On January 13, Miley Cyrus released “Flowers,” the lead single from her upcoming eighth studio album, “Endless Summer Vacation.” On January 19, the track had become the the most broadcast song in a single week in Spotify history. The Jacob Bixenman-directed music video for ‘Flowers’ is jovial, thought-provoking and full of digs at her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth – whose birthday coincided with the release date.
At the start of the video, Cyrus is seen walking down a sidewalk in a vintage gold Yves Saint Laurent dress. Fans couldn’t help but notice that the stunning wardrobe piece looks a lot like a dress Jennifer Lawrence wore to the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games” in 2012. The former husband of Cyrus notably played the love interest of Lawrence’s character in the film.
Although Cyrus previously denied cheating rumors in 2019, Lawrence’s comments about kissing Hemsworth outside of their field of work, in combination with the similar dress, reignited fan speculation about the cheating rumors.
Right off the bat, the lyrics clearly reference Cyrus’ previous marriage, stating; “We were right until we didn’t build a house, then we watched it burn.” Cyrus and Hemswoth shared a house in Malibu, which was destroy in 2018 by the forest fires that shook the region. As the chorus begins, Cyrus takes off his golden hood, pulls up his hair, and begins to dance. Freed from a burdensome relationship, she insists that she can support herself without it.
The lyrics of the chorus, “I can buy my own flowers”, seem to respond to Bruno Mars’ 2012 song, “When I was your man”. This perhaps suggests a change of mindset about her previous relationship. Rather than wondering if a former lover wishes things were different, Cyrus reaffirms herself as the creator of her own destiny.
As Cyrus sings of her ability to support herself, she takes off her dress and splashes through the sprinklers, before jumping into a swimming pool to wash away the stress of her past. After taking a dip in the pool, Cyrus goes through a thorough workout routine. As she pushes her body to perform, it’s clear that the routine represents the rediscovery of her inner strength. “Flowers” affirms its status as an empowerment anthem as Cyrus sheds the burden of his past.
In the final minute of the music video, Cyrus wears a black suit jacket and pants, while dancing sporadically. Fans were quick to draw comparisons to the scene in which Joaquin Phoenix dances down the stairs from “Joker” (2019). While some fans speculated that this is due to Hemsworth’s affinity for the film, others have suggested it may be a reflection of Cyrus’ sanity. Ultimately, “Joker” was famous for his isolation, and the visual similarity may suggest that Cyrus has mixed feelings about his lack of a relationship.
Additionally, the choice of the black suit may be another subtle dig at Hemsworth due to the suit’s similarities to the one Hemsworth wore at the 2019 premiere of “Avengers: Endgame.” At the premiere, a video allegedly captured Hemsworth telling Cyrus to “behave for once” after pretending to lick him. Although viewers argued over whether the tone of the comment was playful or dismissive, the couple nonetheless called it quits shortly after. People have speculated that by donning a similar costume, Cyrus might be using the video as a way to declare that she can behave however she sees fit.
As fans continued to unbox a growing mountain of potential Easter eggs, Cyrus kept a low profile. But with the confirmation of new music in the works for Cyrus, the music scene is about to witness a new era for the pop star.
