Billy Ray Cyrus Weighs In On Miley’s Sobriety, Dishes On New Album

Billy Ray Cyrus is completely on board with his daughter Miley Cyrus’ new direction in life as the “Wrecking Ball” singer has quit using drugs and is trying to change her public image. On Monday, the 55-year-old country music star spoke out about Miley’s sobriety journey and her highly anticipated upcoming album.

“As a dad, I see Miley really just functioning on, like, a figure and a joy for life,” he said while talking to Entertainment Tonight. “I don’t know how to break it down more than just the fact that I see a joy in her spirit and something coming from within that is just pure beauty, if you will.”

“I think she just found… she’s firing off all cylinders. Her thoughts, her instincts, everything is at the top of its game,” he said. “Sometimes you have to clear out the junk. And then you realize what’s most important. Whatever is going on, it’s working for her.”

The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer explained that he is mostly proud of the fact that his 24-year-old daughter looks “happy.”

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“You know what I like about the way she looks [now?] Happy,” he said. “You have even seen it. A month or two [ago] she sent me a picture and I said, ‘You look so happy.’ I’m here [as her dad], and she’s beaming with happiness. That means more to me than anything. That’s what I want Miley to look like — happy.”

As for Miley Cyrus’ new album, Billy Ray says that her fans should expect a different sound than her last couple releases.

“I’m so excited about this album. Miley really leaned into her roots with this new album, ‘Malibu’ in particular,” he said. Cyrus also added that Miley channeled inspiration from The Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Dolly Parton.

“There’s a lot of influences in Miley’s roots, even to some of the sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd,” he said. “I mean, the sounds that were roaring out of our house and the people that was coming through our house as great songwriters — Carl Perkins and Waylon, Hank Cochran, some of the greatest songwriters in the world. Ed King, who wrote ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ was frequently at the house…”

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He continued by saying: “I think Miley absorbed a lot of those sounds and a lot of that conversation. Especially hearing Waylon say to me at the kitchen table, ‘Son, what’s the definition of an outlaw? One who has been outlawed, welcome to the club.’ Oh, thank you, Waylon. Miley heard that and then as she pursued it, she comes down with her guitar and he shows her [how to play] ‘Good Hearted Woman.’ On a guitar, you absorb that stuff. It becomes part of who you are.”

“If you really want to know Miley, this record is a great place to start,” he shared. “I think that’s the real her, I really do.”

Billy Ray also hinted at a future collaboration with Miley.

“We love playing music together and we play all of the time and it’s fun,” he said. “I tell them, ‘You can look at my life, man,’ and just say in some ways, I failed way more times than I succeeded. But Thomas Edison said the most important ingredient for success is failure — every time you fail, you eliminate one way that won’t work, therefore being one-way closer to the one way that will.”

Cyrus continued by saying: “Well, I eliminated a lot of ways that didn’t work. When you get knocked down, you got to get up … you have to get up, and when you get up, you learn how to get up and you make an adjustment. You go on your way and that’s what you do.”

“Life is a series of adjustments,” he said. “You make some good calls and some bad ones, and in between the two, you make adjustments. It’s just like parking your car and pulling into a space. You make adjustments but you keep doing the right things and take your time. Barring unforeseen catastrophe, you’ll get in the space.”

[H/T Entertainment Tonight, Rolling Stone]