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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Leeds chapter.

Miley Cyrus releases a single which fans speculate could be shade towards ex .

The release of Miley Cyrus’ upcoming album, Endless Summer Vacation, is just over 2 months away. But on January 13, the singer-songwriter gave her newest song “Flowers” to admirers all across the world. According to ABC Audio, Miley’s biggest career streaming debut was because of the breakup hymn. The song could be considered a disco and funk-infused pop song, however something else seems to have caught on the eyes of fans: was it a dig at her former beau, Liam Hemsworth? 

There are rumours that both the bold song and its accompanying music video make several references to the Australian actor and Cyrus’ ex-husband. The former couple dated intermittently for more than 10 years before getting married in 2018 and separating a year later. Especially considering that the song was released on Hemsworth’s birthday, many are now speculating about the meaning behind the new song. With a double entendre about Miley watching her marriage and the Malibu home they once shared “burn” to the ground, the pop song makes references to her broken relationship with the Australian heartthrob. 

Another rumour going around is that the former Disney star appeared in her music video wearing the same suit that Liam did for the Avengers: Endgame premiere in April 2019. In a now-viral video filmed at the time on a red carpet, viewers assume that Liam instructed his then-wife to “behave” before she pushed him away in a playful manner. 

And that’s not all. Miley appears to have taken many lines from Bruno Mars’ song “When I Was Your Man” and altered them, sort of narrating it as a response to the song. This could allude to the fact that this was the former couple’s wedding song that Liam had dedicated to her. When he released the song in 2012, Bruno Mars reached the number-one spot on the Billboard Charts. The song is about the things he should have done while he was in a relationship but didn’t because he was “too dumb to realise” at the time. Fans have not been able to verify whether these theories are true up until now. However, many listeners have seen a reference to another well-known song that may provide insight into Cyrus’ emotional state following the breakup – another iconic empowerment anthem, ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor. Gloria herself gave praise and gushed over the new song, much like the rest of the world. 

“Your new song carries the torch of empowerment and encourages everyone to find strength in themselves to persevere and thrive. Well done Miley!”. Gloria took to social media to say that she first heard the song while working on new music in Nashville, Miley’s hometown. 

Well, it seems like Easter has come early with the amount of Easter eggs Miley has left in this controversial music video. Are fans taking it to extreme lengths with these speculations while it just may be another self-love song, or is it too good to be a coincidence? Hopefully time will tell, or better than, Miley herself.

Written by: Annika Nair

Edited by: Stephanie Young

Annika Nair

Leeds '25

Hello! My name is Annika, and I am a first year student at the University of Leeds, studying Food Science and Nutrition. I have been writing since as long as I remember, whether that be creative writing, stories, poems, songs etc. I have also written for school magazines and newspapers throughout middle school and high school, and even been student editor! I joined HerCampus as I love the concept of it being a female- only run project, plus I have the freedom to write about anything! My hobbies include reading, dancing, singing and sports. Overall, I am really excited to be a part of this initiative :)