That’s because her dad is famous! Billy Ray Cyrus, the American singer, swaggered, and songwriter!
He’s been rather prolific since his first release in 1992, subsequently continuing to release 16 albums and over 50 singles! Say what? But the song that skyrocketed Billy Ray to fame was none other than “Achy Breaky Heart.” Fun fact: it was the first-ever single to go TRIPLE PLATINUM in Australia! In addition to being super catchy, the line-dancing in the music video actually revived the dance style!
’23’ Is a Song Written by Wiz Khalifa and Miley Cyrus
Do you remember hearing the song ’23’? Honestly, we’d probably need to re-listen to it in order to be reminded. Sorry, Miley. The song, which was produced by Mike Will Made-It, features some of hip-hop’s hottest, including Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J. Supporting them on vocals is Cyrus.
Lyrically, it definitely isn’t groundbreaking, but in the video, Cyrus swapped long locks for shaved sides and peroxide blonde hair and some bedazzled dice hanging from her neck. Miley Cyrus sure is a long way from “Hannah Montana” here!
She owns a Farm in Tennessee
Ever just want to pack up your apartment and life in the city and head to the country for some cleaner, fresher air? And no, Amazon likely won’t deliver groceries, but you should get packages still. Imagine that life eh? Miley Cyrus doesn’t have to imagine it, she’s living it!
A few years ago, the singer bought up a 33-acre property. Located in Franklin, Tennessee, the farmhouse is stunning. High ceilings and exposed timber beams are all super welcoming, along with a healthy dose of cowhide upholstery and a few guitars kicking around.
One True Love? Not According to Miley!
Honestly, probably a healthy way to look at love. Miley Cyrus, who’s had a rollercoaster dating life says “I’ve been in love three times, but I’ve been in love more than I’ve loved anyone else, one time,” to Alex Cooper on a podcast in 2020.
Any guesses who that person may be folks? Ah, c’est la vie Miley. She also continued to say that she didn’t believe in “one true love because there are qualities people bring to your life that someone else won’t.” Those truths!