CelebrityCyrus Calls Her Vocal Condition A ‘Blessing’ Despite Performance Challenges
The singer of “Wrecking Ball,” 32, speaks up about a condition she refers to as a “blessing,” and why altering it might cost her everything.
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe on May 22, 2025, Miley Cyrus talked candidly about a long-standing physical problem that has shaped her voice, impacted her career, and remained intensely personal to this day.
Lowe was informed by Cyrus that she suffers from Reinke’s oedema, which she explained was caused by “abuse of the vocal cords.” The condition results in fluid accumulation in the vocal folds, which produces swelling, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Although it can also result from acid reflux or voice strain, it is most common in those who have smoked in the past.
In more severe situations, surgery may be necessary, and it frequently results in hoarseness and a deeper voice. Despite being innocuous, it is indicative of damage to the vocal cords and usually does not go better without medical intervention or lifestyle modifications.
In Cyrus’s instance, the disorder coexisted with a vocal cord polyp, which has had a significant impact on the texture and tone of her voice.
“I have this very large, you know, polyp on my vocal chord that has given me a lot of the tone and texture that has made me who I am, but it’s extremely difficult to perform with because it’s like running a marathon with ankle weights on,” she explained.
The former Disney Channel actress stated that her anatomy, not her lifestyle, is mostly responsible for her distinctive singing style. Her early twenties partying and smoking might have added to the stress, but they weren’t the root of it.
Touring often crosses her mind, Cyrus admitted, but the logistics are more complex. “I put a tour together like every other week ’cause I want to do it, but it would have to be in a way that is sustainable for me in all the ways that we talked about and then also with what I got going on. Like, I don’t lip-sync, I sing live,” she shared.
Cyrus does not intend to have surgery despite the persistent difficulties. “I’m not willing to sever ever it because the chance of waking up from a surgery and not sounding like myself is a probability,” she said.
She talked about the illness and acknowledged that it was difficult to disclose it in public. “I really like had it on my heart that I don’t speak and don’t really care to talk about this thing that’s really precious and really private to me but it is a real thing,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Cyrus referred to the disease as a “blessing,” stating that it has endowed her voice with the precise quality that characterises her sound and artistic
CelebrityCyrus Calls Her Vocal Condition A ‘Blessing’ Despite Performance Challenges
The singer of “Wrecking Ball,” 32, speaks up about a condition she refers to as a “blessing,” and why altering it might cost her everything.
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe on May 22, 2025, Miley Cyrus talked candidly about a long-standing physical problem that has shaped her voice, impacted her career, and remained intensely personal to this day.
Lowe was informed by Cyrus that she suffers from Reinke’s oedema, which she explained was caused by “abuse of the vocal cords.” The condition results in fluid accumulation in the vocal folds, which produces swelling, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Although it can also result from acid reflux or voice strain, it is most common in those who have smoked in the past.
In more severe situations, surgery may be necessary, and it frequently results in hoarseness and a deeper voice. Despite being innocuous, it is indicative of damage to the vocal cords and usually does not go better without medical intervention or lifestyle modifications.
Source: Wikipedia
In Cyrus’s instance, the disorder coexisted with a vocal cord polyp, which has had a significant impact on the texture and tone of her voice.
“I have this very large, you know, polyp on my vocal chord that has given me a lot of the tone and texture that has made me who I am, but it’s extremely difficult to perform with because it’s like running a marathon with ankle weights on,” she explained.
The former Disney Channel actress stated that her anatomy, not her lifestyle, is mostly responsible for her distinctive singing style. Her early twenties partying and smoking might have added to the stress, but they weren’t the root of it.
Touring often crosses her mind, Cyrus admitted, but the logistics are more complex. “I put a tour together like every other week ’cause I want to do it, but it would have to be in a way that is sustainable for me in all the ways that we talked about and then also with what I got going on. Like, I don’t lip-sync, I sing live,” she shared.
Cyrus does not intend to have surgery despite the persistent difficulties. “I’m not willing to sever ever it because the chance of waking up from a surgery and not sounding like myself is a probability,” she said.
She talked about the illness and acknowledged that it was difficult to disclose it in public. “I really like had it on my heart that I don’t speak and don’t really care to talk about this thing that’s really precious and really private to me but it is a real thing,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Cyrus referred to the disease as a “blessing,” stating that it has endowed her voice with the precise quality that characterises her sound and artistic personality.
At the 2024 Grammy Awards, she finally received the attention she deserved for her artistic abilities. Cyrus received her first golden gramophone in February after winning Best Pop Solo Performance for the self-empowering song “Flowers,” which is taken from her 2023 album “Endless Summer Vacation.”
For the eight-time nominee, the song was a significant career turning point. Her album was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, and the single was nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Also, she received a Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award for “Thousand Miles.”
Cyrus made it apparent that conventional touring and public spectacle are no longer at the forefront of her creative priorities in spite of this surge of praise. In a personal letter titled “Sent From Heaven,” which was posted via X on May 25, 2023, she spoke directly to her admirers.
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