title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan's system of governance nominally can be called two-tiered. The top or highest tier of the government is the Executive Power headed by President. The President appoints the Cabinet of Ministers and other high-ranking officials. The Local Executive Authority is merely a continuation of Executive Power. The Provision determines the legal status of local state administration in Azerbaijan on Local Executive Authority ("Yerli Icra Hakimiyati"), adopted 16 June 1999. In June 2012, the President approved the new Regulation, which granted additional powers to Local Executive Authorities, strengthening their dominant position in Azerbaijan's local affairs Chapter 9 of the Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic addresses major issues of local self-government, such as the legal status of municipalities, types of local self-government bodies, their basic powers and relationships to other official entities. The other nominal tier of governance is municipalities ("Bələdiyə"), and members of municipalities are elected by a general vote in Municipal elections every five years. Currently, there are 1,607 municipalities across the country. The Law on Municipal Elections and the Law on the Status of Municipalities were the first to be adopted in the field of local government (2 July 1999). The Law on Municipal Service regulates the activities of municipal employees, their rights, duties, labor conditions, and social benefits and outlines the structure of the executive apparatus and the organization of municipal service. The Law on the Status of Municipalities regulates the role and structure of municipal bodies and outlines state guarantees of legal and financial autonomy. The law pays special attention to the adoption and execution of municipal programs concerning social protection, social and economic development, and the local environment.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The Security Council is the deliberative body under the president, and he organizes it according to the Constitution. It was established on 10 April 1997. The administrative department is not a part of the president's office but manages the financial, technical and pecuniary activities of both the president and his office.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Called a "dynastic dictatorship", the country has been led by Heydar Aliyev (who led Soviet Azerbaijan from 1969 to 1982) and then his son Ilham Aliyev since 1993. Although Azerbaijan has held several elections since regaining its independence and it has many of the formal institutions of democracy, it remains categorised as "not free" by Freedom House, who ranked it 9/100 on Global Freedom Score in 2022, calling it a "consolidated authoritarian regime". In recent years, large numbers of Azerbaijani journalists, bloggers, lawyers, and human rights activists have been rounded up and jailed for their criticism of President Aliyev and government authorities. A resolution adopted by the European Parliament in September 2015 described Azerbaijan as "having suffered the greatest decline in democratic governance in all of Eurasia over the past ten years," noting as well that its dialogue with the country on human rights has "not made any substantial progress." On 17 March 2016, the President of Azerbaijan signed a decree pardoning more than a dozen of the persons regarded as political prisoners by some NGOs. This decree was welcomed as a positive step by the US State Department. On 16 March 2017 another pardon decree was signed, which led to the release of additional persons regarded as political prisoners.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan has been harshly criticized for bribing foreign officials and diplomats to promote its causes abroad and legitimize its elections at home, a practice termed caviar diplomacy. However, on 6 March 2017, the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center ESISC) published a report called "The Armenian Connection", in which it attacked human rights NGOs and research organisations criticising human rights violations and corruption in Azerbaijan.


title: Azerbaijan

text: ESISC in that report asserted that the "Caviar Diplomacy" report elaborated by ESI aimed to create a climate of suspicion based on slander to form a network of MPs that would engage in a political war against Azerbaijan and that the network, composed of European PMs, Armenian officials, and some NGOs (Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, "Human Rights House Foundation", "Open Dialog, European Stability Initiative, and Helsinki Committee for Human Rights) was financed by the Soros Foundation. According to Robert Coalson (Radio Free Europe), ESISC is a part of Baku's lobbying efforts to extend the use of front think tanks to shift public opinion. Freedom Files Analytical Centre said that "The report is written in the worst traditions of authoritarian propaganda".


title: Azerbaijan

text: The short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic succeeded in establishing diplomatic relations with six countries, sending diplomatic representatives to Germany and Finland. The process of international recognition of Azerbaijan's independence from the collapsing Soviet Union lasted roughly one year. The most recent country to recognize Azerbaijan was Bahrain, on 6 November 1996. Full diplomatic relations, including mutual exchanges of missions, were first established with Turkey, Pakistan, the United States, Iran and Israel. Azerbaijan has placed a particular emphasis on its "special relationship" with Turkey.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan has diplomatic relations with 158 countries so far and holds membership in 38 international organizations. It holds observer status in the Non-Aligned Movement and World Trade Organization and is a correspondent at the International Telecommunication Union. On 9 May 2006 Azerbaijan was elected to membership in the newly established Human Rights Council by the United Nations General Assembly. The term of office began on 19 June 2006. Azerbaijan was first elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2011 with the support of 155 countries.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Foreign policy priorities of Azerbaijan include, first of all, the restoration of its territorial integrity; elimination of the consequences of occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven other regions of Azerbaijan surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh; integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structure; contribution to international security; cooperation with international organizations; regional cooperation and bilateral relations; strengthening of defense capability; promotion of security by domestic policy means; strengthening of democracy; preservation of ethnic and religious tolerance; scientific, educational, and cultural policy and preservation of moral values; economic and social development; enhancing internal and border security; and migration, energy, and transportation security policy.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan is an active member of international coalitions fighting international terrorism. Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to offer support after the September 11 attacks. The country is contributing to peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. Azerbaijan is an active member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program. It also maintains good relations with the European Union and could potentially one day apply for membership.


title: Azerbaijan

text: On 1 July 2021, the US Congress advanced legislation that will have an impact on the military aid that Washington has sent to Azerbaijan since 2012. This was due to the fact that the packages to Armenia, instead are significantly smaller.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The history of the modern Azerbaijan army dates back to Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918 when the National Army of the newly formed Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was created on 26 June 1918. When Azerbaijan gained independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan were created according to the Law on the Armed Forces of 9 October 1991. The original date of the establishment of the short-lived National Army is celebrated as Army Day (26 June) in today's Azerbaijan.


title: Azerbaijan

text: As of 2021, Azerbaijan had 126,000 active personnel in its armed forces. There are also 17,000 paramilitary troops and 330,00 reserve personnel. The armed forces have three branches: the Land Forces, the Air Forces and the Navy. Additionally the armed forces embrace several military sub-groups that can be involved in state defense when needed. These are the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Border Service, which includes the Coast Guard as well. The Azerbaijan National Guard is a further paramilitary force. It operates as a semi-independent entity of the Special State Protection Service, an agency subordinate to the President.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan adheres to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and has signed all major international arms and weapons treaties. Azerbaijan closely cooperates with NATO in programs such as Partnership for Peace and Individual Partnership Action Plan/pfp and ipa. Azerbaijan has deployed 151 of its Peacekeeping Forces in Iraq and another 184 in Afghanistan.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan spent $2.24 billion on its defence budget , which amounted to 5.4% of its total GDP, and some 12.7% of general government expenditure. Azerbaijani defense industry manufactures small arms, artillery systems, tanks, armors and noctovision devices, aviation bombs, UAV'S/unmanned aerial vehicle, various military vehicles and military planes and helicopters.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan is administratively divided into 14 economic regions; 66 rayons (, singular ) and 11 cities (, singular ) under the direct authority of the republic. Moreover, Azerbaijan includes the Autonomous Republic () of Nakhchivan. The President of Azerbaijan appoints the governors of these units, while the government of Nakhchivan is elected and approved by the parliament of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.


title: Azerbaijan

text: After gaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan became a member of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. The banking system of Azerbaijan consists of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, commercial banks, and non-banking credit organizations. The National (now Central) Bank was created in 1992 based on the Azerbaijan State Savings Bank, an affiliate of the former State Savings Bank of the USSR. The Central Bank serves as Azerbaijan's central bank, empowered to issue the national currency, the Azerbaijani manat, and to supervise all commercial banks. Two major commercial banks are UniBank and the state-owned International Bank of Azerbaijan, run by Abbas Ibrahimov.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Pushed up by spending and demand growth, the 2007 Q1 inflation rate reached 16.6%. Nominal incomes and monthly wages climbed 29% and 25% respectively against this figure, but price increases in the non-oil industry encouraged inflation. Azerbaijan shows some signs of the so-called "Dutch disease" because of its fast-growing energy sector, which causes inflation and makes non-energy exports more expensive.


title: Azerbaijan

text: In the early 2000s, chronically high inflation was brought under control. This led to the launch of a new currency, the new Azerbaijani manat, on 1 January 2006, to cement the economic reforms and erase the vestiges of an unstable economy.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan is also ranked 57th in the Global Competitiveness Report for 2010–2011, above other CIS countries. By 2012 the GDP of Azerbaijan had increased 20-fold from its 1995 level.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The history of the oil industry of Azerbaijan dates back to the ancient period. Arabian historian and traveler Ahmad Al-Baladhuri discussed the economy of the Absheron peninsula in antiquity, mentioning its oil in particular. There are many pipelines in Azerbaijan. The goal of the Southern Gas Corridor, which connects the giant Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan to Europe, is to reduce European Union's dependency on Russian gas.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The region of the Lesser Caucasus accounts for most of the country's gold, silver, iron, copper, titanium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, complex ore and antimony. In September 1994, a 30-year contract was signed between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and 13 oil companies, among them Amoco, BP, ExxonMobil, Lukoil and Equinor. As Western oil companies are able to tap deepwater oilfields untouched by the Soviet exploitation, Azerbaijan is considered one of the most important spots in the world for oil exploration and development. Meanwhile, the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan was established as an extra-budgetary fund to ensure macroeconomic stability, transparency in the management of oil revenue, and safeguarding of resources for future generations.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Access to biocapacity in Azerbaijan is less than world average. In 2016, Azerbaijan had 0.8 global hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, half the world average of 1.6 global hectares per person. In 2016 Azerbaijan used 2.1 global hectares of biocapacity per person – their ecological footprint of consumption. This means they use more biocapacity than Azerbaijan contains. As a result, Azerbaijan is running a biocapacity deficit.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan is one of the sponsors of the east–west and north–south energy transport corridors. Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway line will connect the Caspian region with Turkey, which is expected to be completed in July 2017. The Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) and Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) will deliver natural gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas to Turkey and Europe.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan extended the agreement on development of ACG until 2050 according to the amended PSA signed on 14 September 2017 by SOCAR and co-ventures (BP, Chevron, Inpex, Equinor, ExxonMobil, TP, ITOCHU and ONGC Videsh).


