Taylor Swift may be the first artist who comes to mind when you think about dissecting someone’s music in search of Easter eggs about past relationships (I mean did you see the "Bejeweled" video?), but Miley Cyrus just upped the ante. The new queen of New Year’s Eve released the single “Flowers,” ahead of the launch of her album Endless Summer Vacation, and fans are going wild with theories of how the song and music video reference her ex-husband, actor Liam Hemsworth. Let’s take a look at all the clues Cyrus has possibly left for us to dissect.
When the announcement came that Miley Cyrus was dropping “Flowers” on January 13 — Liam Hemsworth’s birthday — many suspected the former Voice coach might have some shots to take at her ex-husband. The lyrics seem to support that theory, particularly the line:
Built a home and watched it burn.
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth lost their house in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which destroyed thousands of homes in California and prompted the couple to get married. Which they did later that year, tying the knot in a low-key Tennessee ceremony.
Speaking of their wedding, fans say The Hunger Games actor dedicated the Bruno Mars song “When I Was Your Man” to his new wife that night. So, those listening to “Flowers” couldn’t help but note that some of Miley Cyrus’ lyrics seemed to be in response to the 2013 hit single. Check out how one Twitter user broke it down:
The song's chorus appears to be a response to Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man." While Bruno's song says: "I should have bought you flowers and held your hand" Miley's says "I can buy myself flowers, hold my own hand and love myself better than you can" pic.twitter.com/jPwDB43A6dJanuary 14, 2023
There were several other references that Miley Cyrus’ fans seemed to think were direct shots at her ex. Several people noted that her dancing in the music video looked a lot like Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar-winning character in Joker — which is supposedly Liam Hemsworth’s favorite movie, according to this tweet and many others on social media.
Fun fact: The Joker was Liam Hemsworth's favorite movie. Miley Cyrus yallpic.twitter.com/kw7Z7qgosbJanuary 14, 2023
The suit that Miley Cyrus wore in that portion of the video apparently served a double purpose, according to online sleuths. These people think that it not only made an easier comparison to the Joker costume, but it was also possibly a reference to Liam Hemsworth’s wardrobe on the Avengers red carpet in 2019, in which many believe the actor was caught on camera telling the Hannah Montana alum to “behave.” One TikToker opined:
@hbic_mo ♬ original sound - Morgan ✨🪩
While we’re on the subject of red carpet chastising, many fans saw a correlation between the “Party in the U.S.A.” singer’s dancing in the “Flowers” music video and the moves she tried to pull on her husband at Vanity Fair’s 2019 Oscars party. This TikTok user was feeling the shade:
@oocontexthannahmontana ♬ original sound - out of context hannah montana
One of the super popular rumors going around is that the “Flowers” video was filmed in a house where some fans say Liam Hemsworth cheated on Miley Cyrus 14 times. No evidence was given to support that very specific number of dalliances, but some were left wondering if the singer’s gold dress in the video was a nod to the one her husband’s former co-star Jennifer Lawrence wore to the Hunger Games premiere in 2012.
Couple that with a resurfaced Watch What Happens Live interview — in which J-Law pretty much admits she had kissed Hemsworth at some point — and it seems like that theory might have legs. However, several fans pointed to a 2019 tweet from the pop star that they say debunks the cheating theory. Miley Cyrus wrote back then:
I can admit to a lot of things but I refuse to admit that my marriage ended because of cheating. Liam and I have been together for a decade. I’ve said it before & it remains true, I love Liam and always will.
Whether or not all of these Easter eggs are being interpreted the way Miley Cyrus intended is to be debated, but either way, people are loving the singer’s anthem to self-love. The seemingly subtle shots fired at her ex do make it a little sweeter, though, according to this fan:
@raeshorn101 ♬ Flowers - Miley Cyrus
Now that Miley Cyrus fans know her new music could possibly feature more Easter eggs and shade, you can bet they’ve got March 10 circled in their calendars for the release of Endless Summer Vacation. In the meantime, take a look at our 2023 TV schedule to see what’s premiering soon.
