Miley Cyrus Says Her Low Voice Makes People Ask, ‘Why Do You Sound Like a Man?’

Miley Cyrus is opening up about the feedback she’s faced as a singer in the music industry.

The “Wrecking Ball” songstress, 28, spoke to Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich for a cover story in Interview magazine published Wednesday, and during the chat she revealed she occasionally receives flak for her low voice.

“My whole life, whether in vocal training or just continuing to hone my craft, it’s always been about, ‘Why do you sound like a man? Where’s your f—ing falsetto, bitch? Why can’t you sing the high octave of ‘Party in the U.S.A.’ anymore?’ ” she reflected.

“My voice is how I represent myself. It’s how I express myself,” Cyrus explained. “I’ve worked with so many people who tell me, ‘We’re going to have to bring in a singer to hit those high parts.’ You know, ‘falsetto’ is this Latin term for when a boy goes through puberty, but they still want him to sing in the choir. It means ‘false.’ “

Cyrus and Ulrich also discussed her recent Metallica cover of “Nothing Else Matters,” which she sang on the tribute album The Metallica Blacklist and which is also featured on Elton John’s upcoming record The Lockdown Sessions.

“This song means something to me on the deepest level,” Cyrus said of the track, adding that she “felt free” while performing it.

She also shared that, due to pandemic-related restrictions, she recorded the song at home rather than in a recording studio, allowing her to experiment.

“I even went down to some of those octaves, because singing those super-low lead vocals is so satisfying,” she said.

“In this song, I get to sing in that low register, and I get to live in that authentic, genuine sound,” she continued.

Regarding authenticity, Cyrus stated, “I am who I am.”

“I say what I mean in the moment, even if that changes tomorrow. I was honored by the fact that I didn’t have to sing this song in the way that females are ‘supposed’ to sing,” the “We Can’t Stop” singer added.

“You can hear that at the end of the song, when I take the gloves off and just start flying. That part of the song really grabs people. It’s that lower register of my voice. So I’m grateful to have a song where I can lean into that.”