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan has the largest agricultural basin in the region. About 54.9 percent of Azerbaijan is agricultural land. At the beginning of 2007 there were 4,755,100 hectares of utilized agricultural area. In the same year the total wood resources counted 136 million m. Azerbaijan's agricultural scientific research institutes are focused on meadows and pastures, horticulture and subtropical crops, green vegetables, viticulture and wine-making, cotton growing and medicinal plants. In some areas it is profitable to grow grain, potatoes, sugar beets, cotton and tobacco. Livestock, dairy products, and wine and spirits are also important farm products. The Caspian fishing industry concentrates on the dwindling stocks of sturgeon and beluga. In 2002 the Azerbaijani merchant marine had 54 ships.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Some products previously imported from abroad have begun to be produced locally. Among them are Coca-Cola by Coca-Cola Bottlers LTD., beer by Baki-Kastel, parquet by Nehir and oil pipes by EUPEC Pipe Coating Azerbaijan.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Tourism is an important part of the economy of Azerbaijan. The country was a well-known tourist spot in the 1980s. The fall of the Soviet Union, and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War during the 1990s, damaged the tourist industry and the image of Azerbaijan as a tourist destination.


title: Azerbaijan

text: It was not until the 2000s that the tourism industry began to recover, and the country has since experienced a high rate of growth in the number of tourist visits and overnight stays. In the recent years, Azerbaijan has also become a popular destination for religious, spa, and health care tourism. During winter, the Shahdag Mountain Resort offers skiing with state of the art facilities.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The government of Azerbaijan has set the development of Azerbaijan as an elite tourist destination as a top priority. It is a national strategy to make tourism a major, if not the single largest, contributor to the Azerbaijani economy. These activities are regulated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan.


title: Azerbaijan

text: According to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015 of the World Economic Forum, Azerbaijan holds 84th place.


title: Azerbaijan

text: According to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council, Azerbaijan was among the top ten countries showing the strongest growth in visitor exports between 2010 and 2016, In addition, Azerbaijan placed first (46.1%) among countries with the fastest-developing travel and tourism economies, with strong indicators for inbound international visitor spending last year.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The convenient location of Azerbaijan on the crossroad of major international traffic arteries, such as the Silk Road and the south–north corridor, highlights the strategic importance of the transportation sector for the country's economy. The transport sector in the country includes roads, railways, aviation, and maritime transport.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan is also an important economic hub in the transportation of raw materials. The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline (BTC) became operational in May 2006 and extends more than through the territories of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. The BTC is designed to transport up to 50 million tons of crude oil annually and carries oil from the Caspian Sea oilfields to global markets. The South Caucasus Pipeline, also stretching through the territory of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, became operational at the end of 2006 and offers additional gas supplies to the European market from the Shah Deniz gas field. Shah Deniz is expected to produce up to 296 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. Azerbaijan also plays a major role in the EU-sponsored Silk Road Project.


title: Azerbaijan

text: In 2002, the Azerbaijani government established the Ministry of Transport with a broad range of policy and regulatory functions. In the same year, the country became a member of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. Priorities are upgrading the transport network and improving transportation services to better facilitate the development of other sectors of the economy.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The 2012 construction of Kars–Tbilisi–Baku railway was meant to improve transportation between Asia and Europe by connecting the railways of China and Kazakhstan in the east to the European railway system in the west via Turkey. In 2010 Broad-gauge railways and electrified railways stretched for and respectively. By 2010, there were 35 airports and one heliport.


title: Azerbaijan

text: In the 21st century, a new oil and gas boom helped improve the situation in Azerbaijan's science and technology sectors. The government launched a campaign aimed at modernization and innovation. The government estimates that profits from the information technology and communication industry will grow and become comparable to those from oil production.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan has a large and steadily growing Internet sector, mostly uninfluenced by the financial crisis of 2007–2008; rapid growth is forecast for at least five more years. Azerbaijan was ranked 80th in the Global Innovation Index in 2021, up from 84th in 2019.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The country has also been making progress in developing its telecoms sector. The Ministry of Communications & Information Technologies (MCIT) and an operator through its role in Aztelekom are both policy-makers and regulators. Public payphones are available for local calls and require the purchase of a token from the telephone exchange or some shops and kiosks. Tokens allow a call of indefinite duration. , there were 1,397,000 main telephone lines and 1,485,000 internet users. There are four GSM providers: Azercell, , Azerfon (Nar Mobile), Nakhtel mobile network operators and one CDMA.


title: Azerbaijan

text: In the 21st century a number of prominent Azerbaijani geodynamics and geotectonics scientists, inspired by the fundamental works of Elchin Khalilov and others, designed hundreds of earthquake prediction stations and earthquake-resistant buildings that now constitute the bulk of The Republican Center of Seismic Service.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency launched its first satellite AzerSat 1 into orbit on 7 February 2013 from Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana at orbital positions 46° East. The satellite covers Europe and a significant part of Asia and Africa and serves the transmission of TV and radio broadcasting as well as the Internet. The launching of a satellite into orbit is Azerbaijan's first step in realizing its goal of becoming a nation with its own space industry, capable of successfully implementing more projects in the future.


title: Azerbaijan

text: As of March 2022, 52.9% of Azerbaijan's total population of 10,164,464 is urban, with the remaining 47.1% being rural. In January 2019, the 50.1% of the total population was female. The sex ratio in the same year was 0.99 males per female.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The 2011 population growth-rate was 0.85%, compared to 1.09% worldwide. A significant factor restricting population growth is a high level of migration. In 2011 Azerbaijan saw a migration of −1.14/1,000 people.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The Azerbaijani diaspora is found in 42 countries and in turn there are many centers for ethnic minorities inside Azerbaijan, including the German cultural society "Karelhaus", Slavic cultural center, Azerbaijani-Israeli community, Kurdish cultural center, International Talysh Association, Lezgin national center "Samur", Azerbaijani-Tatar community, Crimean Tatars society, etc.


title: Azerbaijan

text: In total, Azerbaijan has 78 cities, 63 city districts, and one special legal status city. 261 urban-type settlements and 4248 villages follow these.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The ethnic composition of the population according to the 2009 population census: 91.6% Azerbaijanis, 2.0% Lezgins, 1.4% Armenians (almost all Armenians live in the break-away region of Nagorno-Karabakh), 1.3% Russians, 1.3% Talysh, 0.6% Avars, 0.4% Turks, 0.3% Tatars, 0.3% Tats, 0.2% Ukrainians, 0.1% Tsakhurs, 0.1% Georgians, 0.1% Jews, 0.1% Kurds, other 0.2%.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The official language is Azerbaijani, which is a Turkic language. Azerbaijani is spoken by approximately 92% of the population as a mother tongue. Russian and Armenian (only in Nagorno-Karabakh) are also spoken, and each are the mother tongue of around 1.5% of the population respectively. There are a dozen other minority languages spoken natively in the country. Avar, Budukh, Georgian, Juhuri, Khinalug, Kryts, Lezgin, Rutul, Talysh, Tat, Tsakhur, and Udi are all spoken by small minorities. Some of these language communities are very small and their numbers are decreasing. Armenian was the majority language in Nagorno-Karabakh with around 76% in 1989. After the first Nagorno-Karabakh war, the population is almost exclusively Armenian at around 95%.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan is considered the most secular Muslim-majority country. Around 97% of the population are Muslims. 85% of the Muslims are Shia and 15% Sunni; the Republic of Azerbaijan has the second-highest proportion of Shia Muslims of any country in the world. Other faiths are practised by the country's various ethnic groups. Under article 48 of its Constitution, Azerbaijan is a secular state and ensures religious freedom. In a 2006–2008 Gallup poll, only 21% of respondents from Azerbaijan stated that religion is an important part of their daily lives.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Of the nation's religious minorities, the estimated 280,000 Christians (3.1%) are mostly Russian and Georgian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic (almost all Armenians live in the break-away region of Nagorno-Karabakh). In 2003, there were 250 Roman Catholics. Other Christian denominations as of 2002 include Lutherans, Baptists and Molokans. There is also a small Protestant community. Azerbaijan also has an ancient Jewish population with a 2,000-year history; Jewish organizations estimate that 12,000 Jews remain in Azerbaijan, which is home to the only Jewish-majority town outside of Israel and the United States. Azerbaijan also is home to members of the Baháʼí, Hare Krishna and Jehovah's Witnesses communities, as well as adherents of the other religious communities. Some religious communities have been unofficially restricted from religious freedom. A U.S. State Department report on the matter mentions detention of members of certain Muslim and Christian groups, and many groups have difficulty registering with the agency who regulates religion, The State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SCWRA).


