Miley Cyrus is Back At It

Miley Cyrus recently sat down for an interview with Billboard Magazine, where she talked about her upcoming album, among other things. Here are some of the highlights:

On her newfound sobriety:
“This is crazy, but I haven’t smoked weed in three weeks! I like to surround myself with people that make me want to get better, more evolved, open. And I was noticing, it’s not the people that are stoned. I want to be super clear and sharp, because I know exactly where I want to be.”

On the chill vibe of her Malibu neighborhood:
 “I love talking to people, and I approach them in a normal, ‘Don’t treat me different, ’cause I’m not’ way. That’s what started this evolution for me, getting out of my Dead Petz phase. People stare at me anyway, but people stare at me a lot when I’m dressed as a ­fucking cat.”

Where exactly did you write ­“Malibu”?
"On the way to The Voice. I drive myself everywhere, but that day I decided to Uber, and I was trying not to sing out loud because someone else was in the car."

People might call it sentimental.
"They’re going to talk about me if I come out of a restaurant with Liam. So why not put the power back in my relationship and say, “This is how I feel”?"

After you guys broke up, you said something like, “I’m so immersed in work, I can’t even think about it.”
"Yeah, but also ’cause I needed to change so much. And changing with someone else not changing like that is too hard. Suddenly you’re like, “I don’t recognize you anymore.” We had to refall for each other."

The new album is pretty singer-­songwriter-y, no?
"Yeah. But not granola. I don’t listen to Ed Sheeran and John Mayer and stuff."

We’ve seen the way that Madonna and Lady Gaga get asked, “Is this just another costume? Another phase?”
"I think [Madonna and Gaga] are ­enlightened. I ­fucking hate it when people can’t adjust. I used to [resist changing]. But I haven’t smoked weed in three weeks, which is the longest I’ve ever [gone without it]. I’m not doing drugs, I’m not drinking, I’m completely clean right now! That was just something that I wanted to do.

It’s easy, dude. When I want something, it’s fucking easy for me. But if anyone told me not to smoke, I would have not done it. It’s because it was on my time. I know exactly where I am right now. I know what I want this record to be. And not in the sense of manipulation -- wanting something from my fans or the audience, like some slimy thing -- “How do I get attention?” I never thought about that. Dude, I was shocked that ­people gave a fuck about the [MTV Video Music Awards in 2013, when she performed with Robin Thicke] -- the ­twerking, the teddy bear. It’s a totally ­different time, and I don’t think that would freak people out anymore."

Read the full interview at Billboard.