Miley Cyrus is sweeping the nation by releasing her new single, “Flowers.” On January 12th, 2023. Cyrus dropped the song that is currently stuck in everyone’s heads, but why wouldn’t you want it to be? Her song exudes self-empowerment, and is dubbed an anthem about being your best self. It can be hard in today’s society to find time to make yourself happy as it’s full of haters, pandemics, and societal pressure, but that is exactly what we need to do.
There are some conspiracy theories about this song. Many fans think this song is pointed directly at her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth. I have watched countless Instagram reels explaining how Cyrus pans to the Malibu house she shared with her ex-husband that burnt down (in the music video), or how she is replying to her ex-husbands Bruno Mars’s “When I Was Your Man” dedication.
“I should have bought you flowers
And held your hand,
Gave you all my hours,
When I had the chance…”- Bruno Mars
“I can buy myself flowers,
write my name in the sand,
talk to myself for hours…”- Miley Cyrus
I’m not doubting it either. It got me thinking about not only her intentions with this song but the overall intentions of songs surrounding female empowerment. Women are constantly battling misogyny, the patriarchy, and the male gaze, so that desire to find freedom can very quickly cross the line into other territories.
In 1999, The Chicks (previously called The Dixie Chicks) a female country band released the song, “Goodbye Earl.” It tells the story of a group of young women, who started their lives full of hope after high school. Wanda finds herself in an abusive relationship and seeks her friend’s help. Their tale of empowering each other as young women soon turns into an how to get away with a murder instruction manual.
It just goes to show that women are remarkable in all different types of ways. Whether it’s treating yourself to a coffee, or standing up to some of the world’s cruelest trials, women do what we need to do. Take a listen to “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, and “Goodbye Earl” by The Chicks. Take a second and ask yourself what I need to do to be the best possible me I can be.