Madison Kwiecinski – Editor-in-Chief 

Mvk5945@psu.edu 

On January 13, Miley Cyrus pulled a truly iconic move, releasing her new song “Flowers” on her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday. The song is an interpolation of the chorus of “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars. According to fans, Liam Hemsworth dedicated this song to Miley at their wedding. The irony of the track being about a break-up was missed by Hemsworth. 

“Flowers” was written about the previous couple’s relationship, and fans have gone wild speculating to find every hidden easter egg in the new song and music video. 

Liam and Miley have had an on-and-off relationship for the better part of a decade, after meeting each other in 2010 on the set of “The Last Song.” The couple inevitably got married in 2018, with Hemsworth filing for divorce less than a year later reportedly due to “too much conflict” in their marriage. The couple’s divorce was officially finalized in 2020. 

The relationship was messy while it lasted, and the couple went through a lot together. They lost their home together before getting married in the Malibu Woolsey Fire, something Miley claims likely accelerated their upcoming marriage. 

“We were together since [I was] 16. Our house burned down,” stated Miley. “I don’t know if we really ever thought we were actually going to get married, but when we lost our house in Malibu – which if you listen to my voice pre-and post-fire, they’re very different, so the trauma really affected my voice.” 

In 2020, Miley stated to Rolling Stones, “I think that’s really what, ultimately, getting married was for me. One last attempt to save myself.” 

The fire is mentioned in the opening verse of the song, which reads, “We were good, we were gold, kinda dream that can’t be sold, we were right till we weren’t, built a home and watched it burn.” 

Cyrus has never seemed to shy away from speaking publicly about their relationship, having released her album “Plastic Hearts” after the break-up with numerous songs being rumored to reference Hemsworth. Due to this though, fans have run with theories about what Miley was trying to convey through the song. 

A Twitter account titled “Pop Tingz” posted a tweet that read “The house where the music video for Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ was recorded was previously used by Liam Hemsworth to cheat on Miley with more than 14 women while they were married.” The tweet sparked tons of questions and the theory has gone viral on TikTok, despite no evidence the house was used for this purpose. 

In the video, Cyrus wears a suit fans have speculated is meant to look like Liam Hemsworth’s suit at the “Avengers” premiere. At the event, Miley turned to pose on Hemsworth and dance, leading to Hemsworth telling her to “behave.” Again, it is unconfirmed if the suit is meant to look this way intentionally. 

Miley also wears a gorgeous gold dress in her music video, loosely playing with her hair to make it look like a messy pony as she walks. Fans have declared that this outfit, with both dress and hair, looks just like what Jennifer Lawernce wore at the “Hunger Games” premiere she attended with Hemsworth, which has re-sparked rumors of an affair between the two. 

In an interview on “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen,” Jennifer Lawerence was asked if she and Hemsworth had ever kissed off-camera. Lawrence responded, “Liam and I grew up together. Liam’s real hot. What would you have done?” She then finally admitted, “Yeah, I have.” 

Regardless of how many of the rumors are true, one thing is for sure. Miley Cyrus was an absolute marketing genius with this release, from the dramatic release date to the many easter eggs meant to encourage this speculation and draw attention to her song. 

“Flowers” is a spectacular single, an anthem for independence, and has skyrocketed to the top of the charts. Miley fans should continue to be on the lookout for good things, with her eighth studio album, “Endless Summer Vacation,” releasing on March 10.