This is an opinion article piece. Libby Frumento is a junior at Mendham who writes for Arts and Entertainment. All opinions expressed in the following editorial are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Patriot

Many people remember the pop star Miley Cyrus as the girl in the blonde wig, acting as a girl named Hannah Montana on Disney Channel. Her career as a pop artist then began to take flight as she released many songs from an early age, and they quickly began to be sung by young girls who looked up to her as their idol. However, soon after, her style changed drastically as well as the types of songs she was releasing to the public. When she cut her hair, dyed it blonde, and came out with the hit titled “Wrecking Ball” , many criticized her image as she went from a good girl on Disney to a rebellious celebrity who releases explicit content. Miley Cyrus should not be criticized because her life as a celebrity positively influenced her character, her music, as well as shifted the young minds of her fans in a new light.

Since she was 11 years old, Miley Cyrus has always had good character and a good heart. When Miley Cyrus was 15 years old, she dated star Nick Jonas and when they broke up Miley tells People Magazine, “I was rebelling against everything Nick wanted me to be. And then I was like, ‘I’ve got to be by myself for now and just figure out who I really am.’ ” She has always wanted to stay true to herself no matter what went on in her personal life. Her music had also always reflected her true self even if it was positive feelings or negative feelings. As Miley has always had a passion for music and acting she has never been afraid to express herself through both forms of entertainment. While on Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus came out with many songs as well as did the same while focusing on the movie The Last Song. When it was time to leave her persona as Hannah Montana, an interview from Teen Vogue mentions that Miley Said, “It got weird. It just felt like…I was grown up.” Although she did a lot with her career by playing the role of Hannah Montana, she felt as though it was time to move on. By always staying true to herself, Miley Cyrus has come out to show her support for homeless people and the LGBTQ community. According to People Magazine she “founded the Happy Hippie Foundation”. As recently Miley Came out as pansexual, she has given a lot to the LGBTQ community as it is very important to her. 

Although Miley Cyrus’s music has gone through a shift throughout her musical career, every piece of music she has released has reflected what she felt at heart. Many people tend to criticize the change in music when the sig and music video “Wrecking Ball” was released. As this video was seen as too explicit for young girls, it is not Miley’s responsibility to sensor her content based off of who had been a fan in previous years. It is crazy to believe that she could have stayed a “Disney Star” for the rest of her 20s. Breaking out of her shell was necessary for her music to thrive. By being more rebellious with her music and style, she gained a new set of audience. By that time she could relate to more people who have been wanting to do the same. Many people do not know that Miley actually regretted the video created for “Wrecking Ball”. According to ET, Miley regretted doing that music video stating, “It’s kinda crazy that I’ll always be known for licking a sledgehammer”. By coming out and saying this, it gives her music authenticity. Recently at the IHeart Music Festival, Miley Cyrus performed a cover to “Heart of Glass” by Blondie. This rock cover has gained a lot of attention and shows that her music style is not limited. Her breaking out of her shell is inspiring to those who want to break out of their shell as well. 

 Not only has Miley been a good person and singer throughout her career, however she has also influenced a wide range of people in a positive way. She has shown that she could be an actor on a Disney Channel show as well as act in different genres. Her shift in personality demonstrated that she is human and experiences a wide range of emotions. This was also portrayed through her music, especially recently with her recent debut of her cover to “Heart of Glass” by Blondie. Expressing her true self by expressing her sexuality is an inspiration to all those who are afraid to be who they are. Although the light was always shining on her, she never stayed shy to what she felt and believed in.

 Miley Cyrus has always been an inspiration throughout her career through the music she released, acting roles, as well as her change in personality. Many of the changes she went through have been said to be inappropriate and disgraceful, however everything Miley Cyrus has done has been for the greater good. By listening to her songs or seeing her on TV, everyone should be able to recognize the immense talent Miley holds. Not only has she influenced a large number of young girls with her role as Hannah Montana, however she is continuing to encouraging a wide variety of people today.