Miley Cyrus is entering a new era, but it appears to be off to a rocky start.
The singer recently dropped her famous surname, announced a new album, and unveiled a very different musical direction.
But the timing of the dramatic rebrand, coming just days after the passing of her beloved godmother Dolly Parton, immediately rubbed some fans the wrong way.
Highlights
- Miley Cyrus’ bold reinvention is already facing backlash over its timing, especially following Dolly Parton’s recent passing.
- Her newly released single took an unexpected tumble after a promising Spotify debut.
- Fans compared her new era to other artists like Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Madonna, and more.
Miley Cyrus’s dramatic reinvention has now been followed by a rocky start for her new song
Ahead of her 10th studio album, on August 31, Miley changed her social media presence to simply “Miley,” dropping “Cyrus” from her public-facing identity.
She also announced that her new album, Bass Persuades, would arrive on September 18 via Atlantic Records.
The timing, however, quickly became a talking point.
Miley’s rebrand came only days after the passing of her godmother and country music icon Dolly Parton on August 25.
Parton and Cyrus had shared a close relationship for years, with Dolly famously appearing alongside Miley during her Hannah Montana era and continuing to support her career.
Miley had also paid tribute to Parton following her passing, describing the loss as “deeply personal.”
Still, some fans were unimpressed by how quickly the new era followed the emotional tribute.
“It hasn’t even been a week since Dolly’s passing… this is so weird of her,” one person wrote online.
Fans were furious as the 33-year-old unveiled her new era just days after her godmother Dolly Parton’s passing
Another commenter claimed she was “taking advantage of the attention,” while some even suggested the timing of the announcement was “disrespectful.”
The controversy surrounding the rebrand might have been easier to shrug off if Miley’s new musical era had immediately taken off.
Instead, her new song, Bass Persuades, released on September 3 as the title track and lead single from her upcoming album, debuted at No. 23 on Spotify’s Global chart with approximately 2.46 million streams and opened at No. 10 in the U.S. with around 768,000 streams.
But the early momentum quickly faded.
On its second day of tracking, the song reportedly plunged 109 positions on the Global Spotify chart, falling to No. 132 as its daily streams dropped to approximately 1.3 million.
Moreover, listeners quickly began drawing comparisons to artists including Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa.
One particularly brutal commenter read, “Sorry but this sounds like temu Lady Gaga.”
Miley reportedly dropped her famous surname as part of her dramatic new era
Another questioned, “Why it sounds like Training Season?”
The comparison gained traction because Bass Persuades and Dua’s Training Season both lean into bass-heavy dance-pop territory.
Notably, while Miley’s brand-new single was experiencing a steep fall after its initial Spotify debut, Training Season was enjoying an unexpected resurgence more than two years after its original release.
The Lipa track had reportedly climbed back into Spotify’s Global Top 20 amid a viral social media trend.
Miley and Dua also have history together, having collaborated on the song Prisoner in 2020.
Cyrus previously admitted that Prisoner wasn't her idea for Plastic Hearts and that she didn't think the collaboration fit the album.
She later said there was “no shade to Dua” but suggested the singer would have been better suited to a song from Endless Summer Vacation.
“Sorry but this sounds like temu Lady Gaga,” netizens fumed online as the backlash grew
Some listeners have questioned whether Miley’s latest reinvention feels original enough, while others have accused her of recycling sounds associated with earlier pop eras.
“I see why she waited for dolly to d*e …to spare her from this uncreative unoriginal regurgitated 80s mall music slop,” one harsh commenter wrote.
“This sounds AI generated just a bunch of busy sounds with no rhythm or direction,” another complained.
“Dolly Parton couldn't save her this time, I guess,” a third critic wrote.
Another comment read, “She should retire atp. Nobody wants to hear any more failed projects from her.”
The Flowers hitmaker also marked the beginning of her new era with a major record-label change.
In July 2026, Miley officially signed a high-profile deal with Atlantic Records, part of the Warner Music Group family, following her departure from Columbia Records.
Bass Persuades is her first single released under the new label, making it the first taste of what could be one of the biggest reinventions of her career.
Social media users compared Miley’s new song to Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Madonna, and more
