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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.

From Hannah Montana on Disney Channel, to Hannah Montana: The Movie, to creating albums of music, Miley Cyrus has been my ride or die since I was a child. I am writing a tribute to Miley Cyrus because of how much of an impact she marked on my childhood, and how she still inspires me to this day!

My favorite show on Disney Channel was Hannah Montana, and I would always remember watching it with my sister after school! I just felt that the double-life character Miley Cyrus portrayed was really entertaining, and the show even featured celebrities such as the Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Dolly Parton, Brooke Shields, Larry David, Austin Butler, and more, according to insider.com.

miley cyrus and dolly parton
Vijat Mohindra/NBC

When watching episodes, I dreamt of having a closet as large as Hannah’s, especially with the rotating wardrobe inside too! I loved all of the outfits she wore, alongside the makeup and accessories. I always considered myself a girly girl, so I loved portraying the fashionable character that was Hannah Montana. Furthermore, I really became addicted to the Hannah Montana music albums! Some of my favorite songs are “Gonna Get This” (featuring Iyaz), “Best of Both Worlds,” and “Nobody’s Perfect”. I also watched Hannah Montana Forever, which portrayed Hannah/Miley as an older version of herself alongside her best friends, Lilly and Oliver. Miley and Lilly ended up going to college together too!

As I grew older, I continued listening to Hannah Montana albums, but then also began listening to Miley Cyrus’s own music. Some of my favorite old ones include “When I Look at You,” “The Climb,” “See You Again,” “Start All Over,” and “Party in the U.S.A”. Miley has such a unique and distinct voice because of her vocal range that spans four octaves and can easily transition amongst music genres, according to musicalmum.com.

I also love how Miley’s voice has matured as she has gotten older. Given that she had a wide vocal range at 13 and 14 years old (when she was filming Hannah Montana), her mature and raspier voice gives her that rock edge that really sets her apart from other musicians. I was only in the fifth grade when she entered her “Wrecking Ball” phase, so this was a huge paradox to everything she represented as a Disney Channel star.

Fast Forward to today, Miley has really gone through many phases of her life that have shaped her into the woman and musician she is today. I really enjoyed her more chill era in which she released “Malibu” in 2017. I am also obsesed with her song, “Mother’s Daughter” from her SHE IS COMING album released in 2019. One of my current favorite albums is Plastic Hearts released in November 2020; I love “Midnight Sky,” “Plastic Hearts,” “Prisoner,” and “Angels Like You”. I feel the passion in Miley’s voice as she belts to her songs. I also love how Miley sings covers to Rock songs and other genres of music. For instance, Miley and Dolly Parton have sung Parton’s song, “Jolene” for Miley’s New Years Eve special in December 2022.

In a way, I feel like Miley Cyrus and I grew up together, in that I got to watch her go through various phases of her career, and I was always a fan since Hannah Montana aired back in 2006. She really was the culmination of early 2000s Disney Channel. The shows that are aired today are nowhere near as entertaining and as Iconic as Hannah Montana. Miley, thank you for reminding me that I “Used To Be Young.” It has been a journey, and I am glad I got to take this ride.

I hope you all enjoyed my tribute to Miley Cyrus since she is my favorite celebrity and musician! Feel free to let me know if you agree with anything I wrote!

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Heather Sarney

U Mass Amherst '25

I am a Junior Communication and Journalism double major on the public relations track here at UMass Amherst. I love to play tennis, watch shows and movies, and journal too!