Miley Cyrus completely opened up about her still on-going battle with Reinke’s edema. This unusual vocal condition has severely limited her career as a performer and artist. Polypoid corditis is swelling along the length of the vocal cords. This is why it causes hoarseness and a deepening of the voice. As a performer, Cyrus has dealt with special obstacles from her vocal cord disorder. She’s been dealing with this condition for over two decades.
We know that Reinke’s edema is frequently exacerbated by lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption. It can be exacerbated by things like overuse of the vocal cords and chronic laryngopharyngeal reflux, a form of acid reflux. These factors have made it difficult for Cyrus to maintain her vocal health while fulfilling her commitments as an artist. Though the journey has been difficult, Ariana has leaned into her condition, even calling her new voice “super unique” because of it.
Cyrus has gravitated towards non-surgical options, worried that if she goes under the knife her unique sound will be lost forever. In the past, she has made her opposition clear to the deregulatory and risky efforts to expand surgery. She very clearly and emotionally said that she cannot proceed because she is scared of waking up without her natural voice. Instead, she’s chosen alternative treatments like laser therapy and therapeutic injections to keep her condition at bay.
…Looking back on her time spent on tour, Cyrus mused on the extreme physicality that performing has on her body. In her 2023 TikTok series “Used to Be Young,” she became vulnerable with viewers about the exhaustive realities of tour life. She illustrated how it deeply affects her livelihood. She recognizes the importance of balancing performance with recovery, stating, “If you’re performing at a certain level of intensity and excellence, there should be an equal amount of recovery and rest.”
Cyrus is really into her vocal health and sustainability. She hasn’t shied away from extending tours or taking time off from being onstage at all. Her commitment to preserving her voice is emblematic of the greater struggle between Joe’s artistic pursuit and the harm it can do to the artists we love.
“My whole team sitting in the other room can tell you, I put a tour together, like every other week, because I want to do it, but it would have to be in a way that is sustainable for me.” – Miley Cyrus
Cyrus says her condition has taken a toll on her everyday life as well. In the podcast, she explained what it feels like when her voice gets strained after a long day. Imagine trying to have a conversation over the radio. This vocal exhaustion is emblematic of the struggle she goes through every single day with her vocal health.
“When I’m talking, sometimes at the end of the day, I’ll call my mom, and she’ll go, ‘Oh, you sound like you’re talking through a radio.’ And that’s how you know I’m really tired.” – Miley Cyrus
Musician and vocalist Gaelynn Lea Cyrus confidently navigates her distinctive vocal timbre through a myriad of obstacles. She realizes that this quality is a key component of her artistic expression. She reflects on how the large polyp on her vocal cord contributes to the tone and texture of her voice, making it distinctly hers. She acknowledges that performing with this condition is akin to “running a marathon with ankle weights on.”
