Miley Cyrus has decided to drop her last name, becoming the latest pop star to go mononymous.
On August 31, the former teen idol removed her last name from all social media and posted a photo captioned simply “MILEY.”
The Grammy-winning artist inherited a famous surname from her musician father, Billy Ray, whom she was previously estranged from.
So far, she has not explained or commented on the name change. Miley’s professional rebrand sparked questions and speculation about her next professional move, while Google even celebrated the change. Searching for the artist results in the response, “Did you mean... just: miley.”
Her Instagram post appeared to tease the 33-year-old’s upcoming studio album, her tenth overall.
In July of this year, Miley spoke about the unannounced album in a cover story for Wonderland, saying, “This album is a love story, but love stories are never one-dimensional. They’re always layered. There is definitely a romantic thread weaving through it because, like all my records, it’s a reflection of where I am in my life.”
The forthcoming album is an exploration and celebration of that love, said Miley: “A peaceful kind of love has become a theme across my last three records. Not just the love I share with someone else, but the love I’ve found for myself. That’s probably been the biggest evolution. Once your relationship with yourself changes, every relationship around you changes too. I think this record celebrates both of those equally.”
The album remains untitled and is yet to have a release date.
In 2023, Miley soared to the top of the charts with “Flowers,” which became the best-selling single of 2023 and earned the singer two Grammy Awards.
Billy Ray Cyrus, 65, and his daughter were distant for “a time,” Miley revealed in 2025. That year, she released a special song she wrote her father as a “peace offering.” She later shared that he cried when he heard it.
“For us, me and my dad, we just kind of moved forward,” Miley told CBS News last October.
Her forthcoming album comes amid a new romantic milestone for the star. In December 2025, she and her partner of four years, musician Maxx Morando, got engaged. The couple met through a blind date. Morando, 27, later revealed that he proposed in Kyoto, Japan.
Miley was previously in a relationship with Australian actor Liam Hemsworth. The couple married in 2018 and separated in August 2019. Their divorce was finalized in January 2020.]
The award-winning musician’s rebrand comes days after her godmother, Dolly Parton, died. Miley paid tribute to Parton, a frequent professional collaborator whom she described as her “Aunt Dolly.”
“I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis,” she wrote. “I will always love her and want to make her proud.”
