Miley Cyrus shuts down criticism of Hollywood Bowl comeback concerts
Miley Cyrus shuts down criticism of Hollywood Bowl comeback concerts
Edward Segarra, USA TODAYMon, October 19, 2026 at 10:06 PM UTC
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Miley Cyrus might be a little rusty onstage, but without a doubt, she's not phoning it in.
The Grammy-winning pop singer, who made her much-anticipated concert comeback over the weekend, responded to online criticism of her performance at the Hollywood Bowl during her second concert at the venue on Sunday, Oct. 18, in Los Angeles.
Following her first show on Friday, some fans criticized the consistency of her vocals and apparent lack of movement onstage.
"I have never heard that I don't put my heart into something," Miley told fans, according to show footage shared by The Hollywood Reporter. "I don't know if any of you heard that. That somebody was doing commentary to get clickbait on their video talking about my show on Friday night, but I'm a lot of things, and we're not even going to entertain that."
She added later: "I can take a lot, but one thing I will not stand is any question about where my heart is when I'm on the stage. Not one. I am fully present."
The Hollywood Bowl shows marked Miley's first major concert appearances since 2022. The singer, who released her latest album "Bass Persuades" on Sept. 18, has previously spoken about her strained relationship with traditional touring, citing concerns about travel logistics and vocal health.
Speaking onstage, Miley reflected that many of her life decisions have come under intense public scrutiny, often being labeled "controversial."
"And the controversy, it used to be a lot of fun," Miley, 33, said. "It still can be. I can be pretty melted. I love that about me. I actually used to live my life pretty hard. Because life's hard, so I thought I had to get hard. ... But, you know, I didn't enjoy my life as much when I was living hard. I love pouring myself into something."
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Despite several headlining tours under her belt, Miley acknowledged the difficulty of returning to live performance.
"It is hard for me to stand up here and do this show," Miley continued. "It does not come as natural as it once did to me before. Because, like all of us, we change, we evolve, we grow, and we find what gets to come with us − what continues to fit."
News of Miley's concert comeback quickly led to a fan frenzy, with nearly 1.5 million fans reportedly joining the presale queue for the singer's Hollywood Bowl shows. During a subsequent interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, the pop star quipped that the strong demand proved that she didn't need to tour.
"That's kind of what my idea was," Miley told Lowe. "This is the ultimate dress rehearsal. I've learned now through the queue that my calculations are correct and people will come to me. I don't need to drive to you."
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However, the "Flowers" singer clarified on Sunday that the concerts were not an "experiment" in career strategy.
"This is not an experiment of you. This is an experience for me," Miley said. "And you all make the experience possible. [This is] the only way I get to test my personal boundaries, my limits, what I think I can do."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miley Cyrus shuts down criticism of Hollywood Bowl comeback concerts
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