title: Azerbaijan

text: A relatively high percentage of Azerbaijanis have obtained some form of higher education, most notably in scientific and technical subjects. In the Soviet era, literacy and average education levels rose dramatically from their very low starting point, despite two changes in the standard alphabet, from Perso-Arabic script to Latin in the 1920s and from Roman to Cyrillic in the 1930s. According to Soviet data, 100 percent of males and females (ages nine to forty-nine) were literate in 1970. According to the United Nations Development Program Report 2009, the literacy rate in Azerbaijan is 99.5 percent.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Since independence, one of the first laws that Azerbaijan's Parliament passed to disassociate itself from the Soviet Union was to adopt a modified-Latin alphabet to replace Cyrillic. Other than that the Azerbaijani system has undergone little structural change. Initial alterations have included the reestablishment of religious education (banned during the Soviet period) and curriculum changes that have reemphasized the use of the Azerbaijani language and have eliminated ideological content. In addition to elementary schools, the education institutions include thousands of preschools, general secondary schools, and vocational schools, including specialized secondary schools and technical schools. Education through the ninth grade is compulsory.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The culture of Azerbaijan has developed as a result of many influences; that's why Azerbaijanis are, in many ways, bi-cultural. Today, national traditions are well preserved in the country despite Western influences, including globalized consumer culture. Some of the main elements of the Azerbaijani culture are: music, literature, folk dances and art, cuisine, architecture, cinematography and Novruz Bayram. The latter is derived from the traditional celebration of the New Year in the ancient Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism. Novruz is a family holiday.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The profile of Azerbaijan's population consists, as stated above, of Azerbaijanis, as well as other nationalities or ethnic groups, compactly living in various areas of the country. Azerbaijani national and traditional dresses are the Chokha and Papakhi. There are radio broadcasts in Russian, Georgian, Kurdish, Lezgian and Talysh languages, which are financed from the state budget. Some local radio stations in Balakan and Khachmaz organize broadcasts in Avar and Tat. In Baku several newspapers are published in Russian, Kurdish ("Dengi Kurd"), Lezgian ("Samur") and Talysh languages. Jewish society "Sokhnut" publishes the newspaper "Aziz".


title: Azerbaijan

text: Music of Azerbaijan builds on folk traditions that reach back nearly a thousand years. For centuries Azerbaijani music has evolved under the badge of monody, producing rhythmically diverse melodies. Azerbaijani music has a branchy mode system, where chromatization of major and minor scales is of great importance. Among national musical instruments there are 14 string instruments, eight percussion instruments and six wind instruments. According to "The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians", "in terms of ethnicity, culture and religion the Azerbaijani are musically much closer to Iran than Turkey."


title: Azerbaijan

text: Mugham, meykhana and ashiq art are among the many musical traditions of Azerbaijan. Mugham is usually a suite with poetry and instrumental interludes. When performing mugham, the singers have to transform their emotions into singing and music. In contrast to the mugham traditions of Central Asian countries, Azerbaijani mugham is more free-form and less rigid; it is often compared to the improvised field of jazz. UNESCO proclaimed the Azerbaijani mugham tradition a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on 7 November 2003. Meykhana is a kind of traditional Azerbaijani distinctive folk unaccompanied song, usually performed by several people improvising on a particular subject.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Ashiq combines poetry, storytelling, dance, and vocal and instrumental music into a traditional performance art that stands as a symbol of Azerbaijani culture. It is a mystic troubadour or traveling bard who sings and plays the saz. This tradition has its origin in the Shamanistic beliefs of ancient Turkic peoples. Ashiqs' songs are semi-improvised around common bases. Azerbaijan's ashiq art was included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO on 30 September 2009.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Since the mid-1960s, Western-influenced Azerbaijani pop music, in its various forms, that has been growing in popularity in Azerbaijan, while genres such as rock and hip hop are widely produced and enjoyed. Azerbaijani pop and Azerbaijani folk music arose with the international popularity of performers like Alim Qasimov, Rashid Behbudov, Vagif Mustafazadeh, Muslim Magomayev, Shovkat Alakbarova and Rubaba Muradova. Azerbaijan is an enthusiastic participant in the Eurovision Song Contest. Azerbaijan made its debut appearance at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. The country's entry gained third place in 2009 and fifth the following year. Ell and Nikki won the first place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with the song "Running Scared", entitling Azerbaijan to host the contest in 2012, in Baku. They have qualified for every Grand Final up until the 2018 edition of the contest, entering with X My Heart by singer Aisel.


title: Azerbaijan

text: There are dozens of Azerbaijani folk dances. They are performed at formal celebrations and the dancers wear national clothes like the Chokha, which is well-preserved within the national dances. Most dances have a very fast rhythm.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Among the medieval authors born within the territorial limits of modern Azerbaijani Republic was Persian poet and philosopher Nizami, called Ganjavi after his place of birth, Ganja, who was the author of the Khamsa ("The Quintuplet"), composed of five romantic poems, including "The Treasure of Mysteries", "Khosrow and Shīrīn", and "Leyli and Mejnūn".


title: Azerbaijan

text: The earliest known figure in written Azerbaijani literature was Izzeddin Hasanoghlu, who composed a divan consisting of Persian and Azerbaijani ghazals. In Persian ghazals he used his pen-name, while his Azerbaijani ghazals were composed under his own name of Hasanoghlu.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Classical literature in Azerbaijani was formed in the 14th century based on the various Early Middle Ages dialects of Tabriz and Shirvan. Among the poets of this period were Gazi Burhanaddin, Haqiqi (pen-name of Jahan Shah Qara Qoyunlu), and Habibi. The end of the 14th century was also the period of starting literary activity of Imadaddin Nasimi, one of the greatest Azerbaijani Hurufi mystical poets of the late 14th and early 15th centuries and one of the most prominent early divan masters in Turkic literary history, who also composed poetry in Persian and Arabic. The divan and ghazal styles were further developed by poets Qasem-e Anvar, Fuzuli and Khatai (pen-name of Safavid Shah Ismail I).


title: Azerbaijan

text: The "Book of Dede Korkut" consists of two manuscripts copied in the 16th century, and was not written earlier than the 15th century. It is a collection of 12 stories reflecting the oral tradition of Oghuz nomads. The 16th-century poet, Muhammed Fuzuli produced his timeless philosophical and lyrical "Qazals" in Arabic, Persian, and Azerbaijani. Benefiting immensely from the fine literary traditions of his environment, and building upon the legacy of his predecessors, Fuzuli was destined to become the leading literary figure of his society. His major works include "The Divan of Ghazals" and "The Qasidas". In the same century, Azerbaijani literature further flourished with the development of Ashik () poetic genre of bards. During the same period, under the pen-name of Khatāī ( for "sinner") Shah Ismail I wrote about 1400 verses in Azerbaijani, which were later published as his "Divan". A unique literary style known as "qoshma" ( for "improvisation") was introduced in this period, and developed by Shah Ismail and later by his son and successor, Shah Tahmasp I.


title: Azerbaijan

text: In the span of the 17th and 18th centuries, Fuzuli's unique genres as well Ashik poetry were taken up by prominent poets and writers such as Qovsi of Tabriz, Shah Abbas Sani, , Nishat, Molla Vali Vidadi, Molla Panah Vagif, Amani, Zafar and others. Along with Turks, Turkmens and Uzbeks, Azerbaijanis also celebrate the Epic of Koroglu (from for "blind man's son"), a legendary folk hero. Several documented versions of Koroglu epic remain at the Institute for Manuscripts of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Modern Azerbaijani literature in Azerbaijan is based on the Shirvani dialect mainly, while in Iran it is based on the Tabrizi one. The first newspaper in Azerbaijani, "Akinchi" was published in 1875. In the mid-19th century, it was taught in the schools of Baku, Ganja, Shaki, Tbilisi, and Yerevan. Since 1845, it was also taught in the University of Saint Petersburg in Russia.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijanis have a rich and distinctive culture, a major part of which is decorative and applied art. This art form is represented by a wide range of handicrafts, such as chasing, jeweling, engraving in metal, carving in wood, stone, bone, carpet-making, lasing, pattern weaving and printing, and knitting and embroidery. Each of these types of decorative art, evidence of the endowments of the Azerbaijan nation, is very much in favor here. Many interesting facts pertaining to the development of arts and crafts in Azerbaijan were reported by numerous merchants, travelers, and diplomats who had visited these places at different times.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The Azerbaijani carpet is a traditional handmade textile of various sizes, with a dense texture and a pile or pile-less surface, whose patterns are characteristic of Azerbaijan's many carpet-making regions. In November 2010 the Azerbaijani carpet was proclaimed a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage by UNESCO.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan has been since ancient times known as a center of a large variety of crafts. The archeological dig on the territory of Azerbaijan testifies to the well-developed agriculture, stock raising, metalworking, pottery, ceramics, and carpet-weaving that date as far back as to the 2nd millennium BC. Archeological sites in Dashbulaq, Hasansu, Zayamchai, and Tovuzchai uncovered from the BTC pipeline have revealed early Iron Age artifacts.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijani carpets can be categorized under several large groups and a multitude of subgroups. Scientific research of the Azerbaijani carpet is connected with the name of Latif Karimov, a prominent scientist and artist. It was his classification that related the four large groups of carpets with the four geographical zones of Azerbaijan, Guba-Shirvan, Ganja-Kazakh, Karabakh and Tabriz.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The traditional cuisine is famous for an abundance of vegetables and greens used seasonally in the dishes. Fresh herbs, including mint, cilantro (coriander), dill, basil, parsley, tarragon, leeks, chives, thyme, marjoram, green onion, and watercress, are very popular and often accompany main dishes on the table. Climatic diversity and fertility of the land are reflected in the national dishes, which are based on fish from the Caspian Sea, local meat (mainly mutton and beef), and an abundance of seasonal vegetables and greens. Saffron-rice plov is the flagship food in Azerbaijan and black tea is the national beverage. Azerbaijanis often use traditional armudu (pear-shaped) glass as they have very strong tea culture. Popular traditional dishes include bozbash (lamb soup that exists in several regional varieties with the addition of different vegetables), qutab (fried turnover with a filling of greens or minced meat) and dushbara (sort of dumplings of dough filled with ground meat and flavor).


