Miley Cyrus on Her Music: "In My Mind I'm Gucci Mane, But On Paper I'm a Pop Artist"

That hip-hop record we've been waiting for is coming.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Miley Cyrus covers V Magazine's May issue and sat down for an intimate conversation alongside Pharrell Williams to discuss revolutionizing her career and an upcoming album. She's been working closely with Pharrell on her new hip-hop sound, which the world will see with her forthcoming album.

Most notably, Miley says: "In my mind I’m Gucci Mane, but on paper I’m a pop artist." But her and Pharrell discuss how they linked up, what he saw in her, and what to expect with her new music.

You can check out all of the photos and video here and read highlights of the interview below:

On working with Pharrell:

"Pharrell was the first person I wanted to work with. I had so many different producers and managers and all of these people coming to my house because I didn’t know where I wanted to start. My record would have come out like a high school mixtape with these different songs and feelings that don’t blend. Then I met Pharrell, and it was the first time I was in the studio just being really free. Pharrell opened that door. At the end of the day, it’s what me and P are making. And of course we’re so grateful for the people that got us here, that brought us to each other, and now we’re on our own path. I’ve never been more thankful for someone in my life. It’s just crazy. It’s been almost a year since we started, and my life has been completely different. I could keep doing this forever, just making this record."

Pharrell on what he sees in Miley:

"Because “Party in the U.S.A.” was pop as fuck, but it was honestly good pop, and she was saying the right shit. She was like, [singing] “And the Jay-Z song is on!” And I was like, “Okay, the salvia, that line in ‘Party in the U.S.A.,’ and the different shit that would pop up online? There’s definitely something in there.”

On her upcoming record:

"I got excited because on this record I can say whatever I want. And then I got more comfortable with that and the record got better and better. If I had made it two years ago when I should have had a record come out, it would have been a little brat trying to say “This isn’t who I am! This is what I’m trying to prove!” Now I’m not trying to prove anything to anybody."

Latest in Music