It’s a new year, which always means new music. To start the year with a bang, Miley Cyrus released her new single “Flowers” on Jan. 12, 2023 as a part of her eighth album, “Endless Summer Vacation.” While many know of Cyrus from her hit song, “Party in the U.S.A” or her time on Disney Channel, this song signals a new era.

Cyrus’s new song is a direct hit at her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth and their complicated relationship. She sings about learning to love herself even through the pain.

“Flowers” is an opposition to Bruno Mars’ song “When I Was Your Man,” which Hemsworth supposedly dedicated to Cyrus during their off-again on-again relationship. Cyrus counters those lyrics by showing that she can do all of these cute couple things by herself and doesn’t need a man to do it for her.

“I can buy myself flowers / Write my name in the sand.”

Cyrus preaches the message that she is okay with doing these things by herself and it’s an overall message of confidence. She realizes her worth throughout the song and realizes she is better off without her ex.

“Yeah, I can love me better than you can.”

The song preaches self-love and female empowerment while also being a takedown of her ex, Hemsworth. To add salt to the wound, Cyrus released her song on Hemsworth’s birthday. Fans know the song is about Hemsworth due to the not-so subtle details she implanted in the song.

“Built a home and watched it burn.”

This lyric references the 2018 wildfires in which Cyrus and Hemsworth’s home burnt down. Cyrus later said that if the fire didn’t happen, they may have never gotten married. Deep down, Cyrus did care about Hemsworth, but as the song goes on, she realizes that the cons outweigh the pros.

Overall, “Flowers” is an amazing self-empowerment anthem about learning to love oneself without a man. It proves that you are worth more than who your partner is. I cannot wait to hear the rest of Cyrus’s album, “Endless Summer Vacation,” which comes out on March 10, 2023.