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijani architecture typically combines elements of East and West. Azerbaijani architecture has heavy influences from Persian architecture. Many ancient architectural treasures such as the Maiden Tower and Palace of the Shirvanshahs in the Walled City of Baku survive in modern Azerbaijan. Entries submitted on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list include the Ateshgah of Baku, Momine Khatun Mausoleum, Hirkan National Park, Binagadi asphalt lake, Lökbatan Mud Volcano, Shusha State Historical and Architectural Reserve, Baku Stage Mountain, Caspian Shore Defensive Constructions, Ordubad National Reserve and the Palace of Shaki Khans.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Among other architectural treasures are Quadrangular Castle in Mardakan, Parigala in Yukhary Chardaglar, a number of bridges spanning the Aras River, and several mausoleums. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, little monumental architecture was created, but distinctive residences were built in Baku and elsewhere. Among the most recent architectural monuments, the Baku subways are noted for their lavish decor.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The task for modern Azerbaijani architecture is diverse application of modern aesthetics, the search for an architect's own artistic style and inclusion of the existing historico-cultural environment. Major projects such as Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, Flame Towers, Baku Crystal Hall, Baku White City and SOCAR Tower have transformed the country's skyline and promotes its contemporary identity.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The Gamigaya Petroglyphs, which date back to the 1st to 4th millennium BC, are located in Azerbaijan's Ordubad District. They consist of some 1500 dislodged and carved rock paintings with images of deer, goats, bulls, dogs, snakes, birds, fantastic beings, and people, carriages, and various symbols were found on basalt rocks. Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl was convinced that people from the area went to Scandinavia in about 100 AD, took their boat building skills with them, and transmuted them into the Viking boats in Northern Europe.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Over the centuries, Azerbaijani art has gone through many stylistic changes. Azerbaijani painting is traditionally characterized by a warmth of colour and light, as exemplified in the works of Azim Azimzade and Bahruz Kangarli, and a preoccupation with religious figures and cultural motifs. Azerbaijani painting enjoyed preeminence in Caucasus for hundreds of years, from the Romanesque and Ottoman periods, and through the Soviet and Baroque periods, the latter two of which saw fruition in Azerbaijan. Other notable artists who fall within these periods include Sattar Bahlulzade, Togrul Narimanbekov, Tahir Salahov, Alakbar Rezaguliyev, Mirza Gadim Iravani, Mikayil Abdullayev and Boyukagha Mirzazade.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The film industry in Azerbaijan dates back to 1898. Azerbaijan was among the first countries involved in cinematography, with the apparatus first showing up in Baku. In 1919, during the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, a documentary "The Celebration of the Anniversary of Azerbaijani Independence" was filmed on the first anniversary of Azerbaijan's independence from Russia, 27 May, and premiered in June 1919 at several theatres in Baku. After the Soviet power was established in 1920, Nariman Narimanov, Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan, signed a decree nationalizing Azerbaijan's cinema. This also influenced the creation of Azerbaijani animation.


title: Azerbaijan

text: In 1991, after Azerbaijan gained its independence from the Soviet Union, the first Baku International Film Festival East-West was held in Baku. In December 2000, the former President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, signed a decree proclaiming 2 August to be the professional holiday of filmmakers of Azerbaijan. Today Azerbaijani filmmakers are again dealing with issues similar to those faced by cinematographers prior to the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1920. Once again, both choices of content and sponsorship of films are largely left up to the initiative of the filmmaker.


title: Azerbaijan

text: There are three state-owned television channels: AzTV, Idman TV and Medeniyyet TV. There is one public channel and 6 private channels: İctimai Television, Space TV, Lider TV, Azad Azerbaijan TV, , and ARB.


title: Azerbaijan

text: The Constitution of Azerbaijan claims to guarantee freedom of speech, but this is denied in practice. After several years of decline in press and media freedom, in 2014, the media environment in Azerbaijan deteriorated rapidly under a governmental campaign to silence any opposition and criticism, even while the country led the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (May–November 2014). Spurious legal charges and impunity in violence against journalists have remained the norm. All foreign broadcasts are banned in the country.


title: Azerbaijan

text: According to the 2013 Freedom House Freedom of the Press report, Azerbaijan's press freedom status is "not free", and Azerbaijan ranks 177th out of 196 countries.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Christianity is officially recognized. All religious communities are required to register to be allowed to meet, under the risk of imprisonment. This registration is often denied. "Racial discrimination contributes to the country's lack of religious freedom, since many of the Christians are ethnic Armenian or Russian, rather than Azeri Muslim."


title: Azerbaijan

text: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America are banned in Azerbaijan. Discrimination against LGBT people in Azerbaijan is widespread.


title: Azerbaijan

text: During the last few years, three journalists were killed and several prosecuted in trials described as unfair by international human rights organizations. Azerbaijan had the biggest number of journalists imprisoned in Europe in 2015, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and is the 5th most censored country in the world, ahead of Iran and China. Some critical journalists have been arrested for their coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Azerbaijan.


title: Azerbaijan

text: A report by an Amnesty International researcher in October 2015 points to "...the severe deterioration of human rights in Azerbaijan over the past few years. Sadly Azerbaijan has been allowed to get away with unprecedented levels of repression and in the process almost wipe out its civil society". Amnesty's 2015/16 annual report on the country stated "... persecution of political dissent continued. Human rights organizations remained unable to resume their work. At least 18 prisoners of conscience remained in detention at the end of the year. Reprisals against independent journalists and activists persisted both in the country and abroad, while their family members also faced harassment and arrests. International human rights monitors were barred and expelled from the country. Reports of torture and other ill-treatment persisted.


title: Azerbaijan

text: "The Guardian" reported in April 2017 that "Azerbaijan's ruling elite operated a secret $2.9bn (£2.2bn) scheme to pay prominent Europeans, buy luxury goods and launder money through a network of opaque British companies ... Leaked data shows that the Azerbaijani leadership, accused of serial human rights abuses, systemic corruption and rigging elections, made more than 16,000 covert payments from 2012 to 2014. Some of this money went to politicians and journalists, as part of an international lobbying operation to deflect criticism of Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, and to promote a positive image of his oil-rich country." There was no suggestion that all recipients were aware of the source of the money as it arrived via a disguised route.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Freestyle wrestling has been traditionally regarded as Azerbaijan's national sport, in which Azerbaijan won up to fourteen medals, including four golds since joining the International Olympic Committee. Currently, the most popular sports include football and wrestling.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Football is the most popular sport in Azerbaijan, and the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan with 9,122 registered players, is the largest sporting association in the country. The national football team of Azerbaijan demonstrates relatively low performance in the international arena compared to the nation football clubs. The most successful Azerbaijani football clubs are Neftçi, Qarabağ, and Gabala. In 2012, Neftchi Baku became the first Azerbaijani team to advance to the group stage of a European competition, beating APOEL of Cyprus 4–2 on aggregate in the play-off round of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. In 2014, Qarabağ became the second Azerbaijani club advancing to the group stage of UEFA Europa League. In 2017, after beating Copenhagen 2–2 (a) in the play-off round of the UEFA Champions League, Qarabağ became the first Azerbaijani club to reach the Group stage. Futsal is another popular sport in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijan national futsal team reached fourth place in the 2010 UEFA Futsal Championship, while domestic club Araz Naxçivan clinched bronze medals at the 2009–10 UEFA Futsal Cup and 2013–14 UEFA Futsal Cup. Azerbaijan was the main sponsor of Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid during seasons 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, a partnership that the club described should 'promote the image of Azerbaijan in the world'.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan is one of the traditional powerhouses of world chess, having hosted many international chess tournaments and competitions and became European Team Chess Championship winners in 2009, 2013 and 2017. Notable chess players from the country's chess schools that have made a great impact on the game include Teimour Radjabov, Shahriyar Mammadyarov, Vladimir Makogonov, Vugar Gashimov and former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov. , country's home of Shamkir Chess a category 22 event and one of the highest rated tournaments of all time.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Backgammon also plays a major role in Azerbaijani culture. The game is very popular in Azerbaijan and is widely played among the local public. There are also different variations of backgammon developed and analyzed by Azerbaijani experts.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan Women's Volleyball Super League is one of the strongest women leagues in the world. Its women's national team came fourth at the 2005 European Championship. Over the last years, clubs like Rabita Baku and Azerrail Baku achieved great success at European cups. Azerbaijani volleyball players include likes of Valeriya Korotenko, Oksana Parkhomenko, Inessa Korkmaz, Natalya Mammadova and Alla Hasanova.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Other Azerbaijani athletes are Namig Abdullayev, Toghrul Asgarov, Rovshan Bayramov, Sharif Sharifov, Mariya Stadnik and Farid Mansurov in wrestling, Nazim Huseynov, Elnur Mammadli, Elkhan Mammadov and Rustam Orujov in judo, Rafael Aghayev in karate, Magomedrasul Majidov and Aghasi Mammadov in boxing, Nizami Pashayev in Olympic weightlifting, Azad Asgarov in pankration, Eduard Mammadov in kickboxing, and K-1 fighter Zabit Samedov.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan has a Formula One race-track, made in June 2012, and the country hosted its first Formula One Grand Prix on 19 June 2016 and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. Other annual sporting events held in the country are the Baku Cup tennis tournament and the Tour d'Azerbaïdjan cycling race.


