Miley Cyrus reveals the real reason she left the tour

Miley Cyrus isn’t touring, and it’s not for lack of love for her fans. It’s a complex decision and—like everything in Miley’s life—a deeply human one. In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, the “Flowers” singer broke her silence and explained what many have misinterpreted since she said in 2023 that she didn’t want to tour again.

“When I win, we win,” she said then, making it clear that her bond with her fans doesn’t depend on a stage. “My fans feel deeply in my heart.” But there’s something else behind this choice, something physical, something medical. Something that completely redefines the myth of the tireless pop star.

In conversation with Lowe, Miley was transparent: she suffers from Reinke’s edema, a condition associated with vocal cord abuse. “Being 21 and staying up drinking, smoking, and partying after every show doesn’t help.” However, she makes one thing clear: her lifestyle wasn’t the trigger, just the context.

The most serious issue is that she also suffers from a vocal polyp: a growth that, paradoxically, is an essential part of the raspy, powerful tone that defines her voice. “It’s giving me a lot of the tone and texture that has made me who I am,” she confesses. But singing like this, night after night, is like “running a marathon with ankle weights.”

Surgery could solve it, yes. But the risk is high: losing the timbre that made her a cultural phenomenon. “The possibility of waking up and not sounding like myself is a possibility,” she admits. And for someone whose voice is her identity, that’s non-negotiable.

Miley is clear: her voice isn’t perfect, it’s unique. And that imperfection is part of her story. “It creates that ultimate vocal fry… I’m blessed with a condition I live with. My voice is super unique because of that.”