Miley Cyrus explains the medical condition behind her raspy voice

CNN

23-05-2025

Miley Cyrus sounds pretty committed to her signature sound.
During a recently released interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Cyrus talked about having Reinke's edema. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition is 'a noncancerous vocal cord disorder' whose 'hallmark symptoms are hoarseness and a noticeably deeper voice.'
Cyrus told Zane she describes it as 'abuse of the vocal cords.'
'Being 21 and staying up and drinking and smoking and partying after every show does not help,' she said of her early career. 'But also in my case, it does not cause it. So my voice always sounded like this — it's a part of my unique anatomy.'
The 32-year-old 'Flowers' singer doesn't want to treat it, however, for fear it will change her distinctive sound.
'I have this large polyp on my cords, and I'm not willing to sever it ever, because the chance of waking up from a surgery and not sounding like myself is a probability,' she said.
It can be a struggle, Cyrus said. She compared performing with the vocal polyp to 'running a marathon with ankle weights on.'
That also means touring can be a challenge.
'I don't lip-sync. I sing live, and these songs are big,' she said. 'I don't write little songs.'