title: Azerbaijan

text: Azerbaijan hosted several major sport competitions since the late 2000s, including the 2013 F1 Powerboat World Championship, 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships, 2010 European Wrestling Championships, 2009 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships, 2014 European Taekwondo Championships, 2014 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships, and 2016 World Chess Olympiad. On 8 December 2012, Baku was selected to host the 2015 European Games, the first to be held in the competition's history. Baku also hosted the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017 and the 2019 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival, and it is also one of the hosts of UEFA Euro 2020, which because of Covid-19 is being held in 2021.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop, and experimental music. She has attained the most US "Billboard" 200 top-five albums in the 21st century by a female artist, with a total of thirteen entries.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus, a daughter of country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus, emerged as a teen idol while portraying the title character of the Disney Channel television series "Hannah Montana" (2006–2011). As Hannah Montana, she attained two number-one and three top-five soundtracks on the US "Billboard" 200, including the US "Billboard" Hot 100 top-ten single "He Could Be the One". Cyrus's own discography includes the US number-one albums "" (2007), "Breakout" (2008), and "Bangerz" (2013); the top-five releases "Can't Be Tamed" (2010), "Younger Now" (2017), "Plastic Hearts" (2020), and the free album "Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz" (2015). Cyrus's EPs "The Time of Our Lives" (2009) and "She Is Coming" (2019) also debuted in the top-five. "Plastic Hearts" became Cyrus's most acclaimed record, and her first entry on the Billboard Rock Chart, debuting atop the chart. It included the lead single "Midnight Sky". Her other singles include the US top ten-charting "See You Again", "7 Things", "The Climb", "Party in the U.S.A.", "Can't Be Tamed", "We Can't Stop", "Malibu", "Without You"; and the chart-topping "Wrecking Ball". In 2020, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awarded Diamond certification to "Party in the U.S.A.", recognizing sales of ten million for the single.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus's career accolades include making the "Time" 100 list in 2008 and also in 2014, being named MTV's Best Artist of 2013 Award, and appearing on "Billboard"s Greatest of All Time Artists Chart in 2019. She is regarded as one of the few examples of successful child actors-turned-singers. As an actress, Cyrus has made appearances in the animated film "Bolt" (2008) and the feature films "" (2009) and "The Last Song" (2010). On television Cyrus served as a coach on the singing competition series "The Voice" for two seasons, and starred in the episode "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too" from the Netflix series "Black Mirror" (2019). She founded the non-profit Happy Hippie Foundation in late 2014 focusing on youth homelessness and the LGBT community.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Destiny Hope Cyrus was born November 23, 1992, in Franklin, Tennessee, to Leticia "Tish" Jean Cyrus (née Finley) and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. She was born with supraventricular tachycardia, a condition causing an abnormal resting heart rate. Her birth name, Destiny Hope, expressed her parents' belief that she would accomplish great things. Her parents nicknamed her "Smiley", which they later shortened to "Miley", because she often smiled as an infant. In 2008, she legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus; her middle name honors her grandfather, Democratic politician Ronald Ray Cyrus who was from Kentucky. Cyrus's godmother is singer-songwriter Dolly Parton.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Against the advice of her father's record company, Cyrus's parents secretly married on December 28, 1993, a year after her birth. They had two more children, son Braison and daughter Noah. From previous relationships her mother has two other children, Brandi and Trace. Her father's first child, Christopher Cody, was born in April 1992 and grew up with his mother, Kristin Luckey, in South Carolina.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: All of Cyrus's maternal siblings are established entertainers. Trace is a vocalist and guitarist for the electronic pop band Metro Station. Noah is an actress and along with Braison, models, sings, and is a songwriter. Brandi was formerly a musician for the indie rock band Frank + Derol and is a professional DJ. The Cyrus farmhouse is located on 500 acres of land outside Nashville.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus attended Heritage Elementary School in Williamson County while she and her family lived in Thompson's Station, Tennessee. When she was cast in "Hannah Montana," the family moved to Los Angeles and she attended Options for Youth Charter Schools studying with a private tutor on set. Raised as a Christian she was baptized in a Southern Baptist church before moving to Hollywood in 2005. She attended church regularly while growing up and wore a purity ring. In 2001, when Cyrus was eight, she and her family moved to Toronto, Canada, while her father filmed the television series "Doc". After Billy Ray Cyrus took her to see a 2001 Mirvish production of "Mamma Mia!" at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Miley Cyrus grabbed his arm and told him, "This is what I want to do, daddy. I want to be an actress." She began to take singing and acting lessons at the Armstrong Acting Studio in Toronto.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus's first acting role was as Kylie in her father's television series "Doc". In 2003, she received credit under her birth name for her role as "Young Ruthie" in Tim Burton's "Big Fish". During this period she auditioned with Taylor Lautner for the feature film "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D." Although she was one of two finalists for the role, she chose to appear in "Hannah Montana" instead.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Her mother took on the role of Miley's manager and worked to acquire a team to build her daughter's career. Cyrus signed with Mitchell Gossett, director of the youth division at Cunningham Escott Slevin Doherty. Gossett is often credited with "discovering" Cyrus and played a key role in her auditioning for "Hannah Montana". She later signed with Jason Morey of Morey Management Group to handle her music career; Dolly Parton steered her to him. She hired her father's finance manager as part of her team.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus auditioned for the Disney Channel television series "Hannah Montana" when she was thirteen years old. She auditioned for the role of the title character's best friend, but was called to audition for the lead role instead. Despite being denied the part at first because she was "too small and too young" for the role, she was later cast as the lead because of her singing and acting abilities. The series premiered in March 2006 to the largest audience for a Disney Channel program and quickly ranked among the highest-rated series on basic cable. The success of the series led to Cyrus being labeled a "teen idol". She toured with the Cheetah Girls as Hannah Montana in September 2006 and performed songs from the show's first season. Walt Disney Records released a soundtrack credited to Cyrus's character in October of that year. The record was a commercial success, topping the "Billboard" 200 chart in the United States; it went on to sell over threemillion copies worldwide. With the release of the soundtrack, Cyrus became the first act within the Walt Disney Company to have deals in television, film, consumer products, and in music.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus signed a four-album deal with Hollywood Records to distribute her non-"Hannah Montana" soundtrack music. She released the two-disc album "" in June 2007. The first disc was credited as the second soundtrack by "Hannah Montana", while the second disc served as Cyrus's debut studio album. The album became her second to reach the top of the "Billboard" 200, and has sold over threemillion copies since its release. Months after the release of the project, "See You Again" (2007) was released as the lead single from the album. The song was a commercial success, and has sold over twomillion copies in the United States since its release. She collaborated with her father on the single "Ready, Set, Don't Go" (2007). Next Cyrus embarked on her highly successful Best of Both Worlds Tour (2007–08) to promote its release. Ticketmaster officials commented that "there [hadn't] been a demand of this level or intensity since The Beatles or Elvis". The tour's success led to the theatrical release of the 3D concert film "" (2008). While initially intended to be a limited release, the film's success led to a longer run.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus and friend Mandy Jiroux began posting videos on the popular website YouTube in February 2008, referring to the clips as "The Miley and Mandy Show"; the videos garnered a large online following. In April 2008, several pictures of Cyrus in her underwear and swimsuit were leaked online by a teenager who hacked her Gmail account. Further controversy erupted when it was reported that the then-15-year-old Cyrus had posed topless during a photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz for "Vanity Fair". "The New York Times" subsequently clarified that although the shot left the impression that Cyrus was bare-breasted, she was wrapped in a bed sheet and was not topless.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus went on to release her second studio album, "Breakout" (2008), in June of that year. The album earned the highest first-week sales of her career thus far and became her third to top the "Billboard" 200. Cyrus later starred with John Travolta in the animated film "Bolt" (2008), her debut as a film actress; she also co-wrote the song "I Thought I Lost You" (2008) for the film, which she sings as a duet with Travolta. The film was a critical and commercial success and earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Original Song.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: In March 2009, Cyrus released "The Climb" (2009) as a single from the soundtrack to the . It was met with a warm critical and commercial reaction, becoming a crossover hit in both pop and country music formats. The soundtrack, which features the single, went on to become Cyrus's fourth entry to top the "Billboard" 200; at age 16, she became the youngest artist in history to have four number-one albums on the chart. She released her fourth soundtrack as Hannah Montana in July 2009, which debuted at number two on the "Billboard" 200. Cyrus later launched her first fashion line, Miley Cyrus and Max Azria, through Walmart. It was promoted by the release of "Party in the U.S.A." (2009) and the EP "The Time of Our Lives" (2009). Cyrus said the record was "a transitioning album [...] really to introduce people to what I want my next record to sound like and with time I will be able to do that a little more". "Party in the U.S.A." became one of Cyrus's most successful singles to date and is considered to be one of her signature songs. She embarked on her first world tour, the Wonder World Tour (2009) which was a critical and commercial success. On December 7, 2009, Cyrus performed for Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the British royal family at the Royal Variety Performance in Blackpool, Lancashire.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Hoping to foster a more mature image, Cyrus starred in the film "The Last Song" (2010), based on the Nicholas Sparks novel. It was met with negative critical reviews but was a box office hit. Cyrus further attempted to shift her image with the release of her third studio album, "Can't Be Tamed" (2010). The album featured a more dance-oriented sound than her prior releases and stirred a considerable amount of controversy over its lyrical content and Cyrus's live performances. It sold 106,000 copies in its first week of release and became her first studio album not to top the "Billboard" 200 chart in the United States. Due to the controversy surrounding the release, the album's second and final single, "Who Owns My Heart" was released solely in German territories. Cyrus released her final soundtrack as Hannah Montana that October; it was a commercial failure.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus was the subject of further controversy when a video posted online in December 2010 showed her, then aged eighteen, smoking salvia with a bong. 2010 ended with her ranking at number thirteen on the "Forbes" Celebrity 100 list. She embarked on her worldwide Gypsy Heart Tour in April 2011 which had no North American dates; she cited her various controversial moments as the reason, claiming that she only wanted to travel where she felt "the most love". Following the release of "Can't Be Tamed", Cyrus officially parted ways with Hollywood Records. With her obligations to "Hannah Montana" fulfilled, Cyrus announced her plans to take a hiatus from music so she could focus on her acting career. She confirmed she would not be going to college.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus hosted the March 5, 2011, episode of "Saturday Night Live" where she poked fun at her recent controversies. That November it was announced that Cyrus would be the voice of Mavis in the animated film "Hotel Transylvania"; however by February 2012 she was dropped from the project and replaced with Selena Gomez. At the time Cyrus said her reason for leaving the movie was wanting to work on her music; later it was revealed the real reason behind her exit was because she bought her then-boyfriend Liam Hemsworth a birthday cake shaped like a penis and licked it. She made an appearance on the MTV television series "Punk'd" with Kelly Osbourne and Khloé Kardashian. Cyrus starred alongside Demi Moore in the independent film "LOL" (2012). The film had a limited release; it was a critical and commercial failure. She starred in the comedy film "So Undercover" playing the role of an undercover FBI agent at a college sorority.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus released a string of live performances known as the "Backyard Sessions" on YouTube during the spring and summer of 2012; the performances were of classic songs she personally liked. Having begun working on a failed fourth album the previous year, Cyrus resumed working on a new musical project in late 2012. She collaborated with producers Rock Mafia on their song "Morning Sun" (2012), which was made available for free download online. She had previously appeared in the music video for their debut single, "The Big Bang" (2010). Cyrus later provided guest vocals on "Decisions" (2012) by Borgore. Both Cyrus and Hemsworth appeared in the song's music video. She went on to guest star as Missi in two episodes of the CBS sitcom "Two and a Half Men". Cyrus drew significant media attention when she cut her traditionally long, brown hair in favor of a blonde, pixie cut; she commented that she had "never felt more [herself] in [her] whole life" and that "it really changed [her] life".


