Noah Cyrus On 'Make Me (Cry),' How Her Dad Has Inspired Her & More

Music just runs in the Cyrus family blood. Late last year, Noah Cyrus, daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus and sister of Miley Cyrus, surprised everyone by dropping her debut single "Make Me (Cry)" featuring English singer/songwriter/rapper/record producer Labrinth. The song has already achieved Gold status in the US, Canada, and Sweden, and things are just getting started for the 17-year-old. She's already teased a new song called "Almost Famous" with an acoustic performance, and also recently teamed up with popular producer/DJ Marshmello and Ookay on a song called "Chasing Colors." 

Additionally, Noah is set to perform at this year's iHeartRadio Music Awards, and will take the stage on March 5th at the historic Forum in Los Angeles with her "Make Me (Cry)" collaborator Labrinth. Cyrus and Labrinth join a star-studded lineup of performers during the annual awards show including Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, The Chainsmokers, Shawn Mendes, Thomas Rhett, and Big Sean.

We recently caught up with Noah and during an exclusive interview where Noah talked about what it's like to be creating her own music, what it was like working with Labrinth in the studio (FYI: Yoga was involved), what fans can expect for the rest of 2017, and more. Read on below.

What is it like to be making your own music right now?

"I started writing three years ago in 2014, so it's definitely changed a lot since then. I've definitely grown as a person, and I'm definitely more experienced with [writing] now. So, the feeling of making your own music, and writing it, and hearing it in the studio, and then seeing it up on iTunes, and then actually hearing it on the radio, that's insane. I've heard it on the radio a few times, and every time I hear it, it's just like, I can only think about the time Labrinth and I were in the studio writing that song, and how we didn't know what it would be yet, we didn't know what it would sound like. It's just really weird to hear, start to finish."

The song lyrics to "Make Me (Cry)" are pretty emotional. What is your songwriting process like?

"Every time I write, I feel like it's different. Every session I go into, it depends on who I'm writing with, or if it's a new person, or if I'm working with a friend, or whatever. But, I get a lot of my inspiration from driving in the car, which is really weird. Like I'll make myself all depressed while driving in the car, and then I think of a sad song to write. Or depending on the weather, if it's really bright outside, then I'll be in a good mood, or if it's raining, I wanna write a song about how it's all rainy. But I get a lot of my inspiration from real life experiences, like my first really big breakup, the first time I fell in love or thought I was in love, at least. But just different life experiences, I take that and I put it into different ideas."

What was it like working with Labrinth?

"I think Labrinth and I, together, are just insane. We are crazy. Like Labrinth and I were doing Yoga in the studio, he was standing on his head. I posted, on Instagram, this picture of Labrinth on his head, while we were writing 'Make Me (Cry).' We were also writing on the street outside of the studio, we wrote 'Make Me (Cry)' in a Coffee Bean across the street. We're just kind of crazy together, which I think was really cool. But 'Make Me (Cry),' when we were writing it, is very conversational. And even when you sing it and you feel like you're talking to somebody, that's what makes the song so special because it really captures all of the emotion when we were writing it."

What can fans expect from you this year?

"An album! An album, for sure one hundred percent, an album. I'm just still writing, and I'm very picky. And I'm very secretive about the album, so I don't want to say too much, but I'm very picky about it. I just want to make sure that it's everything I've ever wanted for my very first album. So I've been really going crazy about writing, and as many sessions as possible."

You come from a really musical family. Who do you draw inspiration from as an artist and a songwriter?

"My dad is a big one. I always looked up to my dad. He taught me how to write, really, and he taught me how to harmonize, and he attempted to teach me how to play guitar. So he's just a huge inspiration to me. But [also] Ben Howard (shout out to Ben Howard, he is my favorite ever), Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, I've always looked up to them [as] writing inspirations. And I can't forget Dolly Parton, but I also love bands like My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses. So, it's all different types of music."