Noah Cyrus hasn't had what you or I might call a normal upbringing. Her dad is 90s country icon Billy Ray Cyrus, the guy who gave us "Achy Breaky Heart," and her sister is a somewhat famous Flaming Lips collaborator called Miley. But as soon as I walks into Noah's suite at a fancy London hotel, it's clear this 17-year-old is not the affected type. I go to shake her hand and she goes in for the hug instead. Over the next half hour or so, the self-described motormouth chats candidly about the way she wants to build her music career. She's certainly off to a good start: her sleek and slightly strange debut single "Make Me (Cry)," with Labrinth recently cracked the Billboard Hot 100 (64 million YouTube views and counting), and though her album won't be out till fall at the earliest, she's already given it a genius title: NC-17.
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Noah appears relaxed and super-friendly but this doesn't mean she's a soft touch. She's been an animal rights activist since she was 13 and speaks proudly about her work with PETA. They've recently successfully campaigned for the Ringling Bros. Circus to give up using live elephants in their shows. "We've always wanted to help in any way we could," Noah says in an NBD kind of way. "I think it's great that Miley's trying to help people, and I'm trying to helping animals."Because of her surname, people will inevitably have an opinion on Noah before they've even listened to her music. So we try to find out a little more about what makes her tick.Noisey: It's been four months since "Make Me (Cry)" dropped. How have things changed for you since then?
Noah Cyrus: I don't think I've changed as a person at all. I mean, I still have the same friends and everything. The only thing that's changed is how much I'm home and how many eyes I have on me.Is that strange, though, having all those eyes on you?
No, because I grew up with it. But it's never been like this, so I guess it is kind of different. Because this is my first time having a single out, I do feel very vulnerable, but I think that's actually a very good feeling to have. I was so nervous the day the single came out. Like, I cried the night before. I was like, "I'm scared, I don't wanna do this!" But then it went out and luckily, I could see people were really connecting with it.
Noah Cyrus: I don't think I've changed as a person at all. I mean, I still have the same friends and everything. The only thing that's changed is how much I'm home and how many eyes I have on me.Is that strange, though, having all those eyes on you?
No, because I grew up with it. But it's never been like this, so I guess it is kind of different. Because this is my first time having a single out, I do feel very vulnerable, but I think that's actually a very good feeling to have. I was so nervous the day the single came out. Like, I cried the night before. I was like, "I'm scared, I don't wanna do this!" But then it went out and luckily, I could see people were really connecting with it.
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Did you always want to do music?
I knew I wanted to do it, but then at the same time, I felt like I wanted to wait and I wanted to grow up a bit. But then I started writing songs when I was 14…So waiting went out the window…
I know! So I've been writing this album for, like, two or three years now. I actually started singing at this open mike night at this place called Crave Café [in LA], which is where I met all my friends too. I'd always loved performing with my dad, but then Ben Howard came out with this album called I Forget Where We Were in 2014 and that was really inspiring to me. I was like, "How can I learn to write in a way that makes people connect the way I connect with Ben Howard?" That was my main goal, and hopefully I accomplished that with "Make Me (Cry)." I feel like people are really grabbing onto the song and making it relate to their own personal situations.When you were doing the open mike night, were you able to go incognito?
Uh-huh. I put in under a different name. Just for fun, just to try it out. And just in case I sucked! I guess once my dad got there, people figured it out though. But it was a really fun moment.Obviously being a Cyrus means people are guaranteed to pay attention to you, but does it also have a downside? Are you worried people may have preconceptions about you?
That's the only downside, I guess, but I've always loved having that connection to them. I think that now I have my own music out, people aren't expecting something from me in the same way; they're now starting to know who I am. So there's no, "Noah needs to sound like this," or "Noah needs to sound like that."
I knew I wanted to do it, but then at the same time, I felt like I wanted to wait and I wanted to grow up a bit. But then I started writing songs when I was 14…So waiting went out the window…
I know! So I've been writing this album for, like, two or three years now. I actually started singing at this open mike night at this place called Crave Café [in LA], which is where I met all my friends too. I'd always loved performing with my dad, but then Ben Howard came out with this album called I Forget Where We Were in 2014 and that was really inspiring to me. I was like, "How can I learn to write in a way that makes people connect the way I connect with Ben Howard?" That was my main goal, and hopefully I accomplished that with "Make Me (Cry)." I feel like people are really grabbing onto the song and making it relate to their own personal situations.When you were doing the open mike night, were you able to go incognito?
Uh-huh. I put in under a different name. Just for fun, just to try it out. And just in case I sucked! I guess once my dad got there, people figured it out though. But it was a really fun moment.Obviously being a Cyrus means people are guaranteed to pay attention to you, but does it also have a downside? Are you worried people may have preconceptions about you?
That's the only downside, I guess, but I've always loved having that connection to them. I think that now I have my own music out, people aren't expecting something from me in the same way; they're now starting to know who I am. So there's no, "Noah needs to sound like this," or "Noah needs to sound like that."
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You now have 2.8 million Instagram followers. Does that make you more cautious about what you post?
