“Running from who you are is a total normal part of growing up”- When Miley Cyrus opened up about her child artist days

Miley Cyrus is one of the few people in the world who have managed to stay under the spotlight for decades despite being only 30. The maverick singer-songwriter and daughter of the legendary Billy Ray Cyrus has been the face of Disney’s Hannah Montanna before venturing outside her comfort zone and finding her own kind of music.

Over the many years of Miley Cyrus’ career, there have been a lot of rumors and controversies. There has also been plenty of self-reflection for the young artist, who ventured into the world of glamor at the age of mere 13 and continued to be there for the rest of her life.

In a 2017 interview with NPR, Miley opened up about the younger Hannah Montanna persona when she was asked who that little girl was. She said:

“Everyone that I’ve been — whether you are thinking about Hannah Montana or the music I made in the past — all of it has always been the truth. So I think people are saying “the new Miley” or “the more honest Miley” — I’ve always been that. But I’ve been honest for who that person was then.”

Miley Cyrus performs at Glastonbury Festival in 2019. Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

She added:

“At one point, it was fun for me as a little girl to get dressed up as a pop star, because I wasn’t one. It was fun for me to write about relationships in this innocent way, because I was young and innocent and discovering love and what that meant…..I’m happy to be who I am rather than running from it — but running from who you are is a total normal part of growing up, too, because you’re just trying to figure what parts of yourself you like and what parts of yourself you want to work on.”

She also expanded on who she wanted to be after this.

“I’m experiencing humanity with all the other listeners”- Miley Cyrus on how she sees her career trajectory going

Miley Cyrus was only 24 when this interview was taken, and since then, she has evolved drastically, quite like she predicted during the time. Of course, a lot of her music has made big splashes, often for the wrong reason too.

But it is still not a debate that her influence exceeds most around her. When asked how she sees things panning out in the coming years, Miley Cyrus said:

“I think I’m a person that evolves really quickly, and I change. And I think for me, I don’t change with the times or with fashion; I change by being active politically or philanthropically. I think that really changes the way that I reflect myself as well, and project who I am. Also, I think I’m very inspired by the surroundings of the real world more than the fashion on the street, or what the music is sounding like on the radio, or what I see on TV. I think that’s why people relate to my music; because in today, I’m experiencing humanity with all the other listeners.”