Miley Cyrus is bearing it all as the cover star of Interview Magazine, literally:
But the 28-year-old's vulnerability took on a different form in conversation with Metallica star Lars Ulrich as the two discussed her cover of the iconic metal band's "Nothing Else Matters" alongside Elton John, WATT, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo and Chad Smith earlier this year.
Describing how she recorded the song led to Cyrus revealing criticisms she receives about her singing voice:
I was in my studio, and it was a completely different experience performing it in that solitary way. It was no less poignant than playing it at Glastonbury—if anything, it was more powerful. The lyrics truly f—king resonated. There was nothing that I couldn’t try, because I wasn’t in front of 250,000 people. I was in this safe place. We’ve talked about how lucky we are to have that. I stuck, on some level, to the melody. I even went down to some of those octaves, because singing those super-low lead vocals is so satisfying. My whole life, whether in vocal training or just continuing to hone my craft, it’s always been about, 'Why do you sound like a man? Where’s your f—king falsetto, b—h? Why can’t you sing the high octave of ‘Party in the U.S.A.’ anymore?' In this song, I get to sing in that low register, and I get to live in that authentic, genuine sound. My voice is how I represent myself. It’s how I express myself. I’ve worked with so many people who tell me, 'We’re going to have to bring in a singer to hit those high parts.' You know, 'falsetto' is this Latin term for when a boy goes through puberty, but they still want him to sing in the choir. It means 'false.'"
The one-time Grammy nominee continued:
"I don’t have a false voice. You know me personally. We've hung at parties. I am who I am. I say what I mean in the moment, even if that changes tomorrow. I was honored by the fact that I didn’t have to sing this song in the way that females are 'supposed' to sing. You can hear that at the end of the song, when I take the gloves off and just start flying. That part of the song really grabs people. It’s that lower register of my voice. So I’m grateful to have a song where I can lean into that."
Last week, Cyrus rebooted MileyWorld.com to share a handwritten letter with fans.
I am so thankful for your loyal support + great company on this ride of my life!" she wrote (h/t People) "There has been intense spurts of change in my life personally + professionally (which always co-exist). I am so [excited] to channel these experiences + use them as inspiration in my next body of work! I am so grateful to never go through these transitional times alone because I have [you]!"
Plastic Hearts, Cyrus' seventh solo studio album, arrived last November.
Check out more clips from Cyrus' Interview spread below.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
It might have been a good thing the Chicago Bears didn’t play Caleb Williams on Sunday. The Bears might need to hide their second-year quarterback as he irons out his wrinkles in the pre-snap process and with accuracy issues. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft struggled with timing and accuracy during the Bears’ joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Friday. Caleb Williams was inaccurate in the red zone against no defenders On Sunday, head coach Ben Johnson chose not to play Williams against the Dolphins in the Bears’ first preseason game. Instead, Johnson led a workout with Williams and wide receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore before the game. Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears ran a total of 87 plays during the workout. All of the plays were routes in the air with no defenders on the field for the scripted practice. Despite going against no defenders bringing pressure or guarding his receivers, Williams struggled to hit his targets in the red zone. "Williams would stand next to Johnson, who would give him the play," Biggs wrote. "Then, the quarterback simulated a huddle with the player (only one ran a route on each snap) and gave the play call. They’d break the huddle, go to the line of scrimmage, Williams would simulate pre-snap actions and then the play would be run… "Before ending the session with eight deep balls, there was a 25-play set of snaps in the red zone. One thing Williams struggled to connect on was out routes to Moore and Odunze near the goal line. Those throws were not close and Williams consistently led the receivers too much." A closed-door problem for the Chicago Bears The throws weren’t close during routes on air… in the red zone… seriously? Williams wasn’t ready to take the field for the preseason game. For all of the flak he’s been getting from practice reports, the quarterback would have been relentlessly mocked for having these issues shown during an NFL Network broadcast. Biggs’ report is troubling, with a month to go before the season. Williams has much to improve upon, and the Bears are very much trying to do so without cameras present for a reason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have quite an interesting quarterback room for the 2025 season. Of course, all the focus is truly on Aaron Rodgers and what he can bring to the team at this stage in his career. Behind him, the Steelers have Mason Rudolph serving as the primary backup. Skylar Thompson and Will Howard are competing for the third spot on the depth chart, but unfortunately for Howard, an injury has slowed his progress. Thompson took advantage of the opportunity, performing well in the first preseason game and possibly reclaiming the QB3 role. Before his injury, Howard had previously moved ahead of Thompson in the competition. Former teammate of Rudolph, Ben Roethlisberger, recently shared his honest thoughts about the veteran quarterback’s performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Roethlisberger, who spent years with Rudolph during his time in Pittsburgh, had a unique perspective on how his former understudy handled the game. While Roethlisberger acknowledged there were some areas where Rudolph could improve, he also praised his composure, decision-making, and ability to move the offense when needed. Roethlisberger discussed Rudolph’s performance on his Footbahlin podcast, noting that the veteran looked confident and in control despite limited opportunities. "You know I thought Mason [Rudolph] played really well," Roethlisberger said on his podcast. "I thought he did exactly what you would hope to see from your backup quarterback. He went out there I think, he solidified himself… as the two." He pointed out that Rudolph’s familiarity with the Steelers’ system allows him to step in without disrupting the flow of the offense. With Rodgers leading the way, Rudolph providing a steady backup presence, and the QB3 competition between Thompson and Howard continuing, the Steelers’ quarterback depth will be a storyline worth