Miley Cyrus called out her producer for suggesting male fans might not understand some of her lyrics
There’s still a frustrating double standard in the way society looks at men and women, and sadly, it applies no matter what field you work in. For instance, Miley Cyrus recently shared that her producer thought she should change one of her song’s lyrics because of how male fans might interpret them. But she stood up for herself and made sure her artistic vision was honored.
In an interview in the August 2019 issue of Elle magazine, Cyrus got real about the sexist double standards that female artists have to deal with in the recording industry. She said that her producer, Mark Ronson, objected to the lyrics in a new song she was working on, “Never Be Me.” The chorus, according to Cyrus, goes, “If you’re looking for faithful, that’ll never be me. If you’re looking for stable, that’ll never be me. If you’re looking for someone that’ll be all that you need, that’s never going to be me.” Ronson apparently worried that the song’s words would alienate male listeners.
"When I first played it for [producer] Mark Ronson, he was like, 'You can’t say that. You have guy fans, and they’re not going to understand what you mean. I don’t even understand what you mean,'" Cyrus told Elle.
Cyrus responded by (rightfully) pointing out that men sing about being unfaithful all the time without getting called out. And happily, she said that Ronson took her comments in stride.
"I’m like, 'But you wouldn’t say anything about it if a man came in and played that record,'" she said. "And then two days later, he hit me up and he’s like, 'You’re absolutely right. I totally get your perspective.'"
There are many songs written by men that deal with infidelity. Cyrus noted in her conversation with Elle that even one of her mom’s favorite tunes, “Stand By Your Man” by Tammy Wynette, conveys such an idea. The song’s lyrics, per Genius, implore women to “stand by your man” even when he does “things you don’t understand.”
It’s maddening that in 2019, women are still expected to place a high priority on men’s reactions to them. We’re proud of Cyrus for standing firm and defending her lyrics, and we’re also glad that Ronson took her words under consideration.