title: Miley Cyrus

text: In 2013, Cyrus hired Larry Rudolph to be her manager, although she is currently managed by Maverick's Adam Leber; Rudolph is best known for representing Britney Spears. It was confirmed that Cyrus had signed with RCA Records for her future releases. She worked with producers such as Pharrell Williams and Mike Will Made-It on her fourth studio album, resulting in a hip hop-influenced sound. She collaborated with numerous hip hop artists releases and appeared on the Snoop Lion song "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks" (2013), released as the lead single from his twelfth studio album, "Reincarnated". She collaborated with will.i.am on the song "Fall Down" (2013), released as a promotional single that same month. The song entered the "Billboard" Hot 100 at number fifty-eight, marking her first appearance on the chart since "Can't Be Tamed" (2010). She provided guest vocals on the Lil Twist song "Twerk", which also featured vocals by Justin Bieber. The song was unreleased for unknown reasons but leaked online. On May 23, 2013, it was confirmed that Cyrus would be featured on the Mike Will Made It single "23", with Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J. The single went on to peak at number eleven on the Hot 100, and had sold over onemillion copies worldwide as of 2013.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus released her new single "We Can't Stop" on June 3. Touted as her comeback single, it became a worldwide commercial success, topping charts in territories such as the United Kingdom. The song's music video set the Vevo record for most views within twenty-four hours of release and became the first to reach 100million views on the site. Cyrus performed with Robin Thicke at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, a performance that resulted in widespread media attention and public scrutiny. Her simulated sex acts with a foam finger were described as "disturbing" and the whole performance as "cringe-worthy". Cyrus released "Wrecking Ball" (2013) as the second single from "Bangerz" on the same day as the VMAs. The accompanying music video, showing her swinging naked on a wrecking ball, was viewed over nineteen million times within 24 hours of its release. The single became Cyrus's first to top the Hot 100 in the US and sold over two million copies.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: On October 2, MTV aired the documentary "", that chronicled the recording of her fourth studio album "Bangerz", which was released on October 4. The album was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the "Billboard" 200 with first week sales of 270,000 copies. On October 5, Cyrus hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the second time. On November 5, Cyrus featured on rapper Future's "Real and True" with Mr. Hudson; an accompanying music video premiered five days later on November 10, 2013. In late 2013 she was declared Artist of the Year by MTV. On January 29, 2014, she played an acoustic concert show on "MTV Unplugged", performing songs from "Bangerz" featuring a guest appearance by Madonna. It became the highest-rated "MTV Unplugged" in the past decade, with over 1.7million streams. Cyrus was also featured in the Marc Jacobs Spring 2014 campaign along with Natalie Westling and Esmerelda Seay Reynolds. She launched her controversial Bangerz Tour (2014) that year, which was positively received by critics. Two months into her tour, Cyrus's Alaskan Klee Kai was found mauled to death at her home after fighting with a coyote. Two weeks later, Cyrus suffered an allergic reaction to the antibiotic cephalexin, prescribed to treat a sinus infection, resulting in her hospitalization in Kansas City. Though she rescheduled some of her US tour dates, she resumed the tour two weeks later, beginning with the European leg.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: While collaborating with the Flaming Lips on their remake of the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "With a Little Help from My Fwends", Cyrus began working with Wayne Coyne on her fifth studio album. She claimed that she was taking her time to focus on the music, and that the album would not be released until she felt it was ready. Coyne compared his collaborative material with Cyrus to the catalogs of Pink Floyd and Portishead and described their sound as being "a slightly wiser, sadder, more true version" of Cyrus's pop music output. Cyrus also worked on the films "The Night Before" (2015) and "A Very Murray Christmas" (2015) during this period; both roles were cameos. Reports began to surface in 2015 that Cyrus was working on two albums simultaneously, one of which she hoped to release at no charge. This was confirmed by her manager who claimed she was willing to end her contract with RCA Records if they refused to let her release a free album. Cyrus was the host of the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, making her its first openly pansexual host, and gave a surprise performance of a new song "Dooo It!" (2015) during the show's finale. Immediately following the performance, Cyrus announced that her fifth studio album, "Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz" (2015), was available for free streaming on SoundCloud. The album was written and produced primarily by Cyrus, and has been called experimental and psychedelic, with elements of psychedelic pop, psychedelic rock, and alternative pop.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: In 2016, following the release of her fifth studio album the previous year, Cyrus resumed working on her sixth studio effort. She was a key advisor during the tenth season of the reality singing competition "The Voice". In March, Cyrus had signed on as a coach for the eleventh season of "The Voice" as a replacement for Gwen Stefani; Cyrus became the youngest coach to appear in any incarnation of the series. In September 2016, Cyrus co-starred in "Crisis in Six Scenes", a television series Woody Allen created for Amazon Studios. She played a radical activist who causes chaos in a conservative 1960s household while hiding from the police. On September 17, 2016, she appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and covered Bob Dylan's "Baby, I'm In the Mood for You". Cyrus also had an uncredited voice cameo as Mainframe in the superhero film "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", released in May 2017.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: On May 11, 2017, Cyrus released "Malibu" as the lead single from her sixth album. The single debuted at No. 64 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and peaked at No. 10 on the chart on its second week. On June 9, Cyrus released "Inspired" after performing the song at the One Love Manchester benefit concert. It served as a promotional single from the album. On August 8, Cyrus announced that her sixth studio album would be titled "Younger Now" and would be released on September 29, 2017. The album's title track was released as the second single from the album on August 18 and debuted and peaked at No. 79 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. On August 27, Cyrus performed the track at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards. On September 15, she performed "Malibu", "Younger Now", "See You Again", "Party in the U.S.A." and a cover of the Roberta Flack hit "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (written by Ewan McColl) for the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge. On October 2, as part of her one-week regular musical appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", Cyrus sang her 2009 hit single "The Climb" for the first time since 2011 alongside a cover of "No Freedom" by Dido to honor the victims of the Las Vegas shooting. The former one has since then been performed at multiple charity events and democratic marches like March For Our Lives. That same year Cyrus also returned as a coach in the thirteenth season of "The Voice" after taking a one-season hiatus. On October 5, 2017, Cyrus confirmed that she would not be returning to "The Voice" for season fourteen. On October 30, 2017, Cyrus revealed she would neither release any further singles from "Younger Now" nor tour for it.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Before the release of "Younger Now" in September 2017, Cyrus expressed she was "already two songs deep on the next [album]." Producers attached to her seventh studio album included previous collaborator Mike Will Made It and new collaborators Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Her first collaboration with Ronson, "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" from his 2019 album "Late Night Feelings", was released on November 29, 2018, to great commercial reception, especially in Europe, where it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart as well as in Ireland and topped the charts in various Eastern Europe countries like Hungary or Croatia.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: During the first quarter of 2019, Cyrus became quite notable for her cover songs. Having already taken part in MusiCares Person of the Year back in 2018 celebrating Fleetwood Mac, she returned the year after to honor the career of Dolly Parton by performing "Islands in the Stream" alongside Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes, with who she also performed "In My Blood" a couple days later at the 61st Grammy Awards. Other contributions of Cyrus include her own version of Ariana Grande's "No Tears Left to Cry" for BBC Radio's Live Lounge, her participation at the Chris Cornell tribute concert I Am The Highway, where she sang "As Hope & Promise Fade" as well as her cover record of Elton John's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", included in the tribute album "." Cyrus also honored John at the I'm Still Standing: A Grammy Salute to Elton John tribute concert in 2018, where she covered "The Bitch Is Back".


