She's Got Nerve
Miley Cyrus Is Now Just Miley, Thank You Very Much
She was always destined to be a one-name pop star.
As her best friend Lesley once said, she’s just being Miley — literally. On Aug. 31, Miley Cyrus seemingly announced that she would now be going by Miley, dropping her last name and turning her stage name into a mononym à la Cher, Madonna, and her “II Most Wanted” duet partner, Beyoncé. And frankly, this should’ve happened a long time ago.
The day prior, the singer began the rollout for her upcoming 10th studio album by sharing a striking photo of her eyes bathed in red light. She previously teased that the crimson hue would be her new album’s color in an interview with Wonderland. Notably, the website in her social media bios changed from mileycyrus.com to mileyofficial.com, the first sign that a name change was in the works.
The next day, Miley shared another portrait from her album photoshoot with a simple caption: “MILEY.” At the same time, her Instagram handle changed to just “Miley,” all but confirming her new era. It’s not known whether the name change is permanent or if her new album, which is expected to be revealed imminently, will be titled Miley. But either way, it’s a fitting choice.
Let’s face it: there is no other famous Miley in the world. Her name was practically unheard of when she rose to fame in the mid-2000s with Hannah Montana, and it’s always been distinct enough to transcend her last name. If she’s ever mentioned by just her first name, there is zero confusion about who is being talked about. And if there’s another Miley out there, they were probably named after her.
Yes, Miley’s last name is very famous, given that her father Billy Ray Cyrus became a country icon before she was even born. But now, 20 years into her career and with her about to release her landmark 10th album (not even counting all of the Hannah Montana soundtracks), she’s built a legacy so strong and enduring that most people don’t even think of her when “nepo baby” discourse comes up.
No disrespect to Billy Ray or any of Miley’s siblings, but she doesn’t need Cyrus anymore. Now, we just need to amend her plaque for the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which Miley was inducted into earlier this year — and her X (formerly Twitter) account, which is still @MileyCyrus. Elon Musk, where you at?
