Not a day goes by when Miley Cyrus ceases to surprise us. She’s always doing something different, saying something absurd yet still on brand with her own self and wearing something you’d probably never see on a runway. And that’s all fine because she’s just being Miley. But, when the former Hannah Montana star decided to chop off her long hair back in 2012, it was a big freaking deal. Everyone was talking about it because not everyone liked it. This hair chop could arguably have been a crazier move than the time she twerked on stage with Robin Thicke.

Five years later, Miley is explaining why she decided to make the bold hair decision. She chatted with NME and said, “I still really want to be an entertainer and show up in my own way and I don’t want to look like anybody else. With the short hair thing, it was an androgynous, sexy feeling, which is what I want people to feel like. I don’t wanna be over-feminized, but I’m not masculine either – I’m just myself. [What] people don’t really understand [about] gender fluidity is by feeling nothing, I feel everything. So I feel like this record is expressing that more than ever.”

Finally, we’ve got some answers. But, the songstress has certainly changed since this short-haired phase of her life. She now is growing her locks back out yet actually said in an interview in 2013 that she would rock the short ‘do forever. Miley talked to E! News and said, “I feel like I had bun every day of my life. I hated the extensions hair—that’s sewn into your head. It’s creepy. You will never see me with long hair again! My fiancé [Liam Hemsworth] loves it…It’s so easy and [I] don’t need to wash it. It looks better grungy and not washing it.”

Ironically, the old Miley has seemingly taken a rest. Not only is present-day Miley growing her hair back out but she has also quit smoking marijuana and drinking, which are things she used to really have a thing for. The “Malibu” singer talked to [SiriusXM](https://soundcloud.com/siriusxmmusic/miley-on-stopping-smoking-weed?adjustt=1w16gbefkl30&adjustdeeplink=soundcloud%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloudgo&ref=t5664&adjustfallback=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.soundcloud.com%2Fgo%3Fref%3Dt5664&adjustlabel=1011l4wJMdTC&adjustinstallcallback=http%3A%2F%2Fprf.hn%2Fconversion%2Ftrackingmode%3Aapi%2Fclickref%3A1011l4wJMdTC%2Fconversiontime%3A%7Bcreatedat%7D%2Fconversionref%3AI-%7Badid%7D%2Fcountry%3A%7Bcountry%7D%2Fcustref%3A%7Badid%7D%2Fipaddress%3A%7Bipaddress%7D%2Fuseragent%3A%7Buseragent%7D%2Fconversionreferer%3A%7Bclickreferer%7D%2Fadref%3A%7Bstore%7D%2Fcurrency%3A%7Bcurrency%7D%2F%5Bcategory%3AInstall%2Fsku%3A%7Btracker%7D%2Fversion%3A%7Bappversionraw%7D%2Fvalue%3A%7Brevenue%7D%2Fappname%3A%7Bappname%7D%5D&adjusteventcallbackbhxy2aqj35ig1n0o91cn058f=http%3A%2F%2Fprf.hn%2Fconversion%2Ftrackingmode%3Aapi%2Fclickref%3A1011l4wJMdTC%2Fconversiontime%3A%7Bcreatedat%7D%2Fconversionref%3AI-%7Badid%7D%2Fcountry%3A%7Bcountry%7D%2Fcustref%3A%7Badid%7D%2Fipaddress%3A%7Bipaddress%7D%2Fuseragent%3A%7Buseragent%7D%2Fconversionreferer%3A%7Bclickreferer%7D%2Fadref%3A%7Bstore%7D%2Fcurrency%3A%7Bcurrency%7D%2F%5Bcategory%3AEvent%2Fsku%3A%7Bevent%7D%2Fversion%3A%7Bappversionraw%7D%2Fvalue%3A%7Brevenue%7D%2Fappname%3A%7Bappname%7D%5D)_ and said, “Look at my eyes, look at how white they are. They’re clear and open and I can see and all that. A lot of people have reached out to me and they’re like, ‘You know, if you want help or if you want to go to these meetings’ and I’m like, ‘No, when I want something, I can do it.'”

She continued, “Anything that I want to do, if I want to stop or start something, I can do anything. I just decided not to [smoke] anymore and now it’s easy for me. I’ve got a lot of energy. I’ve always had a lot of energy. I’m a very obsessive person, which I need to work on, but also it helps in my position to be a little obsessive because then I can really get things done and make sure it’s perfect.”

Between her new music, her new hair, her new style and her new mentality about life and substance abuse, we have a feeling things are looking pretty perfect. Whether Miley wants to believe it or not, the hair chop really was just a phase.

Love J-14? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars.