iHeartRadio Awards: Miley Cyrus Shares How “Fake” Persona Inspired Her

Instead, Miley finds fulfillment in “making art that reaches the hearts of people I may never meet.”

“It brings me a kind of joy that is deeply meaningful,” she added. “Younger me is so honored to share this moment with you, and I’m proud to stand here today and tell you how much you mean to me. This really is the life.”

It’s indeed been a nostalgic week for the 33-year-old, as she recently reunited with the cast of Hannah Montana in honor of the Disney Channel show’s 20th anniversary, producing a Disney+ special about the show with mom Tish Cyrus-Purcell.

“I used to think of Hannah as something separate from myself,” she told Variety in an interview published March 18. “This special is my reclaiming of merging Hannah and Miley together.”

In fact, Miley doesn’t feel the need to distance herself from her Disney days anymore.

“A lot of artists feel like to become the next version of themselves, they have to leave something behind,” she continued. “But I’d rather be more like a gorgeous patchwork blanket. I’d rather take every little piece of all the things that I’ve been and create a mosaic of exactly who I am now—not trashing any of that past but allowing it to come with me.”