A few months ago, in one of my last lurking sessions of what is left of Twitter, I stumbled upon a clip of Miley Cyrus doing a really cool cover of The Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.” It gave me flashbacks to her first YouTube Backyard Sessions, when some of us, too old to understand the Hannah Montana phenomenon, listened to her version of “Jolene” and could no longer deny this girl’s talent. A stripped down rendition of The Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer”, in what looked like a very intimate performance, gave me some major FOMO and the ever-so-often reminder that I really like listening to Miley Cyrus and would really love to watch her perform live.
Yesterday, I finally understood the context of these clips courtesy of Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman. But it was so interesting to learn how this series of performances came to be–just last year, she shared in an interview that she was not interested in touring anymore because she feels no “connection” or “safety” in large stadium performances. Stephanie wrote about these comments for British Vogue as well as her follow up on social media. In her interview with Letterman, we get more specifics, with Miley referencing a specific concert in Mexico City soon after the COVID-19 shutdown as the catalyst to this shift. As Stephanie wrote in her piece, it is quite the financial privilege for an artist to choose not to tour. But it is rare for an artist to take advantage of this privilege and make what I think is one hell of a mature decision. Artists of her age and trajectory often keep saying “yes” to work for the very real fear that it may all soon be over. If she’s figured out a way to be financially comfortable and still maintain her love for her work with these invite-only performances (at least for a while), I can’t blame her. And I say this as someone who, despite being a casual U2 fan, still remembers the magic of having Bono lead a short rendition of “Cielito Lindo” in a packed stadium in their one and only concert in Monterrey, Mexico. It is still one of the best shows I’ve ever experienced. As a fan, there is a magic that you can feel collectively in a large concert, but now after this Miley interview, I feel like I understand even more the tremendous costs for its performers (and crew).
I didn’t expect to relate to Miley Cyrus in this interview from the start…but I did, perhaps because of the burnout I (and many) have experienced in recent years. Fantasizing about being fired, hoping for a commitment to fall through…what really resonated was when she cited one of the most common sayings for literal performers that many of us “normals” have also taken to heart: ”The Show Must Go On.” I feel like one of the biggest mistakes we keep making in this world is living this statement in so much of what we do. The Show can go on. But must it? The last four years have been a whole lot of denial in order to keep the show going. I appreciated someone acknowledging how their work and engagement with the world changed due to the isolation and distancing experienced just a few years ago, and how they have changed the way they work or operate in this world to accommodate their new realities and needs. More of us should do the same if we are able to, understanding that, of course, not everyone has that luxury.
As a professional, I connected to Miley’s decision to define boundaries between her life and work that prioritize her well-being and the love for the work itself. This is something that I’ve struggled with for a while: how much of myself to give to the work that I do. Or more accurately, how much of myself to give to my employer. And while I recognize that it is a privilege to be a professional and to enjoy (and even love) the work that I do, that does not guarantee a work life that is healthy. It did take a pandemic for me to ask myself what was the point of all this schooling, preparation, and debt if parts of my life felt the same (and sometimes worse) than the life I had with less stability and resources? Must we say yes to any and all work opportunities? I know I felt I had to when I was desperate to find full-time work during and after graduate school. But must I continue to do so until my body and mind have nothing left to give? After watching this interview and perhaps because I am in summer mode, I feel validated by her relationship to work and creativity in this conversation.
There’s so much more to enjoy from her talk with Letterman. I thought the way she spoke about her relationship to her parents and what they have meant for her career and upbringing was thoughtful, intelligent, and classy, if a little shady. But again, I think what came across to me in this interview was a maturity that shouldn't have surprised me. Thanks to her mentoring from her godmother Dolly, she understands now that she can still be honest in her life and keep some things “sacred” to herself–like her relationship to Dolly or her more casual friendship to Beyoncé. While we don’t get questions or answers to her cultural appropriation era, I don’t know that Letterman is the right person to get her there. I am curious how another interviewer, more knowledgeable on matters of race, could facilitate that conversation to learn if/how she has matured on that front.
I’ve always known Miley was funny, but I think there is a wit that became more obvious to me when I saw her Grammy speech and performance–how she paid tribute to Mariah Carey and used the anecdote and metaphor of the butterfly to speak about the success of “Flowers'' and then gave a performance of that song that was still surprising to anyone who had listened to it on repeat before then. That wit is apparent throughout the interview up until the very end, when Letterman addresses the audience at the end of her performance The Chateau Marmont. The end of this episode is both funny and touching…it wasn’t long before I played it again.
When the tribute album to Stop Making Sense was released exactly a month ago, I immediately listened to Miley’s “Psycho Killer.” The album version is a really fun dance track, and it’s a great start to a compilation that includes The Linda Lindas, Paramore, and Chicano Batman as some of its contributors. But this lady (who cannot remember the last time she ever danced it out in a club) wishes she could listen to the Chateau Marmont version of “Psycho Killer” on repeat. I just want those vocals! If anyone reading this knows Miley Cyrus, please make the following requests on my behalf: the release of a live recording of The Chateau Marmont Sessions, a music video and live performance of “II Most Wanted” (my 20th wedding anniversary party will do, lol), AND an invite to a Chateau Marmont performance (or anywhere else) where I can hear Miley’s live vocals and wit.
I can’t find the interview now, but I remember once hearing Dave Grohl refer to Miley Cyrus as one of the great rock stars and performers of right now. I’ve believed it for a while. I hope to see it for myself someday.