I mean, I'm not really worried about what I'm posting because I've always wanted to show people the real me. At times, I do wish I had a "normal" Instagram, but at the same time, I do feel like I should be able to share whatever I want with my fans. So I do. I mean, I annoy the crap out of them by posting a tonne of Legend of Zelda stuff.Have your team ever tried to take your passwords off you? Adele has said she's not allowed to post directly to Twitter in case she starts drunk-tweeting.
No way! Oh my gosh, that is so funny. I mean, my team has my Instagram passwords because I never answer my texts and it can take them ages to get me to post something that they actually need me to post. But I don't think anyone's worried about me drunk-tweeting or something, because I always post stupid stuff anyway.Is it important for you to give your fans a real glimpse into your life?
Yeah. I mean, I think it's really important for artists to have videos out there showing who they are. Because obviously your fans can't hang out with you every day, so that's how they get to know you. I'm talking about doing Snapchat or Instagram live, or just having videos on YouTube.Is there a line for you—stuff you won't show on Instagram?
There's not really a line that I feel like I need to draw. I've posted some really personal things. But there are times when I think, "I wanna post this, but it should probably just be a 'me' thing—it should just be for my memory." There are those certain special moments that I just want to keep to myself. So I do.
I mean, I'm not really worried about what I'm posting because I've always wanted to show people the real me. At times, I do wish I had a "normal" Instagram, but at the same time, I do feel like I should be able to share whatever I want with my fans. So I do. I mean, I annoy the crap out of them by posting a tonne of Legend of Zelda stuff.Have your team ever tried to take your passwords off you? Adele has said she's not allowed to post directly to Twitter in case she starts drunk-tweeting.
No way! Oh my gosh, that is so funny. I mean, my team has my Instagram passwords because I never answer my texts and it can take them ages to get me to post something that they actually need me to post. But I don't think anyone's worried about me drunk-tweeting or something, because I always post stupid stuff anyway.Is it important for you to give your fans a real glimpse into your life?
Yeah. I mean, I think it's really important for artists to have videos out there showing who they are. Because obviously your fans can't hang out with you every day, so that's how they get to know you. I'm talking about doing Snapchat or Instagram live, or just having videos on YouTube.Is there a line for you—stuff you won't show on Instagram?
There's not really a line that I feel like I need to draw. I've posted some really personal things. But there are times when I think, "I wanna post this, but it should probably just be a 'me' thing—it should just be for my memory." There are those certain special moments that I just want to keep to myself. So I do.
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What do you want people to think when they hear the same Noah Cyrus?
I just hope they think artist—and not just, like, some public figure. I want them to know me for my music, and to know it's very personal and it's real. I don't want them to think it's just some BS that they're hearing. I want them to know it's actually me and my life experiences that they're relating to.What do you want the takeaway from this interview to be?
That people got to know me a little more. I want them to feel like they're getting real with me, almost like having a conversation.OK, so on that note, tell us how you spend a day off.
So I'd wake up kind of early. Like 8 AM, that's when I wake up naturally. But then I'd stay in bed till, like, 1 PM watching Netflix and stuff. I'd probably stay in my pyjamas till like 5 PM and then I'd get ready and go for sushi. And then I'd come back and get in the same pyjamas again until I fall asleep. That's what I do on my off days. Either that or I go and hang out with my friends.What would you watch on Netflix?
I really love Shameless and American Horror Story.Would you like to be in American Horror Story? Ryan Murphy's pretty good at finding roles for musicians.
Oh my God, I would love to be in American Horror Story! It makes me so upset that I'm not! [calls to manager] "Dan, I want to be in American Horror Story!" I think I'd want to play a nice character that dies and then comes back to haunt everybody. Maybe if they ever re-do Murder House, I could be a new ghost? That would probably be the ideal situation. But honestly, I'm like, Ryan can make me an extra—just put me in the background in the grocery store. I'd literally do anything in American Horror Story."Make Me (Cry)" by Noah Cyrus is out now.Follow Nick Levine on Twitter.
I just hope they think artist—and not just, like, some public figure. I want them to know me for my music, and to know it's very personal and it's real. I don't want them to think it's just some BS that they're hearing. I want them to know it's actually me and my life experiences that they're relating to.What do you want the takeaway from this interview to be?
That people got to know me a little more. I want them to feel like they're getting real with me, almost like having a conversation.OK, so on that note, tell us how you spend a day off.
So I'd wake up kind of early. Like 8 AM, that's when I wake up naturally. But then I'd stay in bed till, like, 1 PM watching Netflix and stuff. I'd probably stay in my pyjamas till like 5 PM and then I'd get ready and go for sushi. And then I'd come back and get in the same pyjamas again until I fall asleep. That's what I do on my off days. Either that or I go and hang out with my friends.What would you watch on Netflix?
I really love Shameless and American Horror Story.Would you like to be in American Horror Story? Ryan Murphy's pretty good at finding roles for musicians.
Oh my God, I would love to be in American Horror Story! It makes me so upset that I'm not! [calls to manager] "Dan, I want to be in American Horror Story!" I think I'd want to play a nice character that dies and then comes back to haunt everybody. Maybe if they ever re-do Murder House, I could be a new ghost? That would probably be the ideal situation. But honestly, I'm like, Ryan can make me an extra—just put me in the background in the grocery store. I'd literally do anything in American Horror Story."Make Me (Cry)" by Noah Cyrus is out now.Follow Nick Levine on Twitter.