Miley Cyrus confronts her past in Disney shirt in new music video

Dec 14, 2023

Miley Cyrus moves herself to tears while singing about her past, partying, and relationships in the new "Used to Be Young" music video — all as she wears a Mickey Mouse T-shirt in a nod to her days as a child star on Disney's Hannah Montana.

The 30-year-old lays her emotions bare in the video's simple setup, which sees her crying and looking into the camera for the entirety of the clip.

"I know I used to be crazy, I know I used to be fun. You say I used to be wild, I say I used to be young," Cyrus croons, appearing to reference the intense media scrutiny she weathered ahead of her image-altering, adult-oriented 2013 album Bangerz, which was preceded by a controversial dance with Robin Thicke at the MTV VMAs. "Those wasted nights are not wasted, I remember every one."

Elsewhere in the song, she sings about going her "separate ways" with "who ya say I was yesterday," and how "open bars lead to broken hearts."

In January, Cyrus released "Flowers," a breakup song reportedly about her entanglement with Liam Hemsworth, and it quickly became the biggest hit of her music career. The track served as the lead single for her most recent album Endless Summer Vacation. Cyrus revealed on Instagram that "Used to Be Young" was written years ago during early sessions for the album.

"These lyrics were written almost 2 years ago at the beginning of my ESV. It was at a time I felt misunderstood. I have spent the last 18 months painting a sonic picture of my perspective to share with you," she wrote. "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. That is my life at this moment ….. unfinished yet complete."

Watch Cyrus reflect on her past in the "Used to Be Young" music video above.

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