New Year’s Eve television has a familiar recipe: a giant clock, a crowd wearing questionable novelty glasses, performers trying not to freeze, and hosts enthusiastically reminding us that midnight is getting closer. Then Miley Cyrus decided the formula could use more leather, louder guitars, surprise duets, comedy, and the possibility that literally anything might happen on live television.
Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party was NBC’s music-heavy alternative to the traditional Times Square countdown. Broadcast live from Miami and streamed on Peacock, the special put Cyrus at the center of a loose, glamorous celebration built around live performances rather than simply waiting for a ball to drop. Pete Davidson co-hosted the first edition welcoming 2022, while Dolly Parton joined Cyrus for the second edition welcoming 2023.
The result was part concert, part variety show, part celebrity hangout, and part controlled chaos. In other words, it was an unusually good fit for Miley Cyrus.
How Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party Began
NBC introduced Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party for December 31, 2021, replacing the network’s previous New Year’s Eve format with something aimed more directly at younger pop-culture audiences. The show was produced with Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels involved behind the scenes, immediately giving it a connection to the live-comedy world.
Instead of building the entire evening around New York City’s Times Square, NBC went south. The special originated from Miami, giving the broadcast a warmer, more colorful visual identity. Palm trees and party clothes are, after all, considerably more festive than watching celebrities pretend they are comfortable in 28-degree weather.
The first Miley Cyrus New Year’s Eve special paired Cyrus with comedian and then-SNL cast member Pete Davidson. On paper, it was a slightly strange combination. On television, that was exactly the point.
Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson Ring In 2022
Cyrus and Davidson approached the first edition like two friends who had somehow been given control of a national television network for two hours. Their chemistry was playful and deliberately informal, with comedy sketches and banter breaking up a packed schedule of musical performances.
The guest list included performers such as Brandi Carlile, Jack Harlow, Saweetie, 24kGoldn, Anitta, and Billie Joe Armstrong. Rather than saving Cyrus for one headline performance, the show repeatedly put her back onstage, allowing viewers to experience the evening more like a Miley Cyrus concert with unusually famous friends dropping by.
Brandi Carlile and Miley Cyrus Deliver the Vocals
One of the night’s strongest musical pairings came when Cyrus joined Brandi Carlile. Their voices are very different but remarkably compatible: Carlile brings enormous precision and power, while Cyrus has developed one of pop music’s most recognizable raspy tones.
The pair performed Carlile’s “The Story” and Cyrus’ “The Climb,” turning two already emotional songs into showcase duets. It also demonstrated an important feature of the special: Cyrus was interested in musical collaboration, not merely celebrity cameos.
Miley Debuts “You”
Cyrus also used the broadcast to introduce an original song, “You.” The piano-driven track provided a quieter moment amid an otherwise energetic party and later appeared on her 2023 album Endless Summer Vacation.
That performance helped make Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party feel more substantial than an ordinary holiday television special. New Year’s Eve could become a place to revisit hits, cover favorite songs, experiment with unexpected collaborations, and even preview future music.
The Wardrobe Malfunction That Became a Classic Live-TV Moment
No discussion of the first Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party is complete without the wardrobe malfunction.
While performing “Party in the U.S.A.,” Cyrus’ silver top came loose. Because the program was live, there was no convenient opportunity for somebody in an editing room to yell “cut” and replace the scene with fireworks.
Cyrus briefly moved offstage while the band continued playing, changed into a red blazer, returned almost immediately, and continued performing. She even joked about the situation while singing.
The incident became one of the night’s most discussed moments not simply because something went wrong, but because of how professionally Cyrus handled it. Live entertainment occasionally produces accidents. The difference between an awkward disaster and a memorable television moment is often what the performer does during the next 15 seconds.
Cyrus barely missed a beat.
Why the First Special Worked
The inaugural edition attracted millions of viewers and generated significant social-media conversation. More importantly, it gave NBC a distinctive New Year’s identity in a crowded field dominated by established specials.
ABC already had the enormous tradition of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Other networks offered their own celebrations from Times Square, Nashville, and elsewhere. Trying to duplicate those programs would have made NBC another guest arriving at midnight wearing the same outfit.
Instead, Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party leaned into Cyrus’ personality: unpredictable, rock-influenced, nostalgic without being stuck in the past, and comfortable moving between generations of performers.
