6 secrets in Miley Cyrus’ new single ‘Used to be Young’, revealed – from the significance of its August 25 release date to her fashion choices and tears in the pop ballad’s music video

Cyrus’ eighth album Endless Summer Vacation came out earlier this year, but the pop star chose to release ‘Used to be Young’ separately on August 25 – for a reason

The date has connections to her ex Liam Hemsworth and her dad Billy Ray Cyrus, as well as her song ‘Wrecking Ball’ and MTV VMA performance in 2013 – but how did she rep her Disney Channel origins?

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Miley Cyrus released the music video for her latest single, “Used to be Young” on Friday – and the emotional pop ballad has already taken the internet by storm.

In an Instagram post, Cyrus said that she wrote the song, her first single since March’s Endless Summer Vacation, during a period in her life when she felt “misunderstood”.

“I have spent the last 18 months painting a sonic picture of my perspective to share with you. The time has arrived to release a song that I could perfect forever. Although my work is done, this song will continue to write itself everyday. The fact it remains unfinished is a part of its beauty,” she continued. “That is my life at this moment … unfinished yet complete.”

As for why it has been released now rather than with her most recent album, Cyrus said that August 25 is a very special date for her.

“I decided to release ‘Used to Be Young’ on August 25th because this particular date, historically, has been important to me personally and in my career,” Cyrus said in a short video uploaded to her YouTube channel last week.

1. “Used to be Young” has a significant release date

“Used to be Younger” was released on the 10th anniversary of a memorable VMA performance.

At the awards, Cyrus performed her song “We Can’t Stop” before ditching her teddy-bear onesie to reveal a beige, latex ʙικιɴι as Robin Thicke took the stage to perform “Blurred Lines” as the then-20-year-old singer danced suggestively with a foam finger.

It was a defining moment in pop-culture history and one that Cyrus herself has said haunted her for years afterward.

2. Cyrus released the music video for “Wrecking Ball” 10 years ago too

Speaking in her ABC special “Endless Summer Vacation: Continued (Backyard Sessions),” which aired on Thursday ahead of the video’s release, Cyrus emphasised just how important the music video is to her, stating that it “changed my life and my career and the way people perceived me forever”.

Just like in the “Wrecking Ball” video, in “Used to Be Young,” Cyrus directly addresses the camera as she sings – a move she previously said was inspired by Irish musician Sinéad O’Connor.

3. On the same day in 2010, Cyrus’ first break up with Liam Hemsworth made headlines

As previously reported, Cyrus and Hemsworth met on the set of “The Last Song” in 2010 and dated on and off for several years.

On August 25, 2010, multiple outlets reported that they had broken up for the first time, with The Hunger Games actor’s representative confirming the news to People.

After a few more reconciliations and splits, the couple made it down the aisle in 2018 but filed for divorce the following year in 2019. Their legal separation was finalised in January 2020.

4. It’s also Billy Ray Cyrus’ birthday

There has been some speculation that there could be a divide in the Cyrus family following Miley’s mum Tish Cyrus’ wedding on Saturday, which was not attended by two of Tish’s other children, Noah Cyrus or Braison Cyrus.

The singer served as maid of honour and attended alongside her older siblings Trace Cyrus and Brandi Cyrus, leading many to believe that she has taken her mum’s side in the alleged feud.

Some also took Miley’s decision to release “Used to be Young” – a song in which she reflects on her past with joy and pain – on Billy Ray’s birthday as further evidence of a rift, given that she released her break-up ballad “Flowers” on ex-husband Hemsworth’s birthday back in January.

However, it could equally be taken another way, as she had nothing but good words to say about her father as she reflected on their relationship in her ABC special.

She discussed her fond memories of touring with Billy Ray when she was a kid and said she “had a lot of great memories” of singing with him over the years.

She also became emotional as she described how her relationship with fame and success is “wildly different” from his.

“For him, feeling loved by a big audience impacted him more than it ever could me. When he feels special or important, it’s like healing a childhood wound and I’ve always been made to feel like a star,” she said.

5. Cyrus revealed her mum was not far from her mind while shooting the music video either

While it appears in the video that she’s looking directly into the camera itself, Miley revealed in her ABC special that she was actually looking at her mum during the duration of the shoot.

She said that by using a new technology that allowed her to “live-stream with my mum from inside of the camera”, she and Tish were able to see each other.

She said: “As she was dancing, it just made me cry, it made me laugh. It just brought up so many real emotions. I think it’s really into true emotion, which I don’t feel they get to see very much these days.”