Miley Cyrus Defends Her 2009 TCA Performance: “Danced on Stage With a ‘Pole’ for Stability”

Miley Cyrus is getting up close and personal about her journey in the music industry with her new TikTok series, Used to Be Young. In the recent tell-all upload, she exclusively discussed the controversial 'stripper pole' Teen Choice Awards performance in 2009. The then-17-year-old music star had pole danced live on stage on top of an ice cream cart to her then-new patriotic hit song Party in the U.S.A. In the TikTok series Cyrus explained that the 'pole' was only for 'stability', "So, apparently me dancing on an ice cream cart with a stripper pole, but it wasn't a stripper pole, it was actually just for stability. I had a heel on! Like what did you want from me?" Cyrus asked. "Was I really gonna do my performance without dancing on top of an ice cream cart?" 

She continued to explain, "I had cut Party in the U.S.A. and I was doing my first performance for the Teen Choice Awards. My mom was like, 'I think it'd be really cool if she was in the trailer park, that's where we really do come from,'" the Wrecking Ball hitmaker reflected in the Used to Be Young  Tik Tok series clip. As per People, Cyrus was subjected to severe trolling and backlash from fans, and some even famously compared her with pop icon Britney Spears for her 'stripper pole' attics. The Flowers songstress even presented a magazine article during her TikTok session, which read: "Is Miley turning into the next Britney Spears" Miley asked, reading the story's headline. "Hopefully! If God is good. Which we know she is." 

Despite facing heavy criticism for presenting herself as "too sexy for her age,"  the See You Again singer fondly reminisced about her performance and stage presence, "That performance was amazing," Cyrus said. "My pitch was honestly a little off, and the hat needed to go — but besides that." The multi-platinum music artist also touched on the 2008 Vanity Fair photoshoot controversy where she had posed topless as a teen. While describing the behind-the-scenes for the photoshoot Cyrus explained, they "don’t really know the behind-the-scenes, which is always much more meaningful." She added, her sister Noah was "sitting on Annie Leibovitz's lap and actually pushing the button of the camera, taking the pictures. This image of me is a complete opposite of the bubblegum pop star that I had been known for being and that’s what was so upsetting," Cyrus said. “But — really brilliant choices, looking back now, from those people,” she said about the team behind the photoshoot. 

Describing her latest talk series on Instagram the Climb singer had written, “Sometimes it feels like my life started when Hannah Montana was born,” she wrote in an Instagram caption. “But before Hannah there was Miley. My fantasy was to light up the world with laughter, music & iconic moments that last beyond my lifetime. Decades later I continue to fulfill my purpose because of the love provided by my fans."