Dolly Parton Joins Miley to Welcome 2023
After the success of the first show, Cyrus returned on December 31, 2022. Pete Davidson was no longer her co-host. His replacement was difficult to argue with: Dolly Parton.
Parton is Cyrus’ godmother and has been a major presence throughout her life and career. Their relationship also gave the second special something the Pete Davidson edition could not have: genuine family-like warmth mixed with decades of musical history.
The combination appealed to several generations at once. Younger viewers knew Cyrus as a modern pop and rock star. Older audiences knew Parton as one of American music’s most enduring performers and songwriters. Plenty of viewers, naturally, loved both.
The two-hour NBC and Peacock broadcast again came live from Miami and featured musical guests including Sia, FLETCHER, Latto, Liily, and Rae Sremmurd. Saturday Night Live performers Chloe Fineman and Sarah Sherman appeared, along with comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy.
The Miley and Dolly Duets Stole the Show
The second edition wasted little time demonstrating why pairing Miley Cyrus with Dolly Parton was such a smart idea.
“I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”
Cyrus and Parton opened the celebration with “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” famously associated with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Their matching rock-star energy established the evening’s tone immediately.
Parton had recently been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, making the choice especially appropriate. Anyone who doubted Dolly could comfortably occupy a rock stage received a fairly sparkly rebuttal.
“Jolene” and “Walkin’ After Midnight”
The show also allowed Cyrus to explore her country roots alongside Parton. Their performances connected contemporary pop spectacle with classic American songs, including Parton’s “Jolene” and Patsy Cline’s “Walkin’ After Midnight.”
Cyrus has long moved between country, pop, rock, and blues influences, so the selections felt natural rather than like a forced theme-night exercise.
“Wrecking Ball” Meets “I Will Always Love You”
The emotional centerpiece arrived near midnight when Cyrus and Parton blended “Wrecking Ball” with Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”
On paper, combining a 2013 Miley Cyrus power ballad with one of the most famous compositions in country and pop history sounds dangerously ambitious. Onstage, the songs complemented one another surprisingly well.
The performance highlighted what made the second special memorable. It was not simply “Miley sings Dolly” or “Dolly joins a younger pop star.” The show treated both women’s catalogs as living music that could be rearranged and combined.
Paris Hilton, Sia, and One Very 2000s Surprise
If you had “Miley Cyrus, Sia, and Paris Hilton sing ‘Stars Are Blind’ on NBC” on your New Year’s prediction card, congratulations on possessing suspiciously specific psychic powers.
Cyrus and Sia began performing Hilton’s 2006 pop track before Hilton herself appeared as the surprise guest. The moment combined genuine nostalgia with the cheerful absurdity that a New Year’s Eve variety show needs.
The second special also delivered other unusual musical combinations. Talking Heads legend David Byrne joined Cyrus for a performance of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” while FLETCHER collaborated with Cyrus on “Midnight Sky.”
These pairings helped the program avoid feeling like a sequence of disconnected promotional performances. Cyrus effectively became the connective tissue between different artists, styles, and eras.
Miley Used New Year’s Eve to Introduce the “Flowers” Era
The 2023 countdown also became a launching pad for Cyrus’ next major musical chapter. During the broadcast, she announced her single “Flowers,” which arrived in January 2023 ahead of Endless Summer Vacation.
“Flowers” subsequently became one of the biggest hits of Cyrus’ career. In retrospect, the New Year’s Eve announcement was well timed: millions of viewers were already watching Cyrus celebrate endings, beginnings, independence, and reinventionthe same themes that would soon surround the new song.
Behind the Glamour Was a Difficult Night
Years later, Cyrus revealed an important detail audiences could not have known while watching the 2022-23 broadcast. She said she had suffered a ruptured ovarian cyst around the time of the New Year’s special and performed despite experiencing severe pain.
The later disclosure changed how some viewers understood the broadcast. On television, Cyrus appeared energetic, joking with Parton and moving through a demanding sequence of performances. Behind the scenes, she was dealing with a painful medical problem.
It also reinforced how misleading the apparent effortlessness of live entertainment can be. A polished broadcast may hide an enormous amount of physical strain, preparation, improvisation, and pressure.
What Made Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party Different?
