DEEP DIVE

Has Miley Cyrus Actually Had the Best Summer of 2019?

Post-breakup with Liam Hemsworth, Miley is still just being Miley.

Aug. 18, 2019

Midway through March, Miley Cyrus, made an announcement in—where else?—the caption of an Instagram of herself sunbathing in the desert, entirely nude save for a bucket hat: “Festival season is here, I’m queer, and ready to party!,” she wrote, throwing in a few rainbow emojis. “Lets [sic] go summer 2019!”

If you’ve been keeping up with any of the headlines mentioning Cyrus over the past few weeks, you’ll know that this summer hasn’t been all partying for Cyrus; she also recently split from her husband, Liam Hemsworth, bringing a (temporary?) end to their relationship of 10 years. But has that stopped Miley from being ready to party? No. On the contrary, she appears to be having a better summer than any other celebrity—even more so than noted alumni of previous seasons, such as Ariana Grande, Chrissy Teigen, and [Emily Ratajkowski].)

So, how has Cyrus managed to pull off such a feat? Well, from the look of it, the breakup was actually yet another highlight of the past few months for Cyrus, starting with the widespread acclaim she earned for her role in the latest season of Black Mirror as the pop star Ashley O in June. By that point, Cyrus had already established that she was back to “just being Miley”; her latest image, cultivated for her upcoming album, She Is Miley Cyrus, is more carefree than ever, as showcased on her Instagram feed through everything from phrases like “NOT AN OBJECT” and “FEMINIST AF” to proof that she’s been making use of her extensive collection of pool floats.

After a July spent performing everywhere from Denmark to Kosovo, Cyrus kicked off August by touching down in Italy with Brandi Cyrus and Kaitlynn Carter for a “girls trip” to Lake Como. Within a matter of hours after news broke of her separation with Hemsworth, Miley had already proven that she was still readier than ever to party—and, of course, still queer. (Much to the tabloids’ delight, she was almost immediately photographed cozying up to Carter, who also just broke up with Brody Jenner.)

When she wasn’t making out, Cyrus seems to have devoted every waking moment on the trip to another joyous activity: posing all across Italy wearing all manner of Versace. “Mute me if you don’t want SPAMMED,” she declared in the caption of her eighth photo of doing so in a row.

All that was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Cyrus’s logo mania this summer; she’s also been championing Versace rivals like Gucci, Dior, and Chanel.

Rather than winding down like the rest of the world midway through August, Cyrus is apparently still just getting started. “Move on, we’re not 17 / I’m not who I used to be,” she sings in her new single, “Slide Away,” which she dropped on Thursday, referencing the age at which she started dating Hemsworth. As for who the new Miley is, according to her, she hasn’t even arrived yet. There are still two more Instagram-filled weeks before the release of “She Is Here,” her new EP.