Let’s hand it to Miley Cyrus—navigating child stardom, pop reinventions, and a family tree that belongs in a soap opera is no small feat. And while not every era screamed elegance (we still shudder—and sort of stan—Bangerz), Miley’s evolution has birthed some of pop’s boldest sounds. Plus, in case you missed it, she’s quietly building a makeup empire too. Because why not?
But in a recent interview, it seems Miley’s gracious streak didn’t quite extend to her former duet partner, Dua Lipa. Yep, pop girls and passive-aggression—name a more iconic duo.
Flashback to 2020: Miley’s Plastic Hearts era—grunge-y, gritty, and Blondie-coded—had her pairing up with Dua Lipa on the track “Prisoner.” Now, four years later, Miley’s sharing her real thoughts on the collab, and let’s just say… she’s not pretending it was a match made in heaven.
In her chat with The Ringer’s Every Single Album podcast, Miley casually dropped that Dua’s feature “just isn’t cohesive with the album.” Ouch. She then added, “no shade to Dua Lipa” (which is absolutely the international pop girl language for “I’m about to throw shade but don’t come for me”). According to Miley, Dua’s disco-pop sparkle would’ve fit better on Endless Summer Vacation—her 2023 record known for Flowers, “Wildcard,” and all that emotionally hydrated energy. “Can you imagine?” Miley mused.
We can, Miley. And now we kind of want it.
But wait—there’s more. Some fans are on conspiracy theory duty and believe Miley’s new track Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved may actually be a veiled reference to Dua herself. The lyrical clues? Let’s investigate:
She speaks the perfect French /
she can dance the night away /
and still, she’ll never break a sweat
Exhibit A: Dua is multilingual and has flexed her Francophone side in tracks like Troye Sivan’s “Talk Talk.” Exhibit B: She is, quite literally, the reigning queen of disco-pop. And Exhibit C: “never break a sweat” is being read as a possible jab at Dua’s earlier live performances—you know, those meme-worthy “go girl, give us nothing” moments that the internet will never forget (and some of us, ahem, still cherish).
That said, there’s always the chance Miley’s actually paying her a backhanded compliment. Maybe it’s a nod to how effortlessly Dua moves on stage now? Or maybe it’s just lyrical flair with zero beef. But let’s be honest—if there’s one thing pop music thrives on, it’s speculation served with a shot of drama.
Whether Miley’s being shady or just honest, one thing’s clear: the pop girlies stay giving us content.
