For Miley Cyrus, an “extremely excruciating” pain preceded “Something Beautiful.”
The pop star and Disney channel alumna this week spoke candidly about her mental, emotional and physical health, unveiling that she powered through a “medical emergency” during her live “New Year’s Eve Party” TV special three years ago. The Grammy-winning “Flowers” musician said she suffered an ovarian cyst rupture.
“We didn’t know exactly what was going on, but it was pretty traumatic, ’cause it was extremely excruciating,” she told DJ and Apple Music interviewer Zane Lowe in a far-ranging conversation published Wednesday. “I did the show anyways.”
The “Wrecking Ball” and “Party in the U.S.A” singer, 32, rang in 2023 for NBC, co-hosting her “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party” with godmother and music icon Dolly Parton. During the special, produced by “Saturday Night Live” boss Lorne Michaels, Cyrus performed live, taking the stage alongside Parton, Paris Hilton, Sia and Fletcher. Latto, Rae Sremmurd and Liily were also among the musical acts who joined the New Year’s celebration.
Cyrus, who said she couldn’t pass up an opportunity to work with both Michaels and Parton, told Lowe the holiday gig “was really hard on me” and did not go into further detail about the health scare. Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs found in an ovary or on its surface. Cysts are common and can often be harmless and cause little to no discomfort, but larger cysts can bring about symptoms including pelvic pain, abdominal pressure and bloating, according to the Mayo Clinic. Cysts can “become twisted or burst open,” causing “pain and bleeding inside the pelvis.”
The “Hannah Montana” star also opened up about a polyp on her vocal cords, which makes live performances feel like “running a marathon with the weights on,” and her sobriety journey. Cyrus has been in the public eye since childhood and in recent years has spoken about her struggles with addiction. In December 2020, she told Rolling Stone about her drug and alcohol use and how the young, drug-related deaths of artists including Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix prompted her to “pull my[self] together before I’m 27.”
For Cyrus, sobriety hasn’t always been a straightforward path, but this week she said “sobriety is … like my God.”
“I need it. I live for [it]. It’s changed my entire life,” she said before acknowledging there was a moment she “fell apart” in recent years. “I was so close to who’s sitting here right now but … [life] had more lessons for me.”
Cyrus, who won her first career Grammy for “Flowers” in 2024, is on the verge of a new, theatrical and fashionable era. Her ninth studio album, “Something Beautiful” is due May 30 and will be accompanied by a film in June.
“This era marks another bold artistic evolution for Miley, blending music and film into an immersive experience,” according to an announcement shared to her Instagram page.
“Something Beautiful,” Cyrus said in the Apple Music chat, “ couldn’t [be] any more personal to me.”
She added: “Every single string, sound… sequin, strand of hair, eye lash has been considered and created not only something that I love but something that I’m excited to share with [fans.]”
