Miley Cyrus reveals the surprising reason she couldn’t perform ‘Hannah Montana’ songs after Disney exit

Miley Cyrus has opened up about a little-known detail of her post-Disney career — she wasn’t allowed to perform any of her Hannah Montana songs after leaving the network in 2011. In a candid conversation, the singer and former child star revealed that she was contractually barred from revisiting the original music from the hit Disney Channel series.

Why Miley Cyrus was barred from singing Hannah Montana songs post-Disney

“After I left Disney, I wasn’t allowed to perform any of the Hannah Montana music,” Miley said. “It’s not like I wanted to — I mean, performing The Best of Both Worlds between We Can’t Stop and Wrecking Ball wouldn’t have really made sense.” Still, she admitted the restriction carried emotional weight. “It was sad knowing those songs have my voice, my face, and I wasn’t allowed to sing them.”

Miley played the dual role of Miley Stewart and her popstar alter ego, Hannah Montana, in the massively successful show that ran from 2006 to 2011. The series launched her to global stardom and featured a number of original tracks that became tween anthems of the 2000s. But it wasn’t until she was honoured as a Disney Legend at D23 Expo in 2024 that the door was finally reopened. “I was given permission to perform those songs in the future,” she shared. “That was pretty cool.”

Though she’s long since moved past her Disney image, Miley hasn’t forgotten where it all started. Her current creative chapter includes Something Beautiful, a 55-minute visual album set to release in theatres on June 12. At the premiere, she paid homage to the powerhouse women who influenced her artistry. “I completely worship and idolise the Tina Turners, the Donna Summers, Diana Ross and so many ladies before me that paved this path that I’m on,” she said. “This is my journey, but they made it so much easier because they’ve already broken down all the doors for me.” With a new album and the symbolic return of her Hannah Montana catalogue, Miley seems to have found the best of both worlds after all.