The Hannah-versary
The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special Hit All The Right Notes
However, some people’s absence was felt.
Two decades after Hannah Montana hit the air, Miley Cyrus is still giving us “The Best of Both Worlds.” On March 24, exactly 20 years after the Disney Channel sitcom premiered in 2006, the singer released her long-awaited Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary special on Disney+ — or as she prefers to call it, the “Hannah-versary.”
Cyrus drove from her character Miley Stewart’s home in Malibu back to Sunset Gower Studios, where she filmed Hannah Montana, for a trip down memory lane. Not only did she bring Hannah back to the stage, but Cyrus also revisited the original sets, reunited with some special guests, and relived every major moment in an interview with host Alex Cooper.
It was a celebration of nearly everything that made Hannah Montana — both show and character — so iconic, down to Cyrus’ viral transition ad-libs, and a reminder of how she raised an entire generation to be “whoever you wanna be.” Read on for the “Hannah-versary” highlights — and the one thing it was missing.
Hannah’s First Performance In 15 Years
It would be illegal for any Hannah-related programming not to begin with the theme song. Cyrus grabs a mic and enters her stage on a lift to sing “Best of Both Worlds,” nodding to the opening of Hannah Montana: The Movie. It marked her first performance as Hannah since the show ended, but it felt like she never left, pulling off the original choreography on a recreation of her Season 1 stage.
Cyrus performed with the same aplomb and sass as her 13-year-old self, but her deeper voice added a sense of wisdom, giving the lyrics new meaning. Yes, I got full-body goosebumps.
*The* Closet
After walking through the Stewart family’s home, Cyrus took her mom, Tish, back to where the magic really happened: Hannah Montana’s closet. The duo brought out many of her iconic outfits from the archives and put them back on those rotating racks and moving shelves (yes, they still work).
Even the stuff they didn’t like got shout-outs, like her Season 4 wig. Cyrus ended up taking all of her guests to the closet, because she knew what they really wanted to see.
Mikayla’s Comeback
As if getting to see Hannah again wasn’t enough, Cyrus was surprised by Selena Gomez, who showed up in “Mikayla red” to reflect on her guest-starring role as Hannah’s biggest pop-star rival. “It’s pretty mean,” Gomez recalled of their onscreen feud. “I don’t think they would get away with saying half of that stuff [today]. I was so mean, I’m sorry.”
Afterwards, Cyrus took Gomez to Hannah Montana’s closet to give her the original red top hat that Mikayla wore in her first episode, calling her “Miss Chanel.” Walking off set, she sweetly noted how far they’ve come. “This means I’ve known you for 20 years, that’s weird,” she said, before going in for a hug, which soothed my 11-year-old self.
A Father-Daughter Reunion
Above all, Hannah Montana was a family affair for Cyrus, which she reminded us by bringing out her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, who also played her onscreen dad, Robby Ray. It was an especially sweet reunion, given that the pair had been estranged until they reconciled in recent months. “It just feels good when the Cyruses are getting along,” she said to Cooper.
Not only did they recreate their father-daughter handshake, but they hit fans right in the feels by reading the pivotal Season 4 scene, in which Miley Stewart decides to give up her secret identity.
Bring Out The Tissues
Cyrus concludes the special by premiering an emotional new song, “Younger You,” sitting with her band on the studio lot as throwback clips of Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana play behind them. The country ballad shows how far Cyrus has come since attempting to kill off Hannah during the Bangerz era, as she taps back into her teenage self to ask some hard-hitting questions.
“I’m just checking in to see if you still remember me,” she sings. “Somewhere along the way, we lost touch / We used to be so happy just because / I know you had to go eventually, but don’t forget about me.” The song is a reminder to all of us to never forget where we came from. Trust me, you will need tissues to get through watching the performance.
But Where Were Lily & Jackson?
Although Emily Osment, aka Miley’s BFF Lilly Truscott, said on Instagram that she couldn’t be a part of the reunion due to filming Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, it would’ve been nice to see her and Miley’s onscreen brother, Jason Earles. While an entire cast reunion may have been too crowded, these two were partly responsible for the show's comedic and emotional heart across all four seasons and deserved a segment of their own. Perhaps it’ll happen for the 30th anniversary.
