The singer of “Wrecking Ball,” 32, speaks up about a condition she refers to as a “blessing,” and why altering it might cost her everything.
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe on May 22, 2025, Miley Cyrus talked candidly about a long-standing physical problem that has shaped her voice, impacted her career, and remained intensely personal to this day.
Lowe was informed by Cyrus that she suffers from Reinke’s oedema, which she explained was caused by “abuse of the vocal cords.” The condition results in fluid accumulation in the vocal folds, which produces swelling, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Although it can also result from acid reflux or voice strain, it is most common in those who have smoked in the past.
In more severe situations, surgery may be necessary, and it frequently results in hoarseness and a deeper voice. Despite being innocuous, it is indicative of damage to the vocal cords and usually does not go better without medical intervention or lifestyle modifications.
In Cyrus’s instance, the disorder coexisted with a vocal cord polyp, which has had a significant impact on the texture and tone of her voice.
“I have this very large, you know, polyp on my vocal chord that has given me a lot of the tone and texture that has made me who I am, but it’s extremely difficult to perform with because it’s like running a marathon with ankle weights on,” she explained.
The former Disney Channel actress stated that her anatomy, not her lifestyle, is mostly responsible for her distinctive singing style. Her early twenties partying and smoking might have added to the stress, but they weren’t the root of it.
Touring often crosses her mind, Cyrus admitted, but the logistics are more complex. “I put a tour together like every other week ’cause I want to do it, but it would have to be in a way that is sustainable for me in all the ways that we talked about and then also with what I got going on. Like, I don’t lip-sync, I sing live,” she shared.
Cyrus does not intend to have surgery despite the persistent difficulties. “I’m not willing to sever ever it because the chance of waking up from a surgery and not sounding like myself is a probability,” she said.
She talked about the illness and acknowledged that it was difficult to disclose it in public. “I really like had it on my heart that I don’t speak and don’t really care to talk about this thing that’s really precious and really private to me but it is a real thing,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Cyrus referred to the disease as a “blessing,” stating that it has endowed her voice with the precise quality that characterises her sound and artistic personality.
At the 2024 Grammy Awards, she finally received the attention she deserved for her artistic abilities. Cyrus received her first golden gramophone in February after winning Best Pop Solo Performance for the self-empowering song “Flowers,” which is taken from her 2023 album “Endless Summer Vacation.”
For the eight-time nominee, the song was a significant career turning point. Her album was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, and the single was nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Also, she received a Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award for “Thousand Miles.”
Cyrus made it apparent that conventional touring and public spectacle are no longer at the forefront of her creative priorities in spite of this surge of praise. In a personal letter titled “Sent From Heaven,” which was posted via X on May 25, 2023, she spoke directly to her admirers.
Despite not being on stage every night, Cyrus wrote in the article that she feels closer to her fans than ever. She clarified that consistent visibility is not necessary for meaningful involvement and that, while preserving her own wellbeing, she is always looking for new methods to engage her audience.
Stepping back from life on the road is a deliberate choice to put her own needs first, she said, not a sign of lack of gratitude. She no longer wants to endure the demands of touring, which include sleeping on a moving bus and changing in locker rooms.
Even the exquisite antique clothing that has come to define her image is incompatible with the reality of travel. She reminded followers at the end of her letter that she is constantly changing.
Days prior to posting her note on X, Cyrus spoke candidly with Vogue about how her perspective on performing and fame has changed. She talked about how she now prefers to create in smaller, more personal settings as opposed to performing for large crowds.
“I love performing but pretty much for them,” she said, referring to her close circle of collaborators. “Like singing for hundreds of thousands of people isn’t really the thing that I love. There’s no connection. There’s no safety.”
Her comments continued with a reflection on the emotional disconnect she feels in large-scale concert settings. “It’s also not natural. It’s so isolating because if you’re in front of 100,000 people then you are alone,” she added.
She also revisited her early twenties. “I was creating attention for myself because I was dividing myself from a character I had played. Anyone, when you’re 20 or 21, you have more to prove. ‘I’m not my parents.’ ‘I am who I am,’” she recounted.
During a reflective moment, Cyrus talked about the emotional burden of those years and how her viewpoint has evolved over time.
“I carried some guilt and shame around myself for years because of how much controversy and upset I really caused,” she admitted. “Now that I’m an adult, I realise how harshly I was judged. I was harshly judged as a child by adults and now, as an adult, I realise that I would never harshly judge a child.”
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