Miley Cyrus Brought Her 2009-Era Hair Back, But Not Without A Twist

The year is 2009, and you flip on MTV to watch some music videos while getting ready for school or work. When Miley Cyrus’ all-time classic banger “Party In The U.S.A.” comes on, it’s not just the addictive melody that draws you in — there’s also that hair. Long, shiny, and a captivating shade of reddish-brown, Cyrus’ thick waves have always been a particularly in-demand celebrity look. As she grew from teen sensation into adult musician, she tried out different haircuts and extreme colors. With her latest look, though, she’s is back to where it all began. Cyrus’s chunky blonde highlights add extra illumination and fun, but the return of her red-toned brunette waves and wispy, tousled bangs make her hair look like the best sort of personal throwback.

Cyrus started making her way back toward the look when she unveiled her majorly voluminous golden brown hair at the 2024 Grammys back in February. It was a pretty significant departure from the bright (and sometimes platinum) blonde Cyrus had for the better part of the last 10 years, and seemed to signal the start of a new musical era at the same time. Now, with fresh photos posted to her Instagram, her hair is looking considerably more red-toned with bright, thick blonde pieces woven in.

As plenty of fans have pointed out on social media, the hair is also something straight out of the final seasons of Cyrus’ juggernaut Disney series Hannah Montana, and its theater-released movie. Perhaps coincidentally, TikTok has been full of users sharing that they want a “Miley Stewart summer” — referencing Cyrus’ character and her beach-meets-farm lifestyle. More often than not, those long amber-brunette waves are included in the equation.

The bangs are as big of a draw as the multidimensional hair color. The newer version is wispier and even more effortless-looking than before, but they’re made all the fresher by the placement of her highlights. The blonde is arranged so that they’re almost a perfect half-and-half split of reddish brown and honey-toned, adding a fun, Y2K element to the entire look.

Cyrus usually only shakes up her aesthetics this much when something big is coming — prepare for it now.