How Miley Cyrus Changed Her Lyrics to Honor Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson was scheduled to perform at the O2 Arena in 2009, although the event was later canceled. When Miley Cyrus headlined the same venue, she was sure to mention the “Thriller” singer in her own original song. Here’s what we know about this performance — and Cyrus’ thoughts on Jackson.
Miley Cyrus performed a concert at the O2 Arena in 2009 — after Michael Jackson’s death
Cyrus has some impressive performances under her belt, recently hosting a New Year’s Eve Special with Dolly Parton and earning a Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Vocal Album category for Bangerz. In 2009, the singer headlined a concert at the O2 Arena in London.
This concert included songs from Cyrus’ Hannah Montana fame, like “The Climb,” “Spotlight,” and “Let’s Get Crazy.” There were some references to other artists in Cyrus’ setlist. One dance interlude was soundtracked to “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas.
The artist even covered “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by The Arrows and “Kicking and Screaming” by Ashlee Simpson. While performing her original “Fly on the Wall,” Cyrus included a sample of Jackson’s “Thriller.”
Miley Cyrus mentioned Michael Jackson at her O2 Arena concert
As noted on IMDb, when Cyrus performed at the O2 in London, she changed the “Party In the U.S.A.” lyrics in honor of Jackson. Instead of “And a Britney [Britney Spears] song was on,” she said “And a Michael song was on.”
The “Beat It” artist “was supposed to have performed at the O2 Arena in July of 2009 but passed away before leaving to perform in London.” Jackson died in 2009 at 50 years old of cardiac arrest.
Miley Cyrus on Michael Jackson’s impact — ‘I think it’s sad that you have to wait ‘til it’s too late’
Cyrus and Jackson were both thrown into the spotlight during childhood, with Cyrus first acting on Disney Channel. Jackson appeared as a Jackson 5 member before branching out as a solo musician, recording “I Want You Back” at only 11 years old. Although Cyrus had admiration for Jackson, she never met the “Billie Jean” singer.
“It’s just crazy again with the media and all that. Nobody ever wrote an article just to say, ‘Hey, Michael, we really appreciate what you do!'” Cyrus said during an MTV News interview. “I wish I would have had the opportunity [to tell him how I felt about him when he was alive].”
“Not enough people told him [how great he was] and I think it’s sad that you have to wait ‘til it’s too late,” she added. “But I think he knows.”
Even a decade after her O2 Arena concert, the artist continued to release originals. In 2023, that meant the chart-topping single “Flowers.” Music by Cyrus is now available on most major streaming platforms.