title: Miley Cyrus

text: On May 31, 2019, Cyrus tweeted that her seventh studio album would be titled "She Is Miley Cyrus" and would comprise three six-song EPs, which would be released before the full-length album: "She Is Coming" on May 31, "She Is Here" in the summer, and "She Is Everything" in the fall. "She Is Coming", which also included vocal collaborations with RuPaul, Swae Lee, Mike Will Made It and Ghostface Killah, debuted at number five on the US "Billboard" 200 with 36,000 album-equivalent units, while the lead single "Mother's Daughter" entered at number 54 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100. The Wuki remix of "Mother's Daughter" received a nomination for Best Remixed Recording at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards while the original music video won two MTV Video Music Awards. Cyrus promoted the EP with a summer European tour that visited A-list festivals like Glastonbury and Primavera Sound.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus starred in "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too", an episode of the Netflix science fiction series "Black Mirror", which she filmed in South Africa in November 2018. It was released on Netflix on June 5, 2019. In the episode, she played fictional pop star Ashley O and provided the voice for her AI doll extension, Ashley Too. The episode's plot received notable comparisons to Britney Spears' conservatorship and the Free Britney movement, which Cyrus has been an advocate for. The music video for the song "On a Roll" from the episode was released on June 13; the song itself and the B-side "Right Where I Belong" were released to digital platforms the next day. On June 27, it was revealed that Cyrus had collaborated with Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey on "Don't Call Me Angel", the lead single of the soundtrack to the 2019 film "Charlie's Angels." It was released on September 13, 2019. In August 2019, Cyrus released "Slide Away", her first song since announcing her separation from then-husband Hemsworth. The song hinted at their breakup and contained lyrics such as "Move on, we're not 17, I'm not who I used to be". A music video was released in September 2019 that contained further references, including a ten of hearts playing card at the bottom of a pool to represent the end of her decade-long relationship with Hemsworth.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: On August 14, 2020, Cyrus released the lead single from her seventh studio album, "Midnight Sky" and confirmed the cancellation of the EPs "She Is Here" and "She Is Everything" due to major recent changes in her life that did not fit the essence of the project, including her divorce from Hemsworth, and the burning of the couple's house during the Woolsey Fire in California. "Midnight Sky" became her highest-charting solo single since "Malibu" in 2017, peaking at number 14 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100. Internationally, in the United Kingdom the song has thus far peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart. The track was later mashed up with Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen". In October, Cyrus had a third Backyard Session on MTV and announced via Instagram that her seventh studio album "Plastic Hearts" would be released on November 27, 2020. It was previously intended to be called "She Is Miley Cyrus", completing the EP series once finalized. The album was released to positive reviews from critics and performed well, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200, with 60,000 units, becoming her twelfth top ten entry on the chart. With that entry, Cyrus broke the record for attaining the most US "Billboard" 200 top-five albums in the 21st century by a female artist. "Plastic Hearts" marked a step of Cyrus into rock and glam rock music and spawned two other singles: "Prisoner" featuring English singer Dua Lipa and "Angels like You", which peaked at 8 and 66 respectively in the United Kingdom. The album also included vocal collaborations with Billy Idol and Joan Jett. Due to popular demand and social media virality, Cyrus included the live covers of Blondie's "Heart of Glass" and The Cranberries' "Zombie".


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus won a 2020 Webby Special Achievement Award. In February 2021, Cyrus performed at the very first TikTok Tailgate show in Tampa, for 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers. It served as a pre-show before Super Bowl LV. It aired on TikTok and CBS. The performance was featured in the music video for "Angels like You". In March 2021, Cyrus departed RCA and signed with Columbia Records, a sister label of RCA under the Sony Music umbrella. That same month Cyrus embraced her days as Hannah Montana and wrote an open letter to the character on social media for the show's 15th anniversary, despite all statements that her days as Montana gave Cyrus an identity crisis. Rumors about a possible revival of the show have been around ever since. On April 23, 2021, The Kid Laroi released a remix of his single "Without You" featuring Cyrus, her first release under Columbia Records. On April 3, 2021, Cyrus performed at the NCAA March Madness Final Four in Indianapolis with the frontline health care workers in the audience. In May 2021, she signed an overall deal with NBCUniversal, including a first-look deal with her studio Hopetown Entertainment, as part of which she will develop projects for the company's outlets and star in three specials; with the first project off the deal being the "Stand By You" Pride concert special, which was released the following month on Peacock. In June, Cyrus released a studio cover version of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters", which was included in "The Metallica Blacklist", a tribute album to the band's homonymous record, featuring renditions recorded by various artists and released in conjunction to the original album's 30th anniversary. The track also features Elton John on the piano, Yo-Yo Ma and Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith. The singer initially teased a Metallica cover album in October 2020 and had already performed the track live during her set at Glastonbury.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: To promote "Plastic Hearts", Cyrus teased a concert tour around the album's release. The tour was postponed due to the pandemic but thanks to the high vaccination rates in the United States, Cyrus was able to headline several music festivals in the country during summer 2021, including Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, and Music Midtown. Later that year, she revealed she would tour South America for the first time in seven years in early 2022. The second special off her deal with NBCUniversal was "Miley's New Year's Eve Party", which Cyrus co-hosted from Miami with "Saturday Night Live" cast member Pete Davidson and also co-executive produced under her production company Hopetown Entertainment, featuring performances by Cyrus, 24kGoldn, Anitta, Billie Joe Armstrong, Brandi Carlile, Jack Harlow, Kitty Cash, and Saweetie.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: In February 2022, Cyrus embarked on her music festival concert tour, Attention Tour, in support of "Plastic Hearts", which took place in North, South, and Central America. This marked her first tour to South America since her Gypsy Heart Tour in 2011. The tour concluded on March 26, 2022. On April 1, 2022, Cyrus released her third live album, "". Most of the album was recorded during her concert as part of the Super Bowl Music Fest at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 12, 2022, with the set list including songs from her albums "Plastic Hearts", "Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz", "Bangerz", "The Time of Our Lives", "Breakout", and "Meet Miley Cyrus", along with multiple cover songs. The album also includes two unreleased tracks—"Attention" and "You". She said the album was "curated by the fans for the fans". Emily Swingle of "Clash" gave acclaim to Cyrus's versatile vocals, saying her "voice is truly a force to be reckoned with, seamlessly fitting whatever genre she chooses to tackle. From the playful, country-hip-hop banger that is '4x4', to rap-heavy '23', to the bluesy, rich cover of Janis Joplin's 'Maybe', it seems like Cyrus can fit into just about any genre she gets her paws on." By the end of that month, Cyrus released the deluxe version of the album, which includes six additional songs including a mashup of "Mother's Daughter" and "Boys Don't Cry" featuring Anitta, that are mostly part of her time at the Lollapalooza festival in Brazil and other shows in Latin America; she commented on the addition of her single "Angels Like You" at her concert in Colombia in gratitude due to the song reaching the number one spot on iTunes in that country and because her fans sang the song all night outside the hotel where she was staying in Bogotá. The following month, NBC announced that "Miley's New Year's Eve Party" had been renewed for a second iteration set to be aired on New Year's Eve 2022–23. In August 2022 it was announced that Cyrus is set to star in a Christmas television film "Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas", produced by Dolly Parton for NBC.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: In multiple places around the country and Miley Cyrus’ website, she teases new music to be released in 2023 with the phrase “New Year, New Miley”.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Miley Cyrus's music has spanned many different genres including pop rock, country pop, teen pop, country, hip hop, and psychedelic. Cyrus has cited Elvis Presley as her biggest inspiration. She has also cited artists such as Madonna, Lana Del Rey, Dolly Parton, Timbaland, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Joan Jett, Lil Kim, Shania Twain, Hanson, OneRepublic, and Britney Spears as influences. Since the beginning of her music career, Cyrus has been described as being predominantly a pop artist. Her "Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus" debut studio effort was characterized as sounding similar to her releases as "Hannah Montana" featuring a pop-rock and bubblegum pop sound. Cyrus hoped that the release of "Breakout" (2008) would help distance her from this sound; the record featured Cyrus experimenting with various genres. Cyrus co-wrote eight songs for the album and was quoted as saying: "I just hope this record showcases that, more than anything, I'm a [song]writer." The songs on her early releases feature lyrics on the topics of love and relationships.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range, although her vocals were once described as alto with a "Nashville twang" in both her spoken and singing voice. Her voice has a distinctive raspy sound to it, similar in vein to that of Pink and Amy Winehouse. On "Party in the U.S.A." (2009), her vocals feature belter refrains, while those on the song "Obsessed" (2009) are described as "husky". Releases such as "The Climb" (2009) and "These Four Walls" (2008) feature elements of country music and showcase Cyrus's "twangy vocals". Cyrus experimented with an electropop sound on "Fly on the Wall" (2008), a genre that she would explore further with the release of "Can't Be Tamed" (2010), her third studio album. It was initially intended to feature rock elements prior to its completion, and Cyrus claimed after its release that it could be her final pop album. The album's songs speak of Cyrus's desire to achieve freedom in both her personal and professional life. She began working on "Bangerz" (2013) during a musical hiatus, and described the record as having a "dirty south feel" prior to its release. Critics noted the use of hip hop and synthpop on the album. The album's songs are placed in chronological order telling the story of her failed relationship with Liam Hemsworth. Cyrus described "Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz" (2015) as "a little psychedelic, but still in that pop world". For her rock-influenced album, "Plastic Hearts", Cyrus cited Britney Spears and Metallica as major influences.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus has become known for her controversial performances, most notably on her Bangerz Tour (2014) and Milky Milky Milk Tour (2015). Her performance of "Party in the U.S.A." at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards sparked a "national uproar" because of her outfit and perceived pole dancing. She faced similar controversy over her performance of "Can't Be Tamed" (2010) on "Britain's Got Talent", where the singer pretended to kiss one of her female backup dancers onstage; she defended the performance, arguing that she did nothing wrong. Cyrus became the subject of media and public scrutiny following her performance of "We Can't Stop" (2013) and "Blurred Lines" (2013) with Robin Thicke at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Clad in a flesh-colored latex two-piece, she touched Thicke's crotch area with a giant foam finger and twerked against his crotch. The performance resulted in a media frenzy; one reviewer likened the performance to a "bad acid trip", while another described it as a "trainwreck in the classic sense of the word as the audience reaction seemed to be a mix of confusion, dismay and horror in a cocktail of embarrassment". Cyrus entered the stage of her Bangerz Tour by sliding down a slide in the shape of a tongue, and draw media attention during the tour for her outfits and racy performances.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: In the early years of her career, Cyrus had a generally wholesome image as a teen idol. Her fame increased dramatically in the wake of the "Vanity Fair" photo scandal in 2008, and it was reported that photographs of Cyrus could be shopped for $2,000 apiece. In subsequent years, her image continued to shift dramatically from her teen idol status. In 2008, Donny Osmond wrote of Cyrus's imminent transition to adulthood: "Miley will have to face adulthood... As she does, she'll want to change her image, and that change will be met with adversity." The release of her 2010 album "Can't Be Tamed" saw Cyrus officially attempting to distance herself from her teenage persona by releasing controversial music videos for her songs "Can't Be Tamed" and "Who Owns My Heart". Her behavior throughout 2013 and 2014 sparked a substantial amount of controversy, although her godmother Dolly Parton said "...the girl can write. The girl can sing. The girl is smart. And she doesn't have to be so drastic. But I will respect her choices. I did it my way, so why can't she do it her way?"


