Miley Cyrus gets emotional about time gone by in the music video for her latest single, “Used to Be Young.”
In the video, which was released along with the song on Friday, August 25, Cyrus, 30, dons a Mickey Mouse T-shirt underneath a sparkly red bustier top, a nod to her days on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana.
The former child star looks directly into the camera with tears in her eyes as she sings about her past: “I know I used to be crazy / I know I used to be fun / You say I used to be wild / I say I used to be young.”
Cyrus continues: “You tell me time has done changed me / That’s fine, I’ve had a good run / I know I used to be crazy / That’s cause I used to be young.”
Moments after the song was released at midnight, the singer opened up about the inspiration for the track.
“This song is about honoring who we’ve been, loving who we are & celebrating who we will become. I feel proud when reflecting on my past and joyful when thinking about the future,” Cyrus wrote via Instagram alongside a clip from the music video. “I am grateful to my loyal fans who make my dreams a reality daily. I am sincerely thankful for the stability of your steadfast support. This song is for you. Truly, Miley.”
Miley’s mom, Tish Cyrus, left a sweet message in the comments.
“I love you little and I’m so happy I got to be your Mom. We have been on quite the journey over the last 16 years and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for the next 16! Because where ever it takes you, I’ll be right by your side… Always 
,” wrote Tish, 56, who shares Miley, son Braison Cyrus and daughter Noah Cyrus with ex-husband Billy Ray Cyrus. (She also has two children from a previous relationship, daughter Brandi Cyrus and son Trace Cyrus.)
Two days before releasing the emotional song, Miley shared the lyrics via Instagram, revealing that they “were written almost 2 years ago” at a time when she felt “misunderstood.” In the verses, she sings about leaving her “living fast” ways behind after realizing that “open bars lead to broken hearts and going way too far.”
Miley, who was 13 when Hannah Montana premiered in 2006, previously opened up about the criticism she faced during her adolescent years as she transitioned from a child star into a young adult. During a May interview with British Vogue, she addressed some of the provocative career moments from her early 20s, like twerking onstage at the 2013 MTV Music Video Awards and licking a hammer during the “Wrecking Ball” music video.
“I’m actually not an attention-seeking person, sitting here as a 30-year-old grown woman,” she told the outlet. “I was creating attention for myself because I was dividing myself from a character I had played. Anyone, when you’re 20 or 21, you have more to prove: ‘I’m not my parents. I am who I am.’”
Miley added that after being “harshly judged as a child by adults,” she can safely say that “now, as an adult, I realize I would never harshly judge a child.”
In addition to making headlines with her music and stage persona, the “Flowers” musician also went through heartbreak in the public eye. In 2019, she and Liam Hemsworth called it quits after less than one year of marriage. The pair, who had been together on and off for nearly a decade when they split, finalized their divorce in 2020.
Despite navigating her share of ups and downs since Hannah Montana launched her to superstardom, Cyrus wouldn’t change anything about her past.
“I wouldn’t erase my story or want it to be erased,” she told British Vogue. “Having an interesting life makes for interesting storytelling.”
