Miley Cyrus appears to address younger sister Noah Cyrus on “Innocent Ways,” one of the most personal tracks on her new album, Bass Persuades.
Released September 18, the song finds Miley speaking to a younger sister dealing with the pressures of fame while drawing on lessons from her own experience. Entertainment Weekly identified Noah as the apparent subject, while Rolling Stone described her as the presumed inspiration.
Miley does not identify Noah by name, leaving the connection unconfirmed. Noah is Miley’s only younger sister, is also a recording artist and has spent much of her life navigating public attention alongside the rest of the Cyrus family.
Rather than framing the sister as an adversary, Miley writes from the perspective of someone recognizing familiar struggles and wanting to pass along lessons she learned after becoming famous at a young age.
The Song Draws Parallels Between Miley and Her Younger Sister
“Innocent Ways” describes concern over late-night phone calls, the effects of fame and a sister going through a difficult period. Miley also acknowledges seeing parts of her younger self in what the other woman is experiencing.
Rolling Stone described the track as coming from the perspective of a concerned older singer speaking from experience. The publication also noted a playful reference to Miley influencing her sister’s interest in Blondie, adding a familiar sibling dynamic to the heavier material.
Entertainment Weekly highlighted another part of the song involving a letter Miley regrets sending and unsuccessful attempts to make contact. Those details add tension without establishing publicly what specific events inspired them.
The song arrives on Miley’s 10th studio album, which also includes material about fiancé Maxx Morando, her career and other relationships that have shaped her life.
Miley Explained the Advice Behind ‘Grace Comes With Age’
During her interview with Zane Lowe, Miley discussed the lyric, “Grace comes with age, but don’t tell her,” and explained why advice from an older person can be difficult to understand before someone has lived through the experience themselves.
Miley said she would not have understood that perspective when she was younger either. Telling someone that maturity or clarity will arrive later does little for a person who has not yet reached that stage of life.
Her comments place the line within a broader idea about age and experience rather than presenting it as criticism. Miley has spent more than two decades in the public eye after becoming internationally famous as a teenager on Hannah Montana.
Noah Has Called Miley a ‘Great Role Model’
Noah spoke positively about her older sister in a 2025 interview with People, saying Miley’s career gave her an early look at both the opportunities and difficulties that come with working in music.
She said watching Miley move from the Hannah Montana years through later phases of her career helped her understand choices she might want to make differently herself. Their age difference also allowed Noah to observe those experiences before facing similar decisions professionally.
Noah called Miley “a great role model” and said she had learned from watching her sister rather than always needing direct advice. She began releasing her own music as a teenager and later earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
The sisters have also collaborated publicly, including a 2020 performance of Noah’s “I Got So High That I Saw Jesus” and a 2022 rendition of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”