It was seeing Hannah Montana that Sabrina Carpenter understood, at 6 years old, who she wanted to be. “After watching the pilot episode I thought: that's what I want to do too, I want to sing, act, dance”, she said in 2020. Three years later, Carpenter had a big break thanks to Miley Cyrus. She in fact participated in the MileyWorld Superstar Contest. The prize was a recording contract. In the end, she came in third, but within a few years she still found her way to Disney, being recruited for Girl Meets Worldand for his career in the music world.
From 2006 to 2011, it was impossible to avoid the phenomenon of Hannah Montana and, consequently, Miley Cyrus. The plot was perfect for a series for kids: by day, the protagonist was Miley Stewart, a normal high school student with normal school problems; by night, she put on a blonde wig and transformed into her alter ego, the superstar Hannah Montana. Hannah's life as a star was all glitter and pop, and from there came some of the best songs related to the world of Disney of the time and real hits. The series transformed Cyrus into a megastar so much so that when Miley started to write songs under her own name it seemed as if the transformation into Hannah Montana had become a reality before our eyes.
Sabrina Carpenter isn't the only Gen Z pop star who found her calling on the show. Chappell Roan has made no secret of her love for Hannah Montanathe real starting point of her career. In New York in 2023 she even performed dressed up as Hannah Montana for some songs. The same goes for Olivia Rodrigo who, by showing photos and videos of when she was little, made it clear how much she loved the series (she too, like Sabrina Carpenter, started working on Disney TV). Even JoJo Siwa's beginnings have to do with the series: her mother told years ago Rolling Stone that she wanted her daughter to become “the next Hannah Montana.” More recently, Siwa cited Bangerz of Miley Cyrus as a major inspiration for her turn towards more adult music.
In reality the effects of the success of Hannah Montana they felt it right away, having favored the careers of Cyrus' peers like Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato or the Jonas Brothers, with their films and their series. But the impact of the program and Miley Cyrus is reaching its peak in these months. We are truly witnessing the success of the Hannah Montana generation, that is, young pop stars who not only refer to the slightly excessive and slightly daring aesthetic of the TV series, and to that type of deliberately sugary pop, but embrace the exaggerated lifestyle of Hannah Montana and not that of Miley Stewart who is more of a girl next door.
The most striking example is Sabrina Carpenter who gave a spin to her career looking right at Hannah Montana first of all in the choice of look: a super feminine styling, with make-up and big blonde hair. It is quite evident in her latest songs, Feather, Expressed And Please Please Pleasewhich fit perfectly with the very feminine character we see in the video and who is apparently shy and pastel-colored.
Even Chappell Roan's music, before the boom, was a mix of diaristic songs and big pop anthems ready to be sung in a arena. Hits like Hot to Go! And Femininomenon They're exactly the kind of song Hannah Montana would have made with a few more years under her belt, matching the swagger of Rock Star with the catchiness of Nobody's Perfect or The Best of Both Worlds.
It's probably no coincidence that Miley Cyrus' career has been reborn at a time when the influence of her old persona is strongest. Last year's single Flowers is her biggest hit, quite a feat for someone with a nearly 20-year career behind her and a familiarity with platinum records. This year she also won her first Grammy, a long-awaited award that she celebrated on stage with a head-turning performance. Unlike her other TV appearances, this time all the attention was focused on her singing and stage presence. There was no need for anything else.
For the Hannah Montana generation, this is just the beginning. Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan have been working their tails off for years before they became the hitmakers we know today. I wonder how many other young women who learned to write songs or perform by watching Cyrus are waiting for their moment.
From Rolling Stone US.
