With "Flowers," Miley Cyrus may be starting a global movement. The Grammy-nominated singer released her new single "Flowers" on January 13, and fans were linking it to her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth even before the song was released. Because she released the song on her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth's 33rd birthday. The lyrics don't dispute that the song is about him, with Cyrus singing about their Malibu home that burned down in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The self-empowering chorus may also be a direct response to Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man," which Hemsworth was rumored to have dedicated to Cyrus during their relationship . It all adds up to a certified breakup anthem, and Twitter is having a lot of fun with it.
"Flowers" is vying for the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 after being the most streamed song on Spotify and Apple Music for several days. Even her godmother Dolly Parton is a fan, telling Us Weekly she's "so proud" of Cyrus. "I don't know who wrote it, but I have a feeling she had a lot to do with it," she said. “If it’s not really her work, it’s her story.”
For a breakup song, "Flowers" is relatively tame, focusing more on Cyrus's journey of healing and encouraging fans to buy themselves flowers rather than break up Hemsworth. However, that doesn't stop fans from making fun of him, with some even comparing him to the much-maligned ex (Jake Gyllenhaal) of another famous pop star (Taylor Swift).
Other fans simply focused on the song, celebrating its impending success and praising Cyrus for giving them new self-love mantras.
Fans also couldn't help but notice how close it was to a scene from "The Wiz" where Cyrus' character, played by former Disney Channel alum Selena Gomez, discovered someone had placed a flower. Her secret admirer? Herself.
While "Flowers" may be about Hemsworth, its real message is that Alex Russell walks so Cyrus can run.
