Miley Cyrus is ready to burn the place down — in a good way, she promises.
In a new, very candid interview with the <em>New York Times, the singer previews this weekend’s upcoming no-holds-barred VMA hosting stint and weighs in on a whole host of issues related to the ceremony. While she doesn’t discuss the Biebs’ big comeback, she shares her opinion on everything from Nicki Minaj to television.
1. She wasn’t a fan of last year’s ceremony (despite winning Video of the Year). “I didn’t want this V.M.A.s to be like they’ve been in the past,” she explained. “Last year there wasn’t even a host, so there was no energy.”
2. She didn’t expect her infamous 2013 performance to be a big deal.“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.”
3. Donald Trump, of all people, informed her that said performance was A Thing. “When you look at it now, it looks like I’m playing hopscotch,” she shared. “Compared to what I do now, it looks like nothing. I can’t believe that was a big deal. It wasn’t shocking at all. 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.
4. She’s has thoughts on Nicki Minaj.“I don’t respect your statement because of the anger that came with it,” she explained, in part. “And it’s not anger like, “Guys, I’m frustratedaout some things that are a bigger issue.” You made it about you. Not to sound like a bitch, but that’s like, “Eh, I didn’t get my V.M.A.’…If you want to make it about race, there’s a way you could do that. But don’t make it just about yourself. Say: ‘This is the reason why I think it’s important to be nominated. There’s girls everywhere with this body type.’…What I read sounded very Nicki Minaj, which, if you know Nicki Minaj is not too kind. It’s not very polite.”
5. Miley doesn’t have a TV; doesn’t really know who is nominated. “I don’t really listen to this music. I’m probably the most disconnected host in history. I don’t have TV. I have Apple TV. I’m so the 22-year-old that’s like, ‘Who’s TV?’