VMAs 2020: Miley Cyrus’ Performance Has Fans Thinking She’s Throwing Shade at Ex Liam Hemsworth

Miley Cyrus brought back a familiar visual for her performance of “Midnight Sun” during the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. She included a moment where she swung on a giant disco ball, which looked an awful lot like her famous “Wrecking Ball” video. Fans watching the show at home thought the song and performance included some shade thrown in Liam Hemsworth‘s direction.

Cyrus released “Midnight Sky” as the lead single from her new album She Is Miley Cyrus on Aug. 14, almost a year after she and Hemsworth broke up. A disco-inspired music video accompanied the song that she directed herself. The song’s lyrics are all about independence and finding herself after the end of her decade-long relationship with Hemsworth. The couple married in December 2018 and announced their split in August 2019. Cyrus briefly dated Kaitlynn Carter afterward, but then started a relationship with Cody Simpson. Cyrus and Simpson broke up after 10 months together.

In an interview with SiriusXM after the release of “Midnight Sun,” Cyrus said the coronavirus quarantine has helped her find “clarity” after her relationships. “It was important to me to be able to really sit with my thoughts,” Cyrus explained. “I think one thing that’s been really cool about this time we’ve all had is, originally, we all started literally cleaning house. And, then, once you couldn’t do that anymore, you had to go into your own self and start cleaning out what you’ve been holding on to for too long — things that belong to you, things that don’t and things that no longer serve you.”

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Cyrus was nominated for three VMAs this year, including Song of the Summer for “Midnight Sky.” Her video for “Mother’s Daughter” was nominated for Best Editing and Best Art Direction. Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” video won the 2014 Video Music Award for Video of the Year.

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