All the Easter eggs in Miley Cyrus' new 'Flowers' single and music video
On Thursday night, Miley Cyrus dropped the new single and music video off her upcoming album Endless Summer Vacation, and it is a banger hit. Called “Flowers,” the song’s lyrics and visual aesthetics in the video all seem to be pointing in one direction: squarely at ex-husband Liam Hemsworth.
The lyrics go deep into relationship strife, heartbreak, choosing to leave, and choosing oneself first over any partner. Now, we’re not saying this is definitively about Liam, whom she divorced in 2020 after a decade of dating and two years of marriage, however the internet has latched on to some Easter eggs which strongly suggest that, so we are kinda obsessed.
“Flowers” dropped on Liam’s birthday
Flowers is #1 in Australia on Liam Hemsworth’s birthday 😭 miley’s so real for this pic.twitter.com/B3KhrO8pAy
— ۟ (@G0DNEYS) January 13, 2023
So technically in North America, “Flowers” dropped on January 12, but Liam, whose birthday is January 13 (happy birthday mate!), is based in Australia. So last night when her music video hit the airwaves, it would have already been the 13th down under. We can only imagine the notifications blowing up his phone.
The lyrics seemingly reference their house fire in Malibu
miley cyrus singing about her malibu house burning down that she shared with liam hemsworth pic.twitter.com/rBhWRKDZuK
— ً (@oceansjonas) January 13, 2023
In 2018 while married, Liam and Miley’s Malibu home burned down in the Woosley fires. It was a devastating loss, that Miley later described to Howard Stern. “I had so much and it was all gone, every song I had ever written was in that house,” she said. “Every photograph of me that my parents had given to me, all my scripts, I lost everything.
In “Flowers,” she sings, “We were right 'til we weren't / Built a home and watched it burn.”
The lyrics suggest she wasn’t happy with how Liam loved her
Miley Cyrus writing Flowers on the notes app while on a walk with Liam Hemsworth pic.twitter.com/ZcuOoaaSHe
— miley’s crave💐 (@crave_miley) January 13, 2023
One of the major refrains in the song is “I can love me better than you can.” It’s a great anthem for singledom and for prioritizing one’s own happiness and relationship with oneself, rather than relying on another person. And it may or may not be referencing some of the tensions in their marriage. For instance, when the duo attended the red carpet premiere of Avengers: Endgame together, Miley pretended to lick Liam, who told her to behave, and MTV reported that he seemed uneasy with photogs witnessing that moment. The Daily Mail reports that she then pushed Liam away and posed for solo photos. Awk-warrrrd.
“Flowers” might be a reaction to a Bruno Mars song Liam once dedicated to his ex-wife
There are unconfirmed reports that at one point, Liam dedicated the Bruno Mars song “When I Was Your Man” to Miley amid their breakup and divorce. In Mars’ song, he clearly sings that he should have bought his girl flowers, held her hand, and taken her dancing. In Miley’s new song, she sings that she can buy herself flowers, hold her own hand, and take herself dancing better than he can.
miley cyrus wrote a song as a response to this bruno mars' song which liam once dedicated to her, and she's releasing it on his birthday 💀 pic.twitter.com/qR5G5gIuaq
— 𝕱 (@spacesmiIer) January 10, 2023
someone check on liam i know he’s SHAKING pic.twitter.com/0bGPYEX030
— = (@MileyIsInspired) January 13, 2023
Full lyrics are below! Make of them what you will!
Verse 1
We were good, we were gold
Kind of dream that can't be sold
We were right 'til we weren't
Built a home and watched it burn
Pre-Chorus
Hmm, I didn't wanna leave you, I didn't wanna lie
Started to cry but then remembered I—
Chorus
I can buy myself flowers
Write my name in the sand
Talk to myself for hours
See 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
Post-Chorus
Can love me better, I can love me better, baby
Can love me better, I can love me better, baby
Verse 2
Paint my nails, cherry red
Match the roses that you left
No remorse, no regret
I forget every word you said
Pre-Chorus
Ooh, I didn't wanna leave you, baby, I didn't wanna fight
Started to cry but then remembered I—
Chorus
I can buy myself flowers
Write my name in the sand
Talk to myself for hours
See 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
Post-Chorus
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
Bridge
I didn't wanna leave you, baby, I didn't wanna fight
Started to cry but then remembered I—
Chorus
I can buy myself flowers (Uh-uh)
Write my name in the sand
Talk to myself for hours (Yeah-eah)
See things you don't understand
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
Post-Chorus
Can love me better, I can love me better, baby
Can love me better, I can love me better, baby (Baby)
Can love me better, I can love me better, baby
Can love me better, I—
