Miley Cyrus has said she felt “sexualised” in the years after her infamous 2013 VMAs performance.
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At the awards show, the pop star performed with Robin Thicke. During the pair’s appearance, Cyrus twerked on the ‘Blurred Lines’ singer, for which she was heavily criticised.
“It became something that was expected of me,” Cyrus told Harper’s Bazaar of her raunchy behaviour. “I didn’t want to show up to photo shoots and be the girl who would get my tits out and stick my tongue out.”
She continued: “In the beginning, it was kind of like saying, ‘Fuck you, girls should be able to have this freedom,’ or whatever. But it got to a point where I did feel sexualised.”
The interview also saw her hit out at people who were shocked by her actions around the release of her album ‘Bangerz‘. “It should be more shocking that when I was 11 or 12, I was put in full hair and makeup, a wig, and told what to wear by a group of mostly older men,” she said.
“It’s no wonder that a lot of people lose their way and lose who they really are because they always have people telling them who to be.”
Cyrus’ return to music with recent single ‘Malibu’ has seen her go back to her country roots. She said that the change in image, however, didn’t mean the ‘Bangerz’ period wasn’t her being herself.
“I just want people to see that this is who I am right now,” she said. “I’m not saying I’ve never been myself… Who I was on the last record was really who I am. It’s just myself has been a lot of different people because I change a lot.”
Recently, Cyrus admitted she’ll never be able to shake off her infamous ‘Wrecking Ball’ video.
Appearing on the Zach Sang Show, she said: “That’s something you can’t take away. Swinging around naked on a wrecking ball lives forever.
“I’m never living that down. I will always be the naked girl on a wrecking ball,” she added. “I should have thought how long that was going to have to follow me around. That’s my worst nightmare, is that being played at my funeral.”