At its best, Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party understood that viewers already knew what happened at midnight. Nobody was tuning in because the concept of January 1 remained a cliffhanger.
The real challenge was making the hours before midnight entertaining.
1. It Felt Like a Concert
Music was the center of the show rather than decoration between countdown updates. Cyrus performed repeatedly and collaborated with guests, creating the feeling of a special concert built for television.
2. It Mixed Generations
The guest bookings ranged from hip-hop and contemporary pop to alternative rock, classic country, and veteran art-rock performers. A viewer could encounter Latto, Dolly Parton, FLETCHER, David Byrne, Sia, and Paris Hilton during the same celebration.
3. It Embraced Live-TV Imperfection
The wardrobe malfunction during the first edition actually strengthened the show’s identity. The special felt genuinely live because it was genuinely capable of going sideways.
4. Miley Was More Than a Host
Cyrus did not simply introduce performers and shout countdown numbers. She sang, joked, collaborated, handled surprises, changed outfits, and remained the musical anchor throughout the night.
Why the Show Remains Memorable
The Miley Cyrus-hosted version ultimately became a short chapter in NBC’s long history of New Year’s Eve programming, but its limited run may be part of its charm. It arrived with a strong identity, produced several viral performances, and avoided being stretched indefinitely into an annual routine.
The first edition demonstrated that Cyrus and Pete Davidson could turn a network countdown into a chaotic celebrity party. The second improved the musical formula by placing Cyrus beside Dolly Parton, someone with whom she had genuine history and natural performance chemistry.
And both editions provided the element television executives can plan for but never completely manufacture: moments viewers wanted to talk about afterward.
Viewer Experience: What Watching Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party Felt Like
For viewers accustomed to traditional New Year’s television, watching Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party offered a noticeably different experience. The easiest way to describe it is that the countdown often felt secondary. You knew midnight was coming, but you were not constantly staring at a clock waiting for it.
Instead, another duet was usually around the corner.
That structure made the show particularly enjoyable for small gatherings at home. A traditional countdown program can become background television: people talk, eat, check their phones, glance at the screen when somebody famous appears, and suddenly someone yells that there are 30 seconds left. Miley’s format rewarded paying attention because performances regularly created unexpected combinations.
The 2021 edition had the thrill of unpredictability. Pete Davidson’s humor and Cyrus’ energetic hosting made the evening feel deliberately less formal than a polished awards show. Then the wardrobe accident occurred and demonstrated exactly why live television remains compelling. The moment was uncomfortable for perhaps a second; watching Cyrus recover transformed it into an impressive example of stage instinct.
The Dolly Parton edition offered a different experience. Rather than chaotic friendship energy, the heart of the broadcast was the affection between Cyrus and her godmother. Their exchanges felt warmer, and the shared performances gave the show an emotional through-line.
For a multigenerational household, that edition was especially well designed. Someone who grew up with Dolly Parton could enjoy “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.” A viewer who grew up during the Hannah Montana years could watch Miley sing “Wrecking Ball.” Pop fans got Sia and FLETCHER. Hip-hop listeners had Latto and Rae Sremmurd. People nostalgic for early-2000s celebrity culture suddenly got Paris Hilton singing “Stars Are Blind.”
It was essentially the playlist created when five people fight over the Bluetooth speakerand somehow it worked.
Another useful way to enjoy the special retrospectively is to watch individual collaborations rather than treating it strictly as a dated New Year’s broadcast. The Brandi Carlile duets, Miley and Dolly performances, “Stars Are Blind” surprise, and David Byrne collaboration function well as standalone musical moments.
Watching those clips also shows how Cyrus has evolved as a performer. Her Disney-era fame sometimes overshadows how comfortable she has become interpreting songs from other artists and genres. On the New Year’s stage, she could move from country to rock to pop without appearing to be wearing somebody else’s musical costume.
There is also something refreshing about revisiting a television event that was not designed to be perfect forever. The clothes are tied to their moment. The jokes are tied to their moment. The celebrity lineup is a snapshot of pop culture at the beginning of the 2020s. Even the surprises are no longer surprising if you already know what happens.
Yet that time-capsule quality makes Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party fun to revisit. It captures Miley Cyrus in a particularly confident phase of her career: experienced enough to command a live broadcast, restless enough to make it unpredictable, and connected enough to invite performers from