PORTRAITS Photo by Brian Zif NOAH CYRUS PIECE OF CAKE BY TINA BENITEZ-EVES oah Cyrus orders a birthday cake for her moth- Completely baring herself, The End of Every- gles, but The End of Everything is more of a bright er. She hasn’t seen her mom in three weeks thing opens on the more cathartic and melodious new beginning for the 20-year-old. “I was never since the world went into lockdown follow- swell of “Ghost.” Originally written in 2018, really able to write songs that aren’t personal,” Ning COVID-19, but she is excited for their “Ghost” serves as an anthem of hope, travers- Cyrus says. “That hasn’t changed, but for me, I was reunion — even if it is for a few, socially distanced ing Cyrus’ own struggles with mental illness in in a really dark place during that Good Cry EP, and moments sitting across from one another outside. its refrain, “I’m staring at a ghost in the mirror.” I’ve gotten so much healthier. Every day I'm still “I’m more scared about my mom more than any- Nowhere near the realm of pop, The End of Ev- working hard to stay healthy. My mental state has thing,” says Cyrus, who has been self-isolating at erything is heavily steeped in infectious and af- just improved so much.” home in Los Angeles. The city could remain shut fecting balladry, all exposing the artist’s deepest An advocate for mental health awareness, in down for several more months, so this birthday and darkest sides through the more reflecting “I 2019, Cyrus launched LONELY, a clothing line is the perfect occasion to sneak in a safe — and Got So High I Saw Jesus,” “Liar” and “Lonely” benefitting the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit that masked — visit with her mom. — the latter song born from a therapy session, supports mental health and the prevention of Just two days after this conversation, Cyrus where she came to terms with her own loneliness suicide among teens. will have another reason to celebrate. Global — and the acoustic-drive “July,” the song that At one point during her deep depression, pandemic or not, her new EP and follow up to kicked off the writing of the EP for Cyrus. Cyrus admitted locking herself in her bedroom. her 2018 debut, Good Cry, will finally hit. The Slow-churned and soulful, “Wonder Years,” Her father had to knock the door down. Her sav- End of Everything is exactly that: the end of ev- featuring rapper Ant Clemons, pressed Cyrus to ior: Therapy. erything — well, just the world. get clearance from Paul McCartney and the John “There’s no way that I would have been able Inspired by John Boswell’s “Timelapse Of The Lennon estate to sample The Beatles’ 1967 hit to get where I am mentally had I not had some- Entire Universe” video, which explores how the “With a Little Help From My Friends.” one helping me work there,” Cyrus says. “The world will meet its demise billions of years from Coming out on the other side, “Young and Sad” second I started doing that and accepting that it now, Cyrus was moved by this notion of every- started out as a song wallowing in sadness and was helping me, I had such a huge turning point. thing coming to an end one day. “It will all come self-deprecation, but evolved into a battle cry for From 2018 to 2020, I’ve just been through a hell to an end, and so beautifully, with two black holes happiness. It opens on an excerpt of an encourag- of a lot of changes in my life, a lot of ups and that have completely swallowed and obliterated ing answering machine message her father, Billy definitely more downs, so working through that everything we’ve ever had,” Cyrus says. “They’re Ray Cyrus, left for her — something she listens to has just helped me evolve so much.” going to circle each other and dance with each frequently for comfort. Initially, she wrote the lyr- Today, everything is different. There’s more other. It’s so beautiful to think that those two black ics, “Let me be young and sad a little while longer.” levity and happiness exuding from the young art- holes will literally hold everything that we’ve ever “After I wrote that, I was like, ‘Fuck that’s not ist. In many ways, The End of Everything is really known is inside of them, and the second they end it at all,’” Cyrus says. “I do not want to be young the beginning of everything for Cyrus. their last dance, the world goes black.” and sad. I want to be confident, and I want to feel As the interview comes to an end, Cyrus’ cake The video hit Cyrus hard but gave root to the happy. That’s something my mom struggled with has just arrived. “She’s having two friends come EP. “It just made me think about life, and you, when she was in her 20s. My mom was borderline over later, and they’re going to sit around in a me, my mom, my dad, and everybody and how agoraphobic and struggled with anxiety when she circle around the fireplace, one on one side much it matters,” she says. “And the little things was younger, and my dad definitely relates with me and one on the other,” says Cyrus of her mom that seem so important, they just got smaller on the anxiety and the depression side of things, Tish’s small gathering. “I'm going to bring her again, and the things that weren’t really import- so that's not something that you really wish upon a cake for her and her friends that says, ‘I love ant got prioritized and bigger.” She adds, “It just anybody, including your worst enemy.” you Mommy’ and Travis Scott sneakers as a put everything into perspective for me.” Cyrus dives deep into her own personal strug- birthday gift. I’m making her a cool mom.” JULY | AUGUST 2020 AMERICAN SONGWRITER .