Miley Cyrus ends 13-year Billboard wait with Bass Persuades at No. 1

Miley Cyrus has done it again. After more than a decade away from the top of the Billboard 200, the singer is back at No. 1. This time, she is doing it simply as Miley. Her new album, Bass Persuades, has debuted at No. 1 with 61,000 equivalent album units, according to Billboard. The result gives Cyrus her first chart-topping album since Bangerz reached No. 1 in 2013, ending a wait of nearly 13 years. The race was remarkably close. Ella Langley’s Dandelion arrived at No. 2 with nearly 61,000 units, while Riley Green’s That’s Just Me opened at No. 3 with 60,000 units.

So what makes this No. 1 different from Miley’s earlier chart victories?

Miley is entering a new era: and leaving her last name behind

The chart achievement arrives alongside a deliberate reset in how Cyrus is presenting herself. For this album cycle, the singer has been billing herself professionally simply as Miley, dropping “Cyrus” from the album’s presentation. Bass Persuades, released on September 18, is her 10th studio album and her first project released through Atlantic Records after her move away from Columbia, according to Billboard.

It follows Something Beautiful, which debuted at No. 4 in 2025, and Endless Summer Vacation, which opened at No. 3 in 2023. In other words, Miley has remained a regular presence near the top of the chart. But No. 1 had proved elusive since Bangerz.

Now that wait is over.

What is Bass Persuades actually about?

The album’s title track, “Bass Persuades”, gives listeners a clue to the new sound Cyrus is exploring. Rather than leaning entirely into the rock, country or stripped-back sounds that have appeared at different points in her recent work, the new era moves towards synth-heavy, dance-oriented pop.

The song plays with the idea of music overpowering the constant digital chatter around us — a world of screens, notifications and endless connection. Its central invitation is almost wonderfully simple: stop scrolling, turn up the music and actually be present.

That theme also fits the larger album campaign, which Cyrus has used to introduce a more stripped-down professional identity while experimenting with a glossy, retro-inspired pop aesthetic.

Miley celebrates the No. 1 with a very Miley moment

Cyrus did not let the chart news pass quietly. Celebrating the achievement on Instagram, she thanked her team, Atlantic Records and, most importantly, her fans. She described the experience of making Bass Persuades as some of the best and most enjoyable times she has had creatively.

She later shared a photograph of herself with a giant floral arrangement shaped like the number “1” — a suitably dramatic visual for a singer who has spent much of her career turning reinvention into an art form. And there is something fitting about the timing.

Miley first became a global phenomenon through Hannah Montana. She then moved through teen pop, glossy mainstream hits, provocative reinventions, rock-influenced projects and more intimate songwriting. Each phase has brought a different version of her to the audience.

Thirteen years later, Miley is back where Bangerz left her

The last time Cyrus topped the Billboard 200 was October 2013, when Bangerz debuted at No. 1 with hits including “Wrecking Ball” and “We Can’t Stop”.

Since then, the music industry itself has changed dramatically. Streaming has transformed how Billboard measures success, physical sales have become increasingly important for dedicated fan bases, and artists have found new ways to build album campaigns around multiple editions and formats.

Yet the basic achievement remains remarkably simple: Miley has another No. 1 album.

And after 13 years, that makes Bass Persuades more than just another entry in her discography. It is the latest chapter in one of pop music’s longest-running stories of reinvention.

(With inputs from ANI)