Miley Cyrus does not hold back on her new song “Muddy Feet.” A collaboration with Sia, the ninth track on Endless Summer Vacation is a vicious takedown of a cheating ex-partner. With lyrics like these, her don't-mess-with-me message is clear: “You smell like perfume that I didn’t purchase / Now I know why you’ve been closing the curtains / Get the fuck out of my house.”
Cyrus' gravely vocals and full-out belting give the song extra power and edge, especially when paired with her scathing lyrics. In one verse, she accuses someone of manipulating her (“Back and forth always questioning my questioning / Get the fuck out of my head with that shit”), and in another part, she calls a partner out for putting her down (“You watered the weeds / And you killed all the roses”). It's pretty brutal.
Cyrus doesn't name names, but fans didn't take long to speculate whether the song is about her ex-husband, Liam Hemsworth. (They divorced in 2019.) It's possible it could be about another ex, from before or after their marriage. Whoever the song is based on, listening to it will probably ruin their day.
However, it's worth noting that in 2019, Miley shut down rumors that infidelity led to the end of her marriage to Hemsworth. (At the time, those included rumors that she cheated too.) “I can accept that the life I’ve chosen means I must live completely open and transparent with my fans who I love, and the public, 100% of the time. What I cannot accept is being told I’m lying to cover up a crime I haven’t committed. I have nothing to hide,” she tweeted.
“I can admit to a lot of things but I refuse to admit that my marriage ended because of cheating,” she added. “Liam and I have been together for a decade. I’ve said it before & it remains true, I love Liam and always will.”
Cheating rumors bubbled up again early this year after the release of “Flowers,” when an unconfirmed viral tweet claimed the music video was shot at a house where Hemsworth allegedly cheated on Cyrus with multiple women. While Cyrus hasn't confirmed or addressed this herself, her sister Brandi mentioned the fan theory—as well as many others about the song—in a podcast interview in January.
She said, “Then the other one [theory] was, ‘The house is the house where Liam used to take people [to] cheat on her with.’ The narratives are f*cking hilarious, but it’s so great. The best PR that could ever happen because it gets people talking about the song on TikTok and it’s everywhere. And it’s just so fun to watch it all play out. Miley fans, I love ya.”
But when asked if any of the theories or rumors were true, Brandi responded, “I’m not here to say that’s true and what’s not true,” she said. “Only Miley knows the truth.”
Miley has yet to explain the inspirations behind Muddy Feet, but she does discuss her general writing process for the album in her Backyard Sessions on Disney+. “When I’m writing a song, I try to be really descriptive in my lyrics and paint a picture of the moment in time that the song stemmed from,” she says.
She also confirms that there is, indeed, “subtle shade” in the record. “The fun thing is if you’re a friend of mine, if you’re close to me and you listen to this album, it sounds like a conversation with me,” she adds. “There’s subtle shade, there’s honesty and truth, and there’s some wisdom and there’s some humor and there’s some heaviness and depth. They just really connect me and whoever’s listening in aw ay that feels like an intimate, honest conversation.”
Read the full lyrics to “Muddy Feet” below. The song was written by Cyrus, Bibi Bourelly, Aldae, Michael Pollack, Mike WiLL Made-It, Jesse van der Meulen, Sia, Jesse Shatkin, Pam Sheyne, David Frank & Steve Kipner. It was produced by Mike WiLL Made-It, Jesse Shatkin, Jonny Coffer, Jerome Williams and Zwiffa.
I don’t know who the hell you think you’re messing with
Get the fuck outta my house with that shit
Get the fuck out of my life with that shit
I don’t know who the hell you think you’re messing with
Get the fuck outta my house with that shit
Get the fuck out of my life with that shit
You smell like perfume that I didn’t purchase
Now I know why you’ve been closing the curtains
Get the fuck out of my house
You’re coming around
With your muddy feet
I’mma bout to something about it
Yeah I’mma have to do something bout it
You keep coming round
With your muddy feet
And I’mma have to do something about it
Yeah I’mma bout to do something about it
Back and forth always questioning my questioning
Get the fuck out of my head with that shit
Get the fuck out of my bed with that shit
You watered the weeds
And you killed all the roses
Worthy arrives when the other door closes
So get the fuck out of my house with that shit
You’re coming round
With your muddy feet
I’mma bout to do something about it
Yeah I’mma have to do something bout it
And I don’t know who you’re messing with
Yeah I’mma have to do something bout it
I’m about to do something about it
Whoooahhhhhhh
You’re coming around
You’re coming around, baby
Get the fuck out of my house with that shit
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
