“Flowers,” released on January 12, 2023, has been an unqualified success for Miley Cyrus. A week after its January 22, 2023, release, it had risen to No. 1 in 26 countries around the world. The longing within the chorus of the song is palpable. Although that was troublesome for the songwriting trio, causing some disagreements, they eventually decided that the juxtaposition of empowerment and a combination of remorse and sorrow was powerful in the extreme. This matches the soaring musical texture of the song, which Michael Pollack described as a “circle of fifths” song. That means that it followed a chord progression that has been standard in such compositions since at least the 17th century.

A Bad Divorce Doesn’t Mean a Bad Life

Since the single was released as a part of the album “Endless Summer Vacation”, fans, critics, and audiophiles alike have speculated about its deeper meaning. The strongest assertion that people have is that the lyrics, especially the chorus of this single, are a message to Liam Hemsworth, to whom Miley Cyrus was married for eight short months. Their marriage dissolved in 2019, and she was quoted as saying that the relationship was “a f*cking disaster.” 

The verse, “ Built a home and watched it burn,” indicates towards the burning of the Malibu house of Miley and her ex-husband Hemsworth. Reportedly, the burning incident that happened at the Malibu house had a huge emotional impact on their relationship at that time. Another evident assertion that people have is the title of this single, “Flowers.” Listeners have marked out the connection between the title and Bruno Mars’s song played by Hemsworth at their wedding. There are speculations that the song, especially the line, “I can buy myself flowers,” is an answer to the Bruno Mars song.  

Apart from the chorus verse, even the music video of this single is also interpreted by fans and listeners as a hint about their separation. They loved the lines as well as the music video and have shared their amazing reactions across various social media platforms in huge numbers, making it one of the most viewed songs of all time. 

To acknowledge the admiration and acceptance of her fans, Miley also shared a post on Instagram. In the post, she thanked her listeners and loyal admirers for supporting her and standing with her during a bad phase of her life. 

Self-Empowerment and Self-Love Are Healthy

The first stanza speaks to 21st-century folks who have had seemingly perfect relationships that have disintegrated in a metaphorical matter/antimatter explosion. The chorus line about loving oneself better than someone else could is especially and profoundly telling. It’s where the empowerment spoken of in the context of sadness comes from. In an especially cheeky delivery that just oozes sexiness, Miley Cyrus hints at a whole new meaning to the line about her ex Liam Hemsworth’s “technique,” or lack thereof.

Also, Miley spoke at length while appearing on the “Howard Stern Show,” saying that she didn’t want drama and fighting to be the bulk of her relationship with someone she decides to live with. She’d rather be “grounded” by being with her partner. In a world where drama and conflicts are seen as the norm in reality program after reality program, Miley’s view seems like an outlier. Still, the themes seem to have hit the mark as fans streamed it more than 100 million times in its first week.She insisted that the album “Endless Summer Vacation” also contain an early version of the composition as a bonus track. The raw pain involved regarding the end of her marriage to Liam Hemsworth is much more evident in that bonus track than in the slick, high-energy studio version that topped charts all over the globe.

Lyrics

We were good, we were gold
Kinda dream that can’t be sold
We were right ’til we weren’t
Built a home and watched it burn

Mm, I didn’t wanna leave you
I didn’t wanna lie
Started to cry but then remembered I

I can buy myself flowers
Write my name in the sand
Talk to myself for hours
Say things you don’t understand
I can take myself dancing
And I can hold my own hand
Yeah, I can love me better than you can

Can love me better
I can love me better, baby
Can love me better
I can love me better, baby

Paint my nails, cherry red
Match the roses that you left
No remorse, no regret
I forgive every word you said

Ooh, I didn’t want to leave you, baby
I didn’t wanna fight
Started to cry but then remembered I

I can buy myself flowers
Write my name in the sand
Talk to myself for hours, yeah
Say things you don’t understand
I can take myself dancing, yeah
I can hold my own hand
Yeah, I can love me better than you can

Can love me better
I can love me better, baby
Can love me better
I can love me better, baby
Can love me better
I can love me better, baby
Can love me better
Oh, I

I didn’t want to leave you
I didn’t wanna fight
Started to cry but then remembered I

I can buy myself flowers (oh)
Write my name in the sand (mmh)
Talk to myself for hours (yeah)
Say things you don’t understand (never will)
I can take myself dancing, yeah
I can hold my own hand
Yeah, I can love me better than
Yeah, I can love me better than you can

Can love me better
I can love me better, baby (oh)
Can love me better
I can love me better (than you can), baby
Can love me better
I can love me better, baby
Can love me better
I

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Gregory Aldae Hein / Michael Ross Pollack / Miley Ray Cyrus

Flowers lyrics © Concord Music Publishing LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc

Editor’s Note: This article was first published March 22nd 2023 and last updated June 15th 2023.

Listeners that enjoy this song about Desire may also enjoy the song Meant to Be by Bebe Rexha