Miley Cyrus says she originally wrote 'Flowers' as 'the saddest song' without a self-empowerment message: 'It used to be more, like, 1950s'

Cyrus also shut down fan theories that "Flowers" was directly inspired by her relationship with Liam Hemsworth, which ended in 2020.

• Miley Cyrus revealed that her hit single "Flowers" didn't start as an empowerment anthem.
• In a new interview with British Vogue, Cyrus described the song as "a little fake it till you make it."
• "I wrote it in a really different way," she said. "It used to be more, like, 1950s. The saddest song."

Miley Cyrus' hit single "Flowers" has been described by many fans as an empowerment anthem, but according to the singer, it was originally conceived as "the saddest song."

"I wrote it in a really different way," Cyrus said in her new cover story for British Vogue. "The chorus was originally: 'I can buy myself flowers, write my name in the sand, but I can't love me better than you can.' It used to be more, like, 1950s."

"Like: 'Sure, I can be my own lover, but you're so much better,'" she added.

Instead, the version of "Flowers" that Cyrus released is a celebration of independence and self-love: "I can take myself dancing / And I can hold my own hand / Yeah, I can love me better than you can."

Cyrus said she made the change because "she simply wanted to make a song that she could do with hearing," as paraphrased by interviewer Giles Hattersley.

In its current form, "the song is a little fake it till you make it, which I'm a big fan of," Cyrus explained.

She also shut down speculation that "Flowers" was directly inspired by Liam Hemsworth. The two stars had an up-and-down relationship that lasted for more than a decade before she filed for divorce in 2020.

After Cyrus released the single and music video in January, fans ran wild with theories that Cyrus sprinkled both with Easter eggs about her ex-husband. The rumors helped push "Flowers" to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for eight weeks.

"I never need to be a master at the craft of tricking an audience," she said. "It will set itself on fire all by itself."

In fact, Cyrus told Hattersley that none of her recent work, including her latest album "Endless Summer Vacation," should be interpreted as a diaristic portrayal of her relationship with Hemsworth.

Rather, the 30-year-old Grammy nominee said she weaves details and emotions from various life experiences into her music.

"I wouldn't erase my story or want it to be erased," she said. "Having an interesting life makes for interesting storytelling."