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus is number seventeen on "Forbes" list of the most powerful celebrities in 2014; the magazine notes that "The last time she made our list was when she was still rolling in "Hannah Montana" money. Now the pop singer is all grown up and courting controversy at every turn." In August 2014, her life was documented in a comic book titled "Fame: Miley Cyrus"; it begins with her controversial 2013 MTV Video Music Awards performance and covers her Disney fame as well as exploring her childhood in Tennessee. The comic book was written by Michael L. Frizell, drawn by Juan Luis Rincón, and is available in both print and digital formats. In September 2010, Cyrus placed tenth on "Billboard"s first-ever list of Music's Hottest Minors of 2010; she was ranked twenty-first in 2011 and eighteenth in 2012. In 2013, "Maxim" listed Cyrus as number one on their annual Hot 100 list. Cyrus was chosen by "Time" magazine as one of the finalists for Person of the Year in November 2013; she came in third place with 16.3% of the staff vote. In March 2014, Skidmore College in New York began to offer a special topics sociology course entitled "The Sociology of Miley Cyrus: Race, Class, Gender and Media" which was "using Miley as a lens through which to explore sociological thinking about identity, entertainment, media and fame". In 2015, Cyrus was listed as one of the nine runners-up for "The Advocate"s Person of the Year.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus currently resides in Hidden Hills, California and also owns a $5.8 million home in her hometown of Franklin. While Cyrus was raised as a Christian and identified herself as such during her childhood and early adult life, she includes references to Tibetan Buddhism in the lyrics to her song "Milky Milky Milk" (2015) and is also influenced by Hindu beliefs.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus came out as pansexual to her mother at age 14 and has said: "I never want to label myself! I am ready to love anyone that loves me for who I am! I am open." In June 2015, "Time" magazine reported she is gender fluid. She was quoted as stating she "doesn't relate to being boy or girl, and I don't have to have my partner relate to boy or girl." Cyrus stated she is "literally open to every single thing that is consenting and doesn't involve an animal and everyone is of age".


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus is a supporter of the LGBT community. Her song "My Heart Beats for Love" (2010) was written for one of Cyrus's gay friends, while she has since claimed London to be her favorite place to perform due to its extensive gay scene. Cyrus also has an equals sign tattooed on her ring finger in support of same-sex marriage. After her 2018 marriage to a man, Cyrus went on the record to state she still identified as queer. She is the founder of the Happy Hippie Foundation, which works to "Fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations".


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus was a vegan and had stopped eating animal products since 2014. In September 2020, Cyrus revealed on "The Joe Rogan Experience" that she had to switch to a pescatarian diet after suffering from omega-3 deficiency, saying "I’ve been a vegan for a very long time and I had to introduce fish and omegas into my life because my brain wasn’t functioning properly." Cyrus further revealed that she cried when eating her first fish after her vegan diet, saying "I cried for the fish … it really hurts me to eat fish.” Her decision to quit being vegan sparked backlash from the vegan and vegetarian community and physicians who accused Cyrus of "abandoning her vegan diet" and spreading misinformation about omega-3 in plant-based diet, which can be found in various plant-based sources and dietary supplements.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus has been open about her recreational use of cannabis. She told "Rolling Stone" in 2013 that it was "the best drug on earth" and called it, along with MDMA, a "happy drug". While accepting the Best Video Award at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards, Cyrus smoked what appeared to be a joint onstage; this was removed from the delayed broadcast of the show in the United States. In a 2014 interview with "W" magazine, Cyrus stated "I love weed" and "I just love getting stoned." In a 2017 interview on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", Cyrus revealed that she had quit cannabis before the press tour for her "Younger Now" album so she could be "super clear" when discussing the record. During a 2018 interview with Andy Cohen, she credited her mother for reintroducing her to cannabis. In 2019, Cyrus sent "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" collaborator Mark Ronson a cannabis bouquet from Lowell Herb Co as a tongue-in-cheek Valentine's Day gift. She invested in the cannabis company in August.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Prior to undergoing vocal cord surgery in November 2019, and after her post-operative recovery, Cyrus has stated that she has stayed sober from the use of cannabis and alcohol.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus has said that she dated singer-actor Nick Jonas from June 2006 to December 2007, claiming they were "in love" and began dating soon after they first met. Their relationship attracted considerable media attention. Cyrus was in a nine-month relationship with model Justin Gaston from 2008 to 2009. While filming "The Last Song", Cyrus began an on-again, off-again relationship with her co-star Liam Hemsworth in 2009. During the breakups, Cyrus was romantically linked to actors Lucas Till (2009) and Josh Bowman (2011). Cyrus and Hemsworth were first engaged from May 2012 until September 2013. She has also dated actor Patrick Schwarzenegger (2014–2015) and model Stella Maxwell (2015).


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Cyrus and Hemsworth rekindled their relationship in March 2016, and became re-engaged that October. In November 2018, Cyrus and Hemsworth's home burned down in the Woolsey Fire in California. On December 23, Cyrus and Hemsworth married in a private wedding ceremony in their home in Nashville. She felt that her marriage "[redefined] what it looks like for someone that's a queer person like [herself] to be in a hetero relationship" though she was "still very sexually attracted to women". Cyrus indicated that the ceremony was "kind of out of character for [her]" because "[they have] worn rings forever [and] definitely didn't need it in any way". She believed the loss of their home to be the catalyst for getting married, citing that "the timing felt right" and that "no one is promised the next day, or the next, so [she tries] to be 'in the now' as much as possible". On August 10, 2019, Cyrus announced their separation. Eleven days later, Hemsworth filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences". Their divorce was finalized on January 28, 2020.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Following the announcement of her separation from Hemsworth, she dated Kaitlynn Carter from August to September 2019.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: In October 2019, Cyrus began dating Australian singer Cody Simpson, a longtime friend. In August 2020, Cyrus announced that she and Simpson had split up. Her announcement coincided with the release of her single "Midnight Sky", which was inspired by her breakups with Hemsworth, Carter, and Simpson.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: Throughout her career Cyrus has sung on several charity singles such as: "Just Stand Up!", "Send It On", "Everybody Hurts" and "We Are the World 25 for Haiti". She has visited sick fans in hospitals throughout the years. She is an avid supporter of the City of Hope National Medical Center in California, having attended benefit concerts in 2008, 2009 and 2012. In 2008 and 2009, during her Best of Both Worlds and Wonder World Tours, for every concert ticket sold, she donated one dollar to the organization. Cyrus celebrated her 16th birthday at Disneyland by delivering a $1million donation from Disney to Youth Service America. In July 2009, Cyrus performed at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation's 20th annual A Time for Heroes celebrity picnic and donated several items including autographed merchandise, and a script from "Hannah Montana" for the Ronald McDonald House Auction. Cyrus has supported charities such as the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Entertainment Industry Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, United Service Organizations, Youth Service America and Music for Relief. In January 2010, Cyrus posted the final video to her "mileymandy" YouTube Account. In the video, Cyrus promoted support for To Write Love on Her Arms. The next day, Cyrus appeared in a promotional video for To Write Love on Her Arms with Joaquin Phoenix, and Liv Tyler. In February 2010, she donated several items, including the dress she wore to the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, and two tickets to the Hollywood premiere of her film "The Last Song", to raise money for the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In April 2010, Cyrus, working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, performed for and met with 29 Children at The Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles, California. Cyrus has continued her support for The Make-A-Wish Foundation and has met with at least 150 children.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: In January 2011, Cyrus met an ailing fan with spina bifida with the charity Kids Wish Network. In April 2011, she appeared in a commercial for the American Red Cross asking people to pledge $10 to help those affected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. That same year, Hilary Duff presented Cyrus with the first-ever Global Action Youth Leadership Award at the first Annual Global Action Awards Gala for her support of Blessings in a Backpack, an organization that works to feed hungry children in schools, and her personal Get Ur Good On campaign with the Youth Services of America. Cyrus stated: "I want (kids) to do something they love. Not something that seems like a chore because someone tells them that's the right thing to do or what their parents want or what's important to people around them, but what's in their heart." In December 2011, she appeared in a commercial for the charity J/P Haitian Relief Organization, and teamed up with her elder brother Trace Cyrus to design a limited edition T-shirt and hoodie for charity. All proceeds from the sale of these items went to her charity, Get Ur Good On, which supports education for under-privileged children. That month, she performed "The Climb" at the "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.


title: Miley Cyrus

text: In 2012, Cyrus released a cover version of Bob Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" featuring Johnzo West for the charity Amnesty International as a part of the album "Chimes of Freedom". She also appeared in a commercial for the Rock the Vote campaign, which encouraged young people to make their voices heard by voting in the 2012 federal election. For her 20th birthday, activists at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) adopted a pig called Nora in her name. Cyrus also supports 39 well-known charities, including: Make-a-Wish Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, To Write Love on Her Arms, NOH8 Campaign, Love Is Louder Than the Pressure to Be Perfect and The Jed Foundation among others. In 2013, Cyrus was named the fourteenth most charitable celebrity of the year by Do Something. She also appeared with Justin Bieber and Pitbull in a television special entitled "The Real Change Project: Artists for Education". On July 26, 2014, it was announced that Cyrus would appear alongside Justin Timberlake at an HIV/AIDS charity event in the White House.