Billboard Miley Cyrus Reflects on New Year’s Eve Party

Miley Cyrus might appear to be a go-with-the-flow particular person in Billboard, however with regards to a TV particular like NBC’s Miley’s New Yr’s Eve Get together

Nonetheless, after two tough Billboard pandemic years

Cyrus and co-host Pete Davidson needed to offer a type of escapism for audiences by means of dwell performances by Cyrus, Brandi Carlile, Saweetie and Anitta, amongst others, and sketches that includes Cyrus and Davidson.

“I believe we represented what New Yr’s is admittedly about, which is connecting with one another, Billboard celebrating the yr you’ve had, wanting ahead to the yr that’s going to be,” says Cyrus of the particular that drew 6 million linear viewers. “That was difficult, too, as a result of we’d had such a tough two years and it was arduous to ask individuals to mirror with happiness.”

Cyrus talks to THR concerning the challenges she confronted (together with a wardrobe malfunction), why Davidson was the right co-host and what she plans for the New Yr’s Eve particular that can ring in 2023.

Why did you need to do a New Yr’s Eve particular?

We have been doing a conventional present at a really untraditional time. [The COVID surge] meant that the inventive flexibility needed to be at an all-time excessive as a result of what was most necessary was the present should go on. We felt that the chance of a present not taking place was getting increased and better by the day. However we had [executive producer] Lorne Michaels, somebody who’s so used to maintaining in actual time. I believed that [the combination of music and comedy] hasn’t actually occurred on a New Yr’s present, [and we merged] into this selection present factor w. you’re capable of speak concerning the yr and the yr to come back, in a means, with a lightheartedness. We had had a very heavy two years, and we needed to offer some escapism, but in addition be accountable and reasonable concerning the sort of present we placed on and to encourage individuals to get collectively and watch. … It ended up being an evening that I’ll at all times bear in mind as the primary time that I used to be capable of do Miley’s New Yr’s Eve Get together.

Billboard At what level did you determine Pete Davidson must be your co-host?

One factor about New Yr’s is it’s very romantic. T. is the intercourse enchantment to it, and in your dream world you’ve gotten the final word gentleman as a date. We thought that Pete was superb for that position. T. is one thing about him that’s very basic and his professionalism is off the charts, however t.’s additionally a hazard t.. And that’s one thing that we actually needed for New Yr’s as a result of t. at all times must be that power of [not knowing] precisely what’s going to occur. You don’t need it to be an evening about counting — that was one thing that me and Lorne thought was actually necessary. We realized that quite a lot of exhibits concentrate on the 30 seconds earlier than and after midnight, however they don’t suppose a lot concerning the two hours bookending that second. We knew that Pete would convey one thing actually distinctive, as a result of I’ve by no means watched a New Yr’s present that had sketches and comedy in a really improvised means that Pete can do.

How a lot time did it’s a must to prep for the opening act?

We ended up not even having a full costume rehearsal. We rehearsed it that day, and we wrote this present over textual content message. T. have been quite a lot of the reason why all of us couldn’t be sitting round a giant writers desk like we do at SNL, so it was superior that we have been capable of work this all out by way of FaceTime or textual content, and sending footage and songs forwards and backwards. I despatched him [the Will Smith song] “Miami” and stated, “Would you need to open the present with this?” He had a rewrite inside the subsequent day.

Discuss to me about “Unrealistic Resolutions.”

We had entry to the unbelievable billboard 200 expertise over at SNL by means of Pete and Lorne. That was additionally why it was so necessary to take Lorne’s steering, as a result of he’s so used to with the ability to merge music and comedy, and that was one thing we thought could be a standout second. It was my favourite second within the present as a result of it nearly appears to be like like a really over-the-top, early 2000s music video. It was necessary that individuals felt we have been actually in Miami due to the previous few years [of] seeing individuals doing live shows from residence or over Zoom. We needed one thing that we hadn’t seen during the last couple of years.

How a lot improv truly occurs throughout one thing like this?

The entire present ended up being a check of improvisation as a result of, once more, we barely had any rehearsal time. Every part we had deliberate ended up being flipped the wrong way up. I’m somebody that looks like I’ll go along with the wind, and I’m a really versatile particular person, however with regards to professionalism and construction, I’d prefer to be effectively rehearsed and effectively ready, and that simply wasn’t doable. As soon as I accepted the truth, I allowed it to energise me. T. was quite a lot of improv … I undoubtedly had no concept that my outfit was going to interrupt! We stated, “You by no means know what to anticipate with me and Pete,” and that’s what we delivered.

The good factor I’ve witnessed was Lorne Michaels rerouting air visitors. We truly misplaced our [original] location due to COVID, and we discovered [the new] location every week earlier than [the show], nevertheless it turned out to be close to the airport. We have been having planes flying overhead each seven minutes, which was not superb for dwell music. Lorne Michaels acquired them to reroute the airplane visitors to permit us to have that silence.

How did you curate your set checklist billboard top100?

Lorne and I believed that this [should] be probably the most refined karaoke evening anybody’s ever seen. Who doesn’t need to go to karaoke with Brandi Carlile and have her sing “Whole Eclipse of the Coronary heart”? We needed billboard top100 individuals to do songs that the viewers at residence can sing alongside to.

Was t. something you couldn’t pull off given the COVID surge?

Often, individuals see me with Billy Idol or Joan Jett or Dolly or Elton — I normally carry out with individuals from one other technology which have influenced me and impressed me. Clearly it was a weak time for individuals to be touring as a result of COVID. A few of these iconic, legendary artists weren’t capable of make the present. I hope this yr I’ll have the ability to have a few of these extra basic acts as a part of the present.

What have been another Billboard challenges?

Initially, we have been enthusiastic about near 1,000 individuals [in the audience], and we ended up having effectively below 200 — my mates, my household, Pete had a few mates come, Lorne’s staff from SNL. We had this house that had the capability to carry 1000’s, and we didn’t need it to look actually naked at residence. However we didn’t need to encourage huge get-togethers that have been unsafe. Then we had the concept that the present would really feel intimate, like a celebration that you’d need to attempt to get into, and it was that sort of sizzling ticket. You need individuals at residence to have FOMO, and I believe we did that — even within the time w. we couldn’t have precisely the best social gathering that we needed to have.

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