March 10, 2023 pop star and iconic Hannah Montana actress Miley Cyrus released her first album since April 2022, “Endless Summer Vacation,” featuring a song called “Used to be Young,” This song was recently released as a single, Aug. 25. Along with the single, she released a video series on TikTok and YouTube called “used to be young series” where she recalls her experiences as a child and young adult in the limelight, and her complicated relationship growing up under the public eye.

The song itself is a way of communicating that Cyrus doesn’t regret her past experiences and decisions. These are all things that have made her the person she is today; the things she did when she was young are simply that, acts of a young person who is learning and growing. 

But as a known actor and musician, the “mistakes” and experiences of her childhood and young adult life are judged under a different set of expectations than the average young person. 

In the video series Cyrus explains how she was associated with the character Hannah Montana for such an integral portion of her life, which, in turn, linked her with the persona of a young and sweet girl. As she grew away from the show, she struggled to become her own person and create a new image for herself.

As the young star entered her 20s she began to “rebel” as some might say. With a shorter haircut and a new era of music developed, the public began to criticize her. She explains how she expected the backlash from some, but what she didn’t expect was the women who became disapproving and judgmental towards her choices. 

Because she was linked to such an innocent character for so long the change in her style and behavior shocked some. This judgment is a representation of the idea that it is so difficult for a young person in the public eye to change and evolve in their life. Those who spend their adolescence in the limelight have far less room for forgiveness when it comes to making the mistakes that all people do when growing up. 

Becoming her own person and making her own decisions turned into a crucial part of Cyrus’ life. In doing so, she created a new character, a performer; this new persona took over her life in a different way. She began to put the show and whatever character she was portraying at the time, before herself; like when she performed in Glastonbury almost immediately after deciding that her marriage and 10 year relationship was no longer compatible with her life. She put off dealing with her emotions and issues of the time until after her performance so that she could preserve the character she had created. 

The video series explores the common phenomenon of young people in fame being held to the standards of being a perfect and innocent person they were made to be as a child translating into their adult life. It also depicts the judgment these stars face later in life because of these standards and the lack of forgiveness they receive for the actions they committed in their younger lives, even if they have grown and changed as people; hence the name “Used to be Young.” 

While the record and video series are meant to acknowledge the pieces of her life that have combined to make it what it is today, it is also about the future. Cyrus describes how the song is meant to allow all of the layers of her career to shine and be seen as important; but it is truly supposed to be a segway to her future. She knows and wants others to understand how each and every action and decision was an important part of her history and she will continue to gain understanding and evolve as a person.