Miley Cyrus: Dad Billy Ray Cried Over “Secrets” Song About Their Rift

Miley Cyrus is opening up more about the song she gifted her dad Billy Ray Cyrus as a ‘peace offering.’

Secrets, included on the 32-year-old singer’s latest album Something Beautiful, is dedicated to the 64-year-old country star and was gifted to him for his birthday in August.

Over the weekend Miley appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, where she revealed her dad’s emotional reaction to the heartfelt memento.

‘My dad cried,’ Miley told interviewer Tracy Smith, noting, ‘Everyone I say that to, they go, “I remember when my dad cried.”‘

‘You don’t see your dad cry a lot,’ she remarked before describing it as something you remember,’ whether the tears are ‘happy’ or ‘painful.’

Miley also shared, ‘I don’t know if I’ve seen my dad cry since his dad passed away. My dad, you know… I just haven’t really seen that.’

Miley Cyrus is opening up more about the song she gifted her dad Billy Ray Cyrus as a ‘peace offering’

Miley pictured with her parents Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus in 2019

Elsewhere in the conversation, the Grammy-winning music artist said that music is how she and her father communicate best.

Miley, her father, and some of her siblings were locked in a contentious rift following Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus’ 2022 divorce.

In reference to mending the family conflict, she stated, ‘We didn’t feel that there needed to be a whole conversation, because him and I just communicate better through song.’

She added, ‘And so once he got the song, it feels like it said something in a couple of minutes that would have taken, you know, maybe a family with a more structured, therapeutic dynamic a lot of sessions.’

The Flowers hitmaker explained, ‘But instead of us doing [therapy] sessions, we just do studio sessions and we send a song and we say, “I love you.” And that feels peaceful for us.’

But she clarified she’s not knocking anyone who relies on therapy. 

‘I think if you need that kind of guidance…  and I think it’s important to talk about it. But with me and my dad, we just have always communicated better through music with each other.’

Her dad took to Instagram on Sunday to reiterate what Miley said as he shared a throwback VHS video of them performing together when she was a little girl.

Over the weekend Miley appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, where she revealed her dad’s emotional reaction to the heartfelt memento; pictured in 2009

Billy Ray responded to Miley’s CBS Sunday Morning interview and agreed that music is healing for them

Miley said she and her dad communicate best through song: ‘Instead of us doing [therapy] sessions, we just do studio sessions and we send a song and we say, “I love you.” And that feels peaceful for us’; pictured in 1994

‘Talk about a Sunday Callin!!! Started with @mileycyrus on CBS Sunday Morning. One great song can do more for the soul than a million therapy sessions,’ he captioned.

He emphasized, ‘I agree! Music Changes Everything!! So thankful and grateful to our Almighty Glorious God for all things good after playing baseball with my grandson this morning and feeding the horses.’ 

Billy Ray was married to Tish, 58, from 1993-2022.

In a June episode of Monica Lewinsky’s Reclaiming podcast, Miley revealed exactly why she wrote Secrets.

‘I wrote this song about my dad because I wanted him to tell me even though there were secrets, even though I didn’t really want to know,’ she explained.

She added, ‘I wanted to be the one he felt safe enough to tell me the things that were damning and damaging to the family.

‘I wanted him to think that as a middle child, I’m old enough that I could take some of that.’