Billy Ray Cyrus, father of Miley Cyrus, reacts to popstar dropping her last name: ‘Natural progression for superstar…’
Billy praised the rebranding as “a natural progression for an iconic superstar legend,” placing her in the same category as other legendary artists like Dolly Parton, Cher, Elvis Presley, and Prince.
Miley Cyrus officially dropped her last name in her upcoming 10th studio album, Bass Persuades, and updated her social media profiles to simply “Miley”. Supporting his daughter's decision, Billy Ray Cyrus said he doesn’t mind the change at all and called it a natural progression for a superstar.
The 33-year-old singer, born Destiny Hope Cyrus, was nicknamed “Smiley” for her cheerful disposition as a child. Over the years, the "S" faded away, leaving just Miley.
Now, decades into a massive career, she is stepping into a new era by putting that singular name center stage.
‘Just … Miley’
In an Instagram post, Billy shared an old photograph of himself with Miley and her brother, Braison. “Family means more than ever now. I always called my little girl Miley. Just … Miley,” he wrote.
Billy Ray even revealed that going by a single name is a bit of a family tradition, reflecting on his own early career. “Just like I always called my little boy Braison. Bet you didn’t know … I was just CYRUS before Achy Breaky Heart came out in 92. All of my swag and T shirts only read[,] CYRUS SOME GAVE ALL with a picture of a POW MIA flag on it that and the words .. ‘You are not forgotten.’“
‘Natural progression’
Billy praised the rebranding as “a natural progression for an iconic superstar legend,” placing her in the same category as other legendary artists like Dolly Parton, Cher, Elvis Presley, and Prince.
Reiterating his full blessing for her new era, Billy Ray wrote: “I told @miley yesterday I felt good about her going with her first name,” he wrote. “I mentioned Dolly and Cher. Thinkin about it more and more … Elvis .. Prince …and so on. It’s a natural progression for an iconic superstar legend. And the legend continues ! Looking forward to the new album.”
According to E! News, Miley previously spoke about a difficult period following her parents' 2022 divorce, noting that family members stopped speaking to one another for a time due to divided loyalties. By mid-2025 and into 2026, Miley shared that she and her relatives had worked to rebuild communication, mend bridges, and move past those challenges.
However, according to Page Six, sources clarified that dropping her last name is unrelated to past family tensions and is instead a career move.
They reportedly have since reconciled, with Miley even shouting him out during her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in May. “My dad used to say that a skyscraper starts with a jackhammer — so does a star on the Walk of Fame by the way — and it’s not about the force, but it’s about the repetition… What feels so special to me about this star is that it’s an accumulation of devotion,” she said.
Bass Persuades will release on 18 September. As part of the record reveal, Miley also announced she’d play two shows at the Hollywood Bowl on October 16 and 18.
In an earlier interview, she described the album as a "layered, multi-dimensional love story" reflecting a profound change in her personal growth and self-love, as per Page Six.