From Sabrina Carpenter to Chappell Roan: Why pop’s new stars are turning to Hannah Montana

In an online poll, Miley Cyrus was given the dubious honor of being the worst influence of 2009, with 50,000 teenagers voting for her. At the time, the singer — still known for playing Hannah Montana in the eponymous television series — was embarking on a personal crusade to distance herself from the role that made her a celebrity. All the odds were against her: the long history of Disney stars who flamed out, her poor reputation in the media and the lack of support from executives, who thought both Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus were over.

But the singer succeeded. She avoided the fate of other Disney stars navigating through scandals and furious attacks from conservatives, who did not understand that why the angelic Disney girl wanted to twerk. She succeeded thanks to her chameleon-like musical talent and her honesty regarding the challenges and addictions that came close to derailing her.

Today, 15 years after that survey, Miley Cyrus has not only managed to make a name for herself in the pop scene, but has earned the respect of the press, industry and academics, and even the love of Disney, which in August named her a Disney Legend — an award created by the company in the late 1980s to reward people who have made major contributions to the company. Cyrus, at 31, is the youngest person in history to receive this recognition, which has also been awarded to Elton John, Bette Midler, Angela Lansbury and Carrie Fisher. And if that weren’t enough, a new generation of pop stars continues to speak about what an important influence she has been.

“I remember watching the pilot and being like ‘I want to do that. I want to sing, and I want to act, and I want to dance. I want to do all those things,’” Sabrina Carpenter, 25, said about Hannah Montana, which ran from 2006 to 2011, and captured the hearts of a generation of children. Now these children are all grown up, and are taking the reins of today’s entertainment industry. With hits like Espresso and Please Please Please, Carpenter, 25, has become one of the brightest star in pop music. Her career began when she was only 10 years old, and she entered the contest The Next Miley Cyrus Project, which searched throughout the United States for another singing sensation. Although Carpenter came in third place, she won a contract with Disney that launched her career.

“We are now entering the Hannah Montana Generation of pop stars,” Rolling Stone magazine reported in an article published last July. “Carpenter is the prime example of leaning into the Hannah Montana-ification of her own career and brand: in recent years, she has leaned into the high-femme styling, make-up and big blonde hair that has become her signature look when performing [...] Pop music hasn’t been this fun in years.”

Cyrus herself is enjoying this recognition of her figure first-hand. Last year, her song Flowers became the most listened to song in the world and in February she won her first Grammy Award, which she celebrated with an unforgettable performance. What’s more, she is the bookies favorite to perform at the next Super Bowl halftime show, which attracts an audience of more than 120 million viewers and gives a big boost to the singer lucky enough to be holding the microphone.

For singer Chappell Roan, the fact that Miley Cyrus knew her name already made her blush, but the fact that she personally handed her an invitation to one of her private parties was unthinkable. “Miley invited me to a party, and I was like, ‘You don’t know that you were my first concert,’” said Roan, 26, who has become one of the biggest upcoming stars.

Imitating the duality of Hannah Montana, Chappell Roan is the drag persona of Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, who cames from a strict Christian upbringing. The queer pop powerhouse — which Amstutz created over years — has won over the likes of Elton John and Lady Gaga, but is a far cry from the person who describes herself as “really introverted and a homebody.” “I think that having the drag version of myself is nice because it does separate [the public and the private] so well,” she told The Washington Post. In other interviews, she has been very clear about the extent to which the fictional singer influenced her career: “I just want to be Hannah Montana. That’s what I liked when I was little.”

It’s a common feeling. Roan rose to fame as the opening act of Olivia Rodrigo, 21, another Disney star who has broken free like Cyrus. This year, she was even accused of plagiarism because one of her latest singles, All American Bitch, resembles a song (Start All Over) released by Cyrus in 2008. Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers... their careers have also been shaped by the success of Hannah Montana, which reached a global audience of 200 million viewers.

Troye Sivan — a global pop star and an LGBTQ+ icon — is another singer who has publicly talked about how Miley Cyrus impacted his personal and professional identity. “When I was like 13 or whatever and watching Hannah Montana, I thought she was the like coolest person in the world, and she wrote a song called My Heart Beats For Love. She said in an interview that it was about her gay best friend. And I was like, ‘Oh my god, Miley Cyrus has a gay best friend. Why am I not that person?’ I was like, ‘If everyone in the world rejects me, I can just go become friends with Miley Cyrus,’” said Sivan.

Queer rapper Lil Nas X, 25, channeled his love for Hannah Montana by collaborating with the star’s father both on and off the show. His cover of the country hit Old Town Road — which features Billy Ray Cyrus — became a viral sensation and was the hit song of 2019. “When my peers are having these experiences and accepting themselves because of something that I demonstrated while they were a kid, that’s when I go, ‘Shit, I fucking am Hannah Montana,’” Miley told Billboard magazine.

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