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After selling out a two-night residency at the Hollywood Bowl in October, Miley Cyrus changed the lyrics of an integral part of her hit song, "Flowers."
She ad-libbed about selling out the iconic venue before the chorus: "Started to cry, but then remembered I sold out the Hollywood Bowl!"
She added similar lyrics to "Flowers" in 2024 when she performed it after winning her first Grammy.
The ad-lib now seems to be a way for Cyrus to celebrate her wins, and fans have suggested since its release in 2023 that the song was written as a diss track against her ex-husband, Liam Hemsworth. The two married in 2018 and divorced a year later.
Representatives for Hemsworth did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Here are the Easter eggs you may have missed in "Flowers."
Miley Cyrus released her single "Flowers" in 2023 — and many fans think the song takes aim at her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth.
As Business Insider previously reported, Cyrus and Hemsworth met on the set of "The Last Song," which was released in 2010, and dated on and off for several years. The couple married in 2018 and divorced a year later. The split was finalized in January 2020.
While Cyrus hasn't confirmed that "Flowers" is about her relationship with Hemsworth, the single's release date, lyrics, and other hidden details offer a few clues to the song's meaning.
The song was released on Liam Hemsworth's birthday.
The buzz around "Flowers" began when fans noticed its release date.
The single dropped on January 13 — Hemsworth's 33rd birthday — a detail that was not lost on Cyrus' fans.
Miley’s telling the world she can love herself better ON LIAM’S BIRTHDAY?! she definitely didn’t lie when she said she’s got nerve https://t.co/Pp7fi5yuqa
— 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒔 (@mileywrld) January 1, 2023"She definitely didn't lie when she said she's got nerve," one user tweeted.
Many fans think "Flowers" resembles Bruno Mars' song, "When I Was Your Man."
In "When I Was Your Man," Mars sings that he wishes he "bought you flowers, and held your hand."
Although Mars isn't credited as a songwriter on "Flowers," Cyrus sings "I can buy myself flowers," and "I can hold my own hand" in a similar tune to Mars' hit.
According to Billboard, some fans have speculated that Hemsworth dedicated Mars' song to Cyrus during their first engagement — though those theories are unconfirmed.
The song's opening verse could refer to the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
"We were good, we were gold/ Kind of dream that can't be sold/ We were right till we weren't/ Built a home and watched it burn," Cyrus sings in the opening verse.
According to Us Weekly, the fire metaphor could be referring to the home Cyrus shared with Hemsworth, which burned down during the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
It’s been a heartbreaking few days. This is what’s left of my house. Love. Many people in Malibu and surrounding areas in California have lost their homes also and my heart goes out to everyone who was affected by these fires. To help: https://t.co/YQCE1cLaej & @happyhippiefdn https://t.co/vtLFytFmNw
— Liam Hemsworth (@LiamHemsworth) November 13, 2018Cyrus has said that the loss of the couple's Malibu home is partially what led her and Hemsworth to get married.
Some fans have drawn comparisons between a clip from the song's music video and a past red-carpet moment.
In 2019, while attending the Vanity Fair Oscars party, an Access Hollywood reporter asked Cyrus and Hemsworth what a dance number would look like between the couple.
WAIT A MINUTE https://t.co/YA76DVsz7T
— out of context hannah montana (@OCHannahMontana) January 4, 2023When Cyrus began dancing on Hemsworth, her then-husband, he shut it down, saying, "We're not doing this. Not on the carpet."
One Twitter user put that video side by side with a promotional clip Cyrus posted on the platform, in which she appears to do a similar dance move — while the lyrics "I can love me better" play in the background.
In October 2026, Cyrus changed the lyrics to "Flowers" and performed it at the Hollywood Bowl.
After selling out shows at the Hollywood Bowl in October 2026, Cyrus changed the pre-chorus lyrics to "Flowers."
In the original version, Cyrus sings: "I didn't wanna leave you/I didn't wanna fight/Started to cry, but then remembered I," before belting out the chorus.
This past weekend, however, Cyrus changed that to: "I didn't wanna leave you (but I had to)/I didn't wanna fight (but we did)/Started to cry, but then remembered I sold out the Hollywood Bowl."
Cyrus has ad-libbed her hit single before: At the 2024 Grammys, she sang, "Started to cry, but then remembered I just won my first Grammy!"
Fans took to social media to applaud Cyrus' lyric change, with one YouTube commenter saying they "love how she's filling it in with different achievements."
Cyrus also paid tribute to Dolly Parton, her late godmother, during the concert, breaking down in tears as she recalled memories of Parton. Cyrus then performed Parton's hit song "Jolene."
Editor's Note: This story was originally published in January 2023 and was most recently updated in October 2026.
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Jordan Parker Erb was a newsletter editor at Business Insider. In her time at BI, she wrote from Thailand, Switzerland, Montreal, Edinburgh, and Paris.She holds a master's degree in Journalism and Media Innovation from Northeastern University in Boston. Previously, she's worked with the Indianapolis Star, the Austin American-Statesman, and has written for The Boston Globe.
Tristin Hoffman is a Life Fellow on Business Insider’s Editorial Partnerships team. Her reporting focuses on retail, travel, business, and more through a visual storytelling and lifestyle lens. She has previously reported on Oregon’s economy for The Oregonian and Pennsylvania litigation for Law.com. Her stories have inspired policy changes, shed light on public officials’ misconduct, and gained national awards. She graduated from the University of Oregon, where she studied journalism and law while serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Emerald.
