Miley Cyrus has finally opened up about her sobriety journey and why she felt she “needed to fall one more time” before she could fully heal.
The 32-year-old singer told Apple Music 1’s The Zane Lowe Show that her struggles with addiction around the time of her 2020 album Plastic Hearts weren’t her proudest moments, but they shaped her path to recovery and success.
“I know I needed to fall one more time. I just, I had to,” Miley said. “It just never would have happened this way. I just never would have been sitting here.” She admitted there were times during that period she wasn’t proud of, calling it “definitely not my best moments, not some of my best work, any of that.” But those experiences led her to write the hit song ‘Flowers,’ which became a key part of her healing process.
‘Flowers’ dropped in 2023 as the lead single from her album Endless Summer Vacation and turned out to be a massive success. It earned Miley her first-ever Grammy Awards-Best Pop Solo Performance and Record of the Year in 2024. Despite the huge win, Miley revealed she almost didn’t attend the Grammy ceremony because of performance anxiety and not fully allowing herself to want the award.
“There was somewhere that I was avoiding this, the fact that it did matter to me somewhere,” she confessed. But once she held the Grammy trophy, she realized the win was more than just a prize, it was healing. “When you Google me, it says ‘Miley Cyrus, a Grammy Award-winning artist,’” she said with pride.
Miley reflected on how getting clean was a total game changer for her. “I’ve learned this about myself over the years. The sobriety is like, that’s like my God. I need it; I live for it. I mean that it’s changed my entire life,” she said. That new clarity allowed her to make Endless Summer Vacation the fresh start she needed after the tough times.
Her honesty about her journey shows a willingness to own the messiness of recovery. She’s not sugarcoating the fall or the pain but embraces it as necessary to write the music that connects with millions. “It all led me to writing ‘Flowers,’ which then was some sort of key right into the lock of all healing,” Miley explained.
In short, Miley’s sobriety journey is proof that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can rise again. Her path, from addiction struggles during Plastic Hearts to writing a Grammy-winning anthem to finally embracing sobriety as her guiding force, is as inspiring as it is real. Now, she stands stronger, prouder, and Grammy-winning, ready for whatever comes next.
Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.
