Miley Cyrus embraces self-love in new era

The year is 2023, and Miley Cyrus is back. 

After posters popped up in New York teasing Miley Cyrus’s new era, fans were eagerly awaiting her latest musical release. The posters themselves left much to interpretation, but one thing was for certain: a new, fresh Miley Cyrus was coming. 

“Flowers” marks the beginning of this new era. This lead single dropped Jan. 13, just days after Cyrus announced her upcoming album “Endless Summers,” to be released March 10. 

An ode to self-love, “Flowers” uses Cyrus’s distinctive raspy and husky voice to sing about how she can love herself better than her ex. Cyrus has been known to experiment sonically in her music with country, rock, hip hop and pop sounds. 

She continues this trend in “Flowers,” which has been described as a “twangy disco funk.” While the song starts out slow, the chorus brings in energy to emphasize the self-love that Cyrus found in the wake of her heartbreak. In the post-chorus, Cyrus chants “I can love me better,” further emphasizing this self-empowerment. 

Lyrically, it’s impossible to ignore the song’s parallels to Bruno Mars’ hit “When I Was Your Man.” 

The chorus to “When I Was Your Man” goes: 

“I should have bought you flowers

Now my baby's dancing

But she's dancing with another man”

While “Flowers” goes: 

“I can buy myself flowers

Write my name in the sand

Talk to myself for hours

Say things you don't understand

I can take myself dancing

And I can hold my own hand

Yeah, I can love me better than you can.”

Rumors have been swirling about Cyrus intentionally flipping the lyrics of Bruno Mars’ hit, since the song was released on her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday. Fans and various tabloids have been theorizing that Hemsworth dedicated “When I Was Your Man” to Cyrus when he proposed and that this song is a direct reference to their failed marriage. Various other “easter eggs” have been found that have been adding fuel to this rumor. Namely, Cyrus sings “Built a home and watched it burn,” which many fans think references the house she shared with Hemsworth that burned down in 2018 shortly before their wedding. 

Cyrus has previously written a plethora of songs about her tumultuous relationship with Hemsworth, giving us the heartfelt “Malibu” and electric “Wrecking Ball.” This time around, Cyrus has pursued a different route. Instead of lamenting on the relationship, Cyrus chooses to focus on herself, a choice that cements the idea that self-love will define her next wave of music.. 

With its bright sound and uplifting lyrics, “Flowers” acts as a breath of fresh air for listeners. This record effectively sets the tone for Cyrus’s upcoming album, establishing its themes and sound. “Endless Summers” will be an eagerly anticipated release, ushering in this new Miley Cyrus era.