Miley Cyrus has never shied away from being herself, and now she’s getting brutally honest about the medical reason behind her famously raspy voice.
Her raspy voice has become one of her most defining traits, setting her apart in a crowded pop landscape. Once known for her clean, youthful tone as Hannah Montana, her vocals matured into a gritty, gravelly sound that oozes raw emotion and authenticity.
This husky edge adds a powerful punch to her ballads and a rebellious swagger to her rock-inspired tracks. It's a voice that feels lived-in—like it’s carried stories, pain, growth, and grit—and it’s become a signature that fans instantly recognize.
Whether she's belting out a soulful cover or unleashing attitude in her original songs, Miley’s raspy tone hits with undeniable character.
During an appearance on Apple Music’s Zane Lowe Interview on May 21, the 32-year-old pop icon opened up about living with Reinke’s edema, a rare condition that causes fluid to build up in the outer layer of the vocal folds. It’s what gives her that deep, gravelly tone fans have known since her Hannah Montana days.
"I have the Reinke's edema, which is something that is called, it's abuse of the vocal cords," she explained. "And being 21 and staying up and drinking and smoking and partying after every show does not help. But also in my case, it does not cause it. So my voice always sounded like this — it's a part of my unique anatomy."
Cyrus added that the condition has had a huge impact on her career, influencing both her iconic sound and her ability to perform live.
"I have this large polyp on my cords," she said, "and I'm not willing to sever it ever, because the chance of waking up from a surgery and not sounding like myself is a probability." She added that the polyp has given her "a lot of the tone and the texture that has made me who I am."
While it’s helped define her as an artist, it’s also made live performances physically demanding.
"It's extremely difficult to perform with," she said, "because it's like running a marathon with ankle weights on."
That’s one reason fans don’t see her headlining long tours as often as they’d like. Even her mom, Tish Cyrus, can tell when the condition flares up.
"Sometimes, at the end of the day, I'll call my mom, and she'll go 'Oh you sound like you're talking through a radio.' And that's how you know I'm really tired, because it creates that ultimate vocal fry," she said. "And so I do have this blessing of a condition that I live with."
Cyrus admitted that she still dreams of going on tour more regularly, but the reality of her vocal strain makes it difficult.
"I don't lip-sync. I sing live, and these songs are big," she said. "I don't write little songs."
She specifically mentioned tracks like 'End of the World' and 'More to Lose' from her upcoming ninth studio album Something Beautiful, dropping May 30. To bring those songs to life in a new way, she’s releasing a movie by the same name.
"That's why I want to create this film, the film is my way of touring," she explained. "That's why I'm putting it into theaters, because it's something you can watch night after night after night and you get to discover, and you get a feel like you're a part of a performance."