Two decades. That’s how long it’s been since a small-town southern girl with no acting experience revolutionized pop music and the 2000s Disney Channel TV. On March 24, Disney released a special called Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special, which included songs from the show, interviews with Alex Cooper, and many special guests.
In front of a live audience, Miley Cyrus opened the special by singing the theme song, “The Best of Both Worlds,” followed by a tour of the reaction of her Malibu home in the show. Next, Alex Cooper, a famous podcaster, interviewed Cyrus, and clips of it appeared throughout the special. They discussed the initial audition for the role, how supportive Cyrus’ family has been, and her amazing relationships with the cast. Cyrus then looked through some of her old clothes and items from the show with her mom. Hannah’s iconic closet inspired millions of girls nationwide who definitely begged their parents for dresses like hers.
Cyrus had brief interactions with Chappell Roan and Selena Gomez, and then sang a few more songs like “The Climb” and “This Is The Life”. She then invited her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, over, who played her dad in the show as well. They reread lines from scenes that they had forgotten from twenty years prior, almost bringing tears to their eyes. Miley wrote in an Instagram caption, “Celebrating Hannah Montana isn’t just honoring a show, it’s a full-circle moment for me.”
Brands hopped on the Hannah Montana marketing train, with a brand new Starbucks drink, Stoney Clover Hannah Montana bags, Maybelline pop-ups in New York City, and so much more. This made the new Hannah Montana special hard to miss; it was all over everyone’s FYP. “When it feels authentic, nostalgia creates emotional connection faster than almost anything else,” wrote Radiant Marketing. Hannah Montana is relatable to teenage girls living out their normal high school lives, but also entertaining as she’s secretly a pop star at night, balancing her realistic lifestyle with a desirable, effortlessly groundbreaking one.
Lexi Hermz, a ninth grader at CdM, watched the special and loved it because it was “really nostalgic” and one of her favorite parts was when “she was showing us her old wardrobe and what she’d wear and what episode it’s from”. Hermz thought a few important details were missing that should’ve been included. For example, “Lilly was her best friend, and she didn’t catch up with anyone,” Hermz said. Emily Osment, the actress who played Lilly Truscott, was filming a different show and couldn’t make it, and Mitchel Musso was most likely unable to attend because of family matters. The special still included great surprise guests, however it was unfortunate that the original cast members weren’t involved.
On March 27, Miley Cyrus released “Younger You (From the ‘Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special’)”. In her Instagram caption announcing the song’s Friday release, she wrote, “This anniversary special is a gift from me to younger you, my way of saying thank you for your loyalty and for growing with me every step of the way. This song says it all…”
