Miley Cyrus recently talked about why she doesn't tour as much as she or some of her fans might think.
The 32-year-old singer disclosed that she suffers from Reinke's oedema, a rare vocal condition, during her May 21 appearance on Apple Music's Zane Lowe Interview.
“I have the Reinke's edema, which is something that is called, it's abuse of the vocal cords,” Cyrus explained. “And being 21 and staying up and drinking and smoking and partying after every show does not help. But also in my case, it does not cause it. So my voice always sounded like this — it's a part of my unique anatomy.”
As per Entertainment Weekly, this rare disorder produces a deeper, raspier tone by accumulating fluid in the outer layer of the vocal folds. Instead of being a drawback, it has grown to be a crucial component of Miley's unique sound, giving her voice its distinct texture on songs like "Flowers," "Wrecking Ball," and "Used to Be Young."
Since it has been a defining characteristic of her voice for more than 20 years, she is hesitant to change it. Cyrus even pointed out that she can't just conceal who she is in public because everyone can tell who she is the moment she speaks.
“I have this large polyp on my cords,” she said, “and I'm not willing to sever it ever, because the chance of waking up from a surgery and not sounding like myself is a probability.” For Miley, the polyp provides much of the tone and texture that shapes her identity as an artist.
However, this blessing comes with its drawbacks. “It's extremely difficult to perform with,” she admitted. “Because it's like running a marathon with ankle weights on.”
Despite these challenges, Miley continues to perform live, although she opts out of exhaustive tours. Her mother, Tish Cyrus, can often tell when Miley is fatigued by the quality of her voice. “Sometimes, at the end of the day, I'll call my mum, and she'll go 'Oh you sound like you're talking through a radio.' And that's how you know I'm really tired, because it creates that ultimate vocal fry,” Miley shared.
Although she dreams of touring more regularly, the physical demands make it difficult. Miley stressed her commitment to live singing: “I don't lip-sync. I sing live, and these songs are big. I don't write little songs.” Her upcoming ninth studio album, Something Beautiful, set for release on May 30, includes powerful tracks like “End of the World” and “More to Lose.”
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To bridge the gap between her fans and live performances, Miley is also releasing a film of the same name. “That's why I want to create this film, the film is my way of touring,” she said. “That's why I'm putting it into theatres, because it's something you can watch night after night after night and you get to discover, and you get a feel like you're a part of a performance.”
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