following as the 2025 season approaches. "Let’s see how he does this week and the next week," Roethlisberger said. "I thought he played really well. I thought he was efficient with the ball. He threw the ball down the field. As a team, you like seeing that because that gives you confidence going into the season that if something were to happen one game for Aaron… you have a guy that you feel confident who could go in there. Same thing when we had Charlie Batch, you had Bruce Gradkowski, you had Byron Leftwich, you had Dennis Dixon and Josh Dobbs. Any of those guys. You just feel confident he can go in and just get it done for you." Roethlisberger had high praise for Rudolph, and hearing him mention him alongside names like Charlie Batch shows he has faith in Rudolph’s ability to be a reliable backup in Pittsburgh. There is a strong argument that Rudolph is one of the most dependable backup quarterbacks in the NFL, which is a significant asset for the Steelers in the 2025 season. Steelers' Mason Rudolph Has Great Preseason Game Versus Jaguars Rudolph only attempted 10 passes on Saturday night against the Jaguars, but completed 90 percent of them. He threw for 84 yards and one touchdown. While preseason football can be difficult to evaluate, he performed well in roughly a quarter and some change of action. His efficiency and composure reinforced the notion that the Steelers have one of the league’s most steady and trustworthy backup quarterbacks heading into the regular season. Roethlisberger is confident Rudolph has now locked up his spot as QB2 for the 2025 season. Steelers fans are now super eager to get updates on when Howard will be back from his injury. Howard and Thompson will fight for the QB3 spot. What grade would you give Rudolph for his preseason outing against the Jaguars?
Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris still has yet to return to action after a July 4 fireworks accident, and it sounds like he does not necessarily have a job guaranteed to him when he does. Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman admitted Tuesday that the team is planning a steady rotation at running back whether or not Harris is available to play in Week 1. First-round draft pick Omarion Hampton, however, is the player who has part of the rotation locked down, not Harris. The Chargers likely intended to use Harris as a part-time back no matter what. However, he certainly cannot have helped himself with his eye injury. The issue was described as superficial after it happened and Harris was expected to be ready for the season, but he is still on the non-football injury list and has yet to participate in a full practice. Harris, 27, is entering his first season with the Chargers after signing with them in March. He can earn up to $9.25 million on his one-year deal, but that will require him to remain part of the rotation with Hampton.
HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders moved indoors today, and the level of competition, despite escaping the excruciating heat, didn’t cool down. Our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast provides an in-depth look at today's practice and the current Silver and Black depth chart. You can watch the entire podcast below: Pete Carroll is putting on a master’s level course in leadership since taking over the Silver and Black. Along with GM John Spytek, their masterful manipulation of the roster has the Raiders on the verge of the 2025 season considerably more talented. Pete Carroll answered several questions after practice, and below we have a partial transcript for you. Head Coach Pete Carroll Q: Speaking on the competition and making decisions, how quickly do you feel like you need to figure out who the starting five is going to be on that offensive line? Carroll: "No, we have a long time. We got a month before we start playing real games, and maybe we don't figure it out by the start of the season and we're rotating then. It just needs to declare when it declares, but it's good for all of us. It's good for those guys to be battling and looking around and saying, 'Somebody's going to take my spot if I don't play well on every play that I get.' That's the mentality we're looking for." Q: Are you seeing what you wanted to see from Jackson Powers-Johnson? Carroll: "Yeah, he's definitely a physical football player, and at the guard spot, playing next to Jordan [Meredith], it showed up. It seemed to be a bit of a factor. We need consistency. We need those guys working together. Jordan's coming a long way at the center spot, but he played a really solid game right out of the chute. So we played him a lot, and played almost to half time, and that was to just give him enough reps so that we could have stuff on film that we can work from. Same with JPJ [Jackson Powers Johnson]." Q: At 73, you still call this your first day of school. What are you still learning this season? Carroll: "It's almost a moment to moment process of trying to figure out a better way to communicate, a better way to do something better, how to communicate with the coaches so they can reach their players, learning the coaches still, learning the players still, that's just an ongoing process, and that's why all of the competitive situations we put them in, I think it gives us more opportunity to learn who they are, and that's so eventually we can embrace who they are and help them be the best they can possibly be. Hey, by the way, this was a great showing by our fans today. It was really fun to see them out. There was over a couple thousand people here today, and you can feel it and the players could feel it. They were excited to be playing for them, and it was great to see. Appreciate that." Q: How does that off the field chemistry translate to on the field? Carroll: "Everything counts. Everything is a competition in my mind. It's trying to do something as well as you can possibly do it. Being a good teammate, being connected, communicating with your teammates, communicating with your coaches. All of those are decisions that we can make, and we can act on them. And to me, it's all connected. So rule number one in the program is always protect the team, and that's about your conscience, and that your conscience -- it takes into account everybody that you're dealing with. So I'm looking for all of those kinds of illustrations we can find." Q: Is Alex Cappa dealing with anything significant? We haven't seen him practice. Carroll: "He's got a rib something. It's a little crack, or something like that that we're just making sure that he gets back. It's a pretty subtle injury, but it does take a little while. It's hard to even take breath at times. So he's coming back, and he feels pretty good about it. It's not a long term deal at all." We'd appreciate it if you would follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr , and let’s talk about the Silver and Black’s training camp and Pete Carroll’s comments.