'Flowers': The Story Behind Miley Cyrus' Disco-Inspired, Grammy-Nominated Pop Gem

The Miley Cyrus single "Flowers" did about as well as possible upon its Jan. 12, 2023, release. It debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, making it Cyrus' first pop chart-topper since 2013's "Wrecking Ball." It instantly reached No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart as well. Much of that early success came from staggering streaming numbers. "Flowers" set Spotify's record for the most-streamed song in a week en route to reaching 1 billion streams in a record-shattering 112 days.

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For the uninitiated, Miley is the daughter of country music star Billy Ray Cyrus and goddaughter of pop culture icon Dolly Parton. Miley first rose to prominence as a teenager while starring in the Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana."

She achieved pop stardom with her aptly titled 2008 album Breakout and its Top 10 single "7 Things." She cemented her superstar status in 2009, first with "The Hannah Montana Movie" soundtrack selection "The Climb" — which climbed to No. 4 — as well as "Party in the USA," her first of many multi-platinum bangers and the centerpiece of her The Time of Our Lives album.

As Cyrus grew up, so did her music. "Wrecking Ball" became her first pop No. 1 in 2013 and earned a new level of critical acclaim. Though subsequent singles kept her in the pop star mix, none had quite the same cultural impact as "Flowers."

In all, "Flowers" should be considered a benchmark moment for 31-year-old Cyrus, whose superstardom began when she was a teenager. Read on for more details about the global hit, including who wrote it and what it's about.

Who Wrote It

Miley co-wrote "Flowers" with Texas-born singer, songwriter and producer Aldae (real name Gregory Hein) as well as regular Miley collaborator Michael Pollack. "Flowers" became the first No. 1 pop hit for both of Miley's songwriting collaborators.

Producers Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon helped the songwriting team craft a musical stew of disco, rock and funk influences. The public ate it up instantly, as did critics. Rightfully so, considering it's equally a carefree dance-pop track and an empowerment anthem. Think of it as a cross between a Dua Lipa hit and Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive."

What's It About?

Getting to the heart of the matter, "Flowers" has been rumored from Day 1 to be about Miley's 2019 divorce from Liam Hemsworth. Fan theories on this run deep, with many thinking it's not a coincidence that "Flowers" was released on Hemsworth's birthday. According to Glamour, some suspect that the lyrical references in "Flowers" to Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man" points to a time when Hemsworth dedicated the song to Miley. Others speculate that the tuxedo jacket worn by Miley in the music video once belonged to her ex.

Miley denies that the song is about Hemsworth. However, it's easy to believe that the emotions exorcised through the song come from a real place.

Here's what's for certain: Miley wrote the song as a storyteller, and the story being told took a dramatic twist during the writing process.

"I wrote it in a really different way. The chorus was originally: 'I can buy myself flowers, write my name in the sand, but I can't love me better than you can.' It used to be more, like, 1950s," she told British Vogue. "The saddest song. Like: 'Sure, I can be my own lover, but you're so much better.'

"The song is a little fake it till you make it," she concluded. "Which I'm a big fan of."

Critical Acclaim and Grammy Recognition

Critically, "Flowers" received glowing reviews and picked up nominations for two of the most prestigious Grammy awards: Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It's also in the running for Best Pop Solo Performance, placing it in the same conversation as the works of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Doja Cat and Billie Eilish.

"Congratulations to all of this [year's] Grammy nominees. Watching women win & rule the music industry makes me proud," Cyrus