New York Times interview

Cyrus is interviewed by The New York Times about hosting the VMAs and talks about her famous twerk with Robin Thicke

Everything I’ve ever done has been true to me at that minute. Even down to my TV show [“Hannah Montana”] — when I started I was 12 years old, and that was like a dream to me. So that was my truth at that moment. Me coming out of that teddy bear, to me, wasn’t just a teddy bear. My dad always explained it to me that you step into your happiness. That’s kind of like what I was doing. When I broke down the bear belly, I was really breaking out — my show ended, and then I didn’t really work for two years. That’s when I did my most self-exploration. [The performance] was kind of going into this way of saying, ‘I’m just going to do what will make me happy.’ At that moment, that’s what really made me happy…I knew who I was, and I knew the power that I held, but I don’t think I realized my full power until that show. I didn’t realize I could make such a big reaction. I didn’t think that many people would care. I knew I was famous, but I didn’t know what that meant. Everything was coming to an end and starting a new beginning. In every way.

I was in the studio with Kanye [later] that night, and we watched it back and we didn’t say anything. He was like, “That was sick,” whatever. We woke up the next day, and he was like, “Whoa.” He called and said, “Turn on your TV.” I was staying at the Trump Hotel and Donald Trump literally called and said, basically, “I know everyone’s talking about it, but I loved it.” I had no idea anyone was talking about it yet. Even people around me really judged me. People that I really loved and thought were my friends judged me for it. They were like, “You were on drugs when you did that performance.” I did nothing! I still don’t get it.