Flowers: An Intentional Miley Cyrus Hit
posted by Julia Voraz | February 13, 2023 | In Arts and Culture, News“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus has been at the top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for three consecutive weeks since its release on January 12. This marks a decade since her last major hit, “Wrecking Ball,” which was released in 2013. The song has set records as the biggest debut and most streams in the first week of release on Spotify, with over 101 million streams in just seven days. It is the lead single from Miley’s upcoming eighth studio album, “Endless Summer Vacation,” which is set to be released on March 10.
It is clear that the song has been a massive success, but how did Miley do it?
In the past, the public would rely on magazines and newspapers to learn about their favorite celebrities. Today, with the internet and paparazzi, the amount of personal information available to the public is much greater.
Pictures taken by not just professional paparazzi but also regular people with cameras in their hands have become a means of creating narratives and feeding the careers of celebrities. Miley, with over two decades in show business, knows this well. She uses information about her personal life to pique the public’s interest. She chose to release the song on her ex-husband’s birthday, showcasing her intentional marketing strategy.
The lyrics of “Flowers” suggest a message of self-love and empowerment, with the narrator reflecting on a past relationship that ended badly. Instead of dwelling on the hurt and pain, she chooses to focus on loving herself. By using her personal life to heighten the interest in her art, she creates a connection between herself and her audience.
Miley, despite being a multimillionaire and famous since childhood, faces the same struggles as many others. She is fighting for emotional independence. The chorus of the song emphasizes self-love, with the narrator singing about how she can buy herself flowers, write her name in the sand, dance with herself, and, most importantly, love herself better than anyone else. The song encourages listeners to prioritize their own happiness and well-being, even after a breakup or the end of a relationship.
And you, have you bought yourself flowers yet?
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