Noah Cyrus Wants To Clear Some Stuff Up

It’s no secret that it’s been quite a month for Noah Cyrus. On top of the already stressful rollout of her EP, Good Cry, Cyrus was also subject to a ton of speculation surrounding her recent high-profile breakup with rapper Lil Xan—something that also ended up circling back and affecting public reception to her new record. "Everybody thought the EP was directed towards what was going on at the time," she says, though she is also quick to correct the assumption, and calls it a "bummer."

Unfortunately, Cyrus is no stranger to having gossip headlines usurp her work—though it could be argued that such is the burden of being a celebrity in 2018. However, as someone who grew up in the spotlight, Cyrus has taken it all in stride. The kind of person who doesn’t let the naysay get to her, she’s without a doubt one of the most well-adjusted celebrity teens out there. But as Cyrus herself admits, it’s only because of the support systems she’s implemented around her—her family, her therapist, her friends, her management—all people she’s eager to constantly shout-out.

But to put the focus back on Good Cry and her nationwide tour, we sat down with Cyrus to chat everything from handling her mental health to growing up in the midst of her family's musical legacy and everything in between. Read our Q&A with her, below, and make sure to check your hate at the door.

You've had a hell of a month. How have you been doing?

I'm hanging in there. I've had really good parts of the past two months and some really low parts of the past two months. But altogether, I'm on tour, and I'm genuinely happy. 

You're touring for your EP, Good Cry; why decide to focus on sadness for this release?

That's just what I've been dealing with the past two years. Like, I've just been struggling with depression and anxiety and also going through a breakup that… I was in a relationship for two years. Then opening myself up to, you know, trying another relationship and that not working out…

Especially on such a crazy public level. 

It was actually funny, but last night we were in a gas station… and the attendant’s] like, "We supposed to know you or somethin'?" Because we came out of a bus, and I'm like, "No, but [my manager] is a rapper”… and she's like, "Lil Xan was just in here two days ago," and I was like, "Great, here we go again."

The weirdest thing was it was the bumfuck middle of nowhere, because he's on tour too. Also, our tours are actually kind of on the same… like we follow each other. But it was just funny because we were getting gas, so they must've stopped to get gas in the same place, and he went into the same Wendy's as me. And the lady was like, "Lil Xan was in here," and I was like, "Never heard of him”…No bad feelings [though]. 

Totally. But, I mean, it does kind of suck that you have to deal with that sort of shit with the entire world watching—especially right when you EP's about to come out.

That was the bummer. Everybody thought the EP was directed towards what was going on at the time, but I was like, "Guys, I couldn't have written 'Mad At You' in two days and get it out by [now]," you know? [My EP] just fellout at, I guess, an appropriate time.

For sure. Again, I don't know how you keep your composure.

Therapy! 

Do you try and talk about that sort of stuff with your fans?

Yeah, they are going through a lot, so we DM and talk about it.

Is it kind of like you paying it back? Because I know Miley has been a really helpful person in terms of giving advice to you.

She has. What's so great about Miley is how much she speaks out about the stuff she believes in. Like, Miley has her things that she believes in, and I have my things that I'm super-passionate about, and we both speak out about that a lot. So it's like, I think it’s good that we both use our platforms to talk about things we're passionate about.

Are there issues that you butt heads about?

I mean, dumb sister shit. Not anymore though. We're now at the age where we're friends. But sisters… butt heads for a second. There was one year, I think, where Miley and I were at an age where we butted heads. But that happened with me and my brother, too. Because we're all closest in age… Me and Miley were too, like, far apart from each other to go at it for a really long time.

Speaking of your family, I have a confession. I loved Metro Station back in the day.

I was their biggest fan during all that! I swear, I was a scene kid. I wasn't like a real scene kid, but I was like Trace's number one fan. A scene baby. Like, I was probably like seven when "Shake It" came out. I'm definitely inspired a lot by that album.

I used to make "I Love Metro Station" shirts and stuff and sit in the crowd. My favorite memories were literally when I was 7 years old and was around, like, Jeffree Star. I remember growing up with Jeffree Star whenever he was a scene legend.

I feel like I was bound to go into this. But I'm not, like, Warped Tour emo, you know? I'm a weird different emo. I don't know how to explain my emo.

It's kind of fused itself with SoundCloud rap, so now, you have this entire emo rap movement. I feel like there’s a lot of overlap with that crowd and your fans. Kind of on that note, your fan base is obviously social media- and internet-focused. Are there just times you want to log off? It kind of feels like everyone watches your every single move.

Yeah. Sometimes I have my digital team from my management log me out of my Instagram account—change the password, and they don't give it to me. Then I'll delete the app, and they keep me off of it for like a month sometimes, and I just tell them what to post. Sometimes [I] can't take it.

I think it's really narcissistic, but, like, I have it. We put up pictures of ourselves for people to like and follow and obsess over. I don't know, it's a weird thing that our society's done.

But it’s also a part of your job now.

Exactly, I know, it's just so weird that that's a job now. Instagram has become such a huge platform.

What's the weirdest DM you've gotten?

I mean, it's all like weird sexual shit. I get tons of that. It's like, creepy old dudes. Or it's fans being like, "I love you." Or people being like, "You suck." I don't know. I never look through it. I just look for the people that are like, "Hey, blah blah blah," or "I love you," you know? I only open the ones that start positive.

That sucks about the mean messages. I'm amazed at your composure though, because I was a wreck when I was 18 and would’ve been like, “Hey!”

I mean, I am a wreck.