Miley Cyrus is not afraid to experiment with her look — and she knows her fans and critics are watching her every move.
The “Plastic Hearts” singer, 28, opened up in two new interviews with Howard Stern and Rolling Stone about how her physical appearance affects the way she’s perceived by the public.
“There’s an idea that during the ‘Younger Now’ era, I was pure. The media likes to have my hair or what I look like be the point of reference for my sanity,” Cyrus told Rolling Stone.
“‘Hair’s long and blond, she’s sane right now. She cannot be f—ked up on drugs. It’s when her hair is painted or she’s growing out her armpit hair [that] she’s on drugs.'”
“Dude, I was way more off my path at that time than any of the times before where my sanity was being questioned,” she continued, referencing her drug and alcohol use while “playing house” with then-husband Liam Hemsworth, whom she married in 2018 and filed to divorce in 2019.
Shortly after their split, Miley started her journey to sobriety and has been candid about her struggles and setbacks during the coronavirus pandemic. She also cut her long blond hair into a “modern mullet” to accompany her new rock era.
Cyrus also told Stern that she can trace the obsession with her hair back to her “Hannah Montana” days, when her character, Miley Stewart, would transform into the titular pop star by putting on a blond wig.
“The whole show’s premise was that when I had my normal hair and looked like myself, no one gave a s—t about me. And then when I got all dolled up and put a wig on, all of a sudden, you know, I’m being chased by people chasing my tour bus. So, that’s a lot to put on a kid,” she told Stern.
“My hair is some sort of reflection for my sanity, my sexuality, my sobriety,” Cyrus continued.
“The public really makes my hair, I guess, the kind of monitor of how I am doing, and it’s really not their fault that they associate my hair and my identity and my wellbeing so closely because I basically, we drilled that into their brains for eight years of a series.”
Take a look at Cyrus’ hair evolution below:
Ahead, take a look at Cyrus' beauty evolution over the years -- and just try to guess which 'do she'll try next.Getty Images; WireImage
Back in her Disney darling days, Cyrus wore her brunette hair in loose, bouncy curls.WireImage
Who among us DIDN'T take "the pouf" for a spin during the aughts?WireImage
After wrapping up her Best of Both Worlds Tour, the star went for a darker 'do and tight ringlets.WireImage
Ahead of the release of her third studio album "Can't Be Tamed," Cyrus added rebellious red highlights.Getty Images
But she lightened up the following year.WireImage
For Cyrus, 2011 was all about testing out sleek ponytails and pretty side braids.Jason Merritt/TERM
She made a big beauty change at the beginning of 2012, chopping her long locks into a sophisticated lob.Getty Images
She went even shorter later that year, debuting a platinum-blond pompadour with shaved sides.WireImage
Who could forget the mini buns she teamed with a stuck-out tongue at the VMAs? Her "Bangerz" era was in full swing.WireImage
She softened up slightly the following year, growing her super-short hair into a platinum pixie.WireImage
During her psychedelic "Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz" era, the star went for faux locs, sparking accusations of cultural appropriation.FilmMagic
The following year, she quite literally went back to her roots, rocking a short and curly two-tone ponytail.WireImage
During her "Younger Now" era, Cyrus sported a rockabilly style that matched her album art.Getty Images for MTV
By 2018, she was back to a more natural look, opting for long, blond waves.FilmMagic
Cyrus took blunt bangs and a wet-look style for a spin the year after.WireImage,
These days, she's all about her "modern mullet" -- but knowing Cyrus, it's only a matter of time before she switches things up once again.WireImage