On Monday, August 31, Miley Cyrus shocked her fans when she dropped her last name across all of her social media profiles. Now, just days later, Billy Ray Cyrus has opened up about his daughter's decision via a post on Instagram.
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"Family means more than ever now. I always called my little girl Miley," Billy Ray posted. "Just ... Miley. Just like I always called my little boy Braison. Bet you didn't know ... I was just CYRUS before Achy Breaky Heart came out in 92."
Billy Ray then continued by sharing some advice her gave Miley following her decision to remove her last name on social media.
"I told @miley yesterday I felt good about her going with her first name. I mentioned Dolly and Cher. Thinkin about it more and more ... Elvis .. Prince ...and so on. It's a natural progression for an iconic superstar legend. And the legend continues!"
The legendary musician ended his post by admitting that he's excited for his daughter's new album before joking that maybe he should have gone by a single name throughout his career, too.
"Looking forward to the new album. Now ... if only Mercury / Polygram would have just not insisted on the "Billy Ray" part and just let me be CYRUS...... I could have done something!!!"
Fans Shared Their Reaction to Miley Cyrus Dropping Her Last Name
When Miley Cyrus made the decision to drop her last name on social media, she did so without providing any explanation for her fans. Instead, she posted two photographs in red and black, with one of them captioned "MILEY."
Nevertheless, the decision appears to have been a hit with her fanbase, as there were countless supportive messages left in the comments section.
"You guys have no idea how iconic this is," one user noted. "Everyone knows who she is by just MILEY. This is HER brand; she doesn't need her last name to be recognizable. She's just being MILEY. 20 years into her career, she keeps evolving as an artist and breaking records. She's one of a kind."
Another fan shared their excitement about the new era of Miley's career.
"Wait, the new username??," they wrote. "Oh this era is about to eat!!!"
Not many people are at a level of fame where a simple username change on social media can cause such a shockwave. Miley is one of them, though. Now, her fans will eagerly await her upcoming album and the next phase of her career. Judging by the subtle change, that next phase could become iconic.
