Miley Cyrus addressed the reason behind her long hiatus from global touring. The singer, whose last world tour took place in 2014 with the Bangerz Tour, revealed that health concerns have played a major role in her decision to stay off the road.
In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Miley shared that the demanding nature of touring has taken a toll on her vocal health.
"I had the Reinke's edema, which is something that is called it's abuse of the vocal cords, and being 21 and staying up and drinking, and smoking, and partying after every show does not help but also in my case it does not cause it," she explained.
The now 32-year-old singer went on to disclose that she has a vocal cord polyp, which contributes to the distinctive sound of her voice but also makes performing more challenging.
"So my voice always sounded like this. So it's a part of my own unique anatomy... So I have this very large polyp in my vocal cord which is giving me a lot of the tone and the texture that has made me who I am but it's extremely difficult to perform with because it's like running a marathon with ankle weights on," she shared.
Miley remarked that she is not willing to have the polyp removed, as it might change her voice. "My voice is super unique because of it but I do have this Reinke's edema, and I have this large polyp in my cords, and I am not willing to sever it because the chance of waking up from surgery and not sounding like myself is a probability," she said.
While she admits the desire to tour is still there, she emphasized the need to prioritize her health and well-being. "I put a tour together like every other week because I want to do it, but it would have to be in a way that is sustainable for me... I don't lip-sync, I sing live, and these songs are big," she highlighted.
Miley also touched on the financial and logistical realities of mounting a full-scale world tour. "So if I can't play certain amount of shows, it doesn't actually like mathematically make any sense to do it," she explained.