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Pop star Miley Cyrus has responded to criticism of her comeback show at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday. The singer opened up about the challenges of live performance, shutting down the backlash.
During her second Bowl concert on Sunday night, Cyrus addressed the criticism that her previous performance lacked sincerity. Addressing the audience directly, she said, “I’ve never heard that I don’t put my heart into something. I don’t know if any of you heard that. That somebody was doing commentary to get clickbait on their video talking about my show on Friday night, but I’m a lot of things, and we’re not even going to entertain that.”
At one point, the “Wrecking Ball” singer admitted, “It is hard for me to stand up here and do this show. It does not come as naturally as it once did before. Because, like all of us, we change, we evolve, we grow, and we find what gets to come with us. What continues to fit.”
Cyrus went on to note the importance of boundaries and warned against accusing her of not taking her shows seriously.
“This is an experience for me. And you all make the experience possible. [This is] the only way I get to test my personal boundaries, my limits, what I think I can do,” the singer said. “I can take a lot, but one thing I will not stand is any question about where my heart is when I’m on the stage. Not one. I am fully present.”
Miley Cyrus has previously spoken about the toll of touring
This isn’t the first time Cyrus got real about the exhaustion and loneliness that come with live performing. The Grammy-winner has previously opened up about the immense physical and mental strain of performing live.
“You spend these nights where thousands of people are telling you that they love you and then you go lay down and at night and there’s nobody and it’s it’s you just still kind of hear that roar,” the singer told CBS’ Tracy Smith in 2025. She also spoke about the “physicality of touring” and explained the responsibility that comes with being a solo artist.
Similarly, in a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cyrus emphasized that maintaining intensity and excellence on stage requires an equal measure of recovery and rest.