There are certain people you grow up with from a distance. They were always just there, written into chapters of our childhood, teenage years and adulthood later on. I’m not talking about long distance best friends or family members, I’m talking about artists, TV personas we grew up watching. For many of us, Miley Cyrus was and has been one of them.
The worldwide superstar didn’t just appear on our screens – she made her way into our hearts. Whether we first met her as Hannah Montana or caught on somewhere along the way, she became part of our stories and her music was like a soundtrack playing quietly in the background of our stories. To me personally, her song The Climb has had the biggest impact on my journey and I still scream the lyrics with all my heart every time I press play on it. I’m pretty sure a lot of you feel the exact same way.
There was always something magnetic about Miley. Not just the sparkly stage outfits or the catchy songs – but the way she made everything feel possible. Watching her flip between Miley and Hannah felt like watching someone live two lives at once – the fantasy and the reality – and somehow, we related to both. That duality followed her off-screen too, and we stayed with her through every version of herself she dared to show the world.
And she did dare. Over and over again. While most people try to perfect a persona, Miley refused to stay one thing. To her fans, that’s what makes her extraordinary. She’s been unapologetically bold, soft, chaotic, grounded, joyful, heartbroken, messy, and wise. She’s not just talented; she’s resilient. Miley has taken the things that could’ve broken her – the judgment, the criticism, the spotlight glare – and turned them into something brave. Into music. Into truth. Into art.
What a lot of people still get wrong is assuming it was just for shock. They see the headlines but miss the honesty. Because for us, every era has made perfect sense. Her transformations have never been about performance – they’ve been reflections of where she’s truly been. From one album to the next, she’s never repeated herself – but she’s always stayed real. That kind of authenticity is rare, and it’s why so many of us are still here, years later.
There’s a strength in her that doesn’t scream for attention – it just exists. Unapologetic and unshaken. Through her lyrics, through her voice, she’s told us again and again: you don’t need to shrink for anyone. She’s helped us find power in our pain and confidence in our chaos. Her songs always arrived exactly when some of us needed to remember our worth. With each song, she’s given us permission to feel, to let go, and to begin again.
For many of us, the impact has been life-changing. Some of us found our creative paths through her – editing photos, learning languages, starting communities, even building careers that began with being a fan. And even if it wasn’t that direct, we still carried something with us: her fearlessness. Her ability to evolve out loud, to take risks and own her choices, taught us how to move through our own lives with more courage. We can buy ourselves flowers, right?
Speaking of Flowers. Not only was the song extremely successful – debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts – but it has uplifted fans around the world. It’s one of those timeless hits we will be jamming to years and years from now. That woman definitely knows how to write those kinds of bangers, no pun intended.
With her newest album Something Beautiful she has given us another wonderful masterpiece that stands out on its own and represents where she is in her career and life today. It’s such an incredible collection of music and we could not be prouder of the strong and unstoppable woman Miley has become and the talented artist she has always been. The impact she has had on not just her fans who call themselves the Smilers, but the industry as a whole, is undeniable. If you don’t know who she is, you should get yourself checked.
Being a fan of Miley Cyrus has never been about just the music. It’s been about the message – and the mirror. She showed us we could be more than one version of ourselves. That we could make mistakes and still move forward. That growth doesn’t have to be graceful to be beautiful. And that sometimes, the most rebellious thing you can do is be completely, unapologetically yourself.
We didn’t just watch Miley grow up. We grew alongside her. We changed with her, hurt with her, healed with her. And we saw her take the weight of fame, expectation, and transformation – and carry it all with the kind of grace that doesn’t always look pretty, but always lands honest.
This journey hasn’t been perfect. But it’s been real. And for those of us who’ve walked beside her – even from a distance – we know one thing for sure: Miley’s climb has never been about reaching the top. It’s about daring to keep going.
ROARA Magazine 