Miley Cyrus has spoken about her last conversation with her godmother, Dolly Parton, after sending Parton an advance copy of her new album, Bass Persuades. Cyrus described the exchange as the last time they would talk.
Parton’s Message About Persona
Parton told Cyrus that she understood how much of her life had been built around a persona, drawing on their shared history with Hannah Montana.
“We hit on it with Hannah (Montana) — so much of my life was about persona.”
Cyrus explained that she calls her performances “drag” because the version of herself she presents onstage is so different from her private self. She referenced feeding a tortoise every morning as an example of the person she keeps switched off.
The two women connected over authenticity. Parton, Cyrus argued, was known for the fake, the hair, the makeup and the show — but underneath was a real, authentic presence that people naturally drew toward.
The Crying On Stage
One of the topics they discussed was Cyrus’ tendency to cry during live performances. Parton watched her cry on Letterman while performing “End of the World” and asked, “What are you crying about?”
Cyrus explained that the song is about the world ending and never seeing her mother again. She said she always cries during those moments.
Zane Lowe suggested Parton might have been trying to tell her to be more professional.
“That’s pretty much what she said,” responded Cyrus.
Parton told her that music is escapism and that she should let the audience cry instead. Cyrus replied that she knew but that this is who she is, and Parton loved her for it.
A Sense Of Loss
Cyrus also reflected on losing the stabilizing figures in her life who came from generations before her. She cried singing “I Will Always Love You” with Parton, and she said Parton knew at that moment why she was crying.
“The reason I was crying is the reason that I cry now, which is because so many of my really stabilizing peers that I have in my life [come from] generations before me.”
She said they had laid down the road she travels now, brick by brick. They won’t always be here for her to call and ask, “What do I do now?” — a question she always put to Parton, who was always right.
Cyrus compared Parton to a mother figure, saying she was always right about things, much like how a mother seems always right to a child.
The Track “Aftermath”
During the interview, Cyrus also shared a story about the song “Aftermath.” One of the lyrics actually says “the Titan sinks,” so the song was about a submarine.
She wrote it as a very sad ballad. She was playing a bunch of songs she had written, which she had written a little differently for this record, and she was playing the record as it was with Max Martin.
He was brutally honest with her about “Aftermath,” calling it boring. She asked what he would do with it, and he started suggesting a more upbeat, propulsive arrangement.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom and I was like, that is better.”
She had been going for a Thom Yorke-like vibe, but Martin said it was boring. His changes made the song much better.
The Album Arrives Tonight
Cyrus’ new album comes out at midnight Thursday night. Producer Max Martin convinced her to go for a more upbeat and propulsive sound on the record, which she initially resisted for songs conceived as ballads.
The conversation with Parton, she said, was the last time they would talk. Though they were so different, that difference was precisely what made them perfect for each other.
What We Make Of It
Cyrus is doing exactly what Parton told her to do: letting the audience cry. She has built a career around vulnerability, and she is not backing away from it now.
The story reads as a reflection from Cyrus on losing a stabilizing figure, framed through a memory of their final conversation. Here is how the key elements rank:
- The last conversation with Parton — the central event Cyrus described.
- Parton’s message about persona and authenticity — the core of their connection.
- The “Aftermath” story — a lighter aside about songwriting and production.
- The album release timing — a practical detail at the end of the interview.
It is a direct note from someone who knows what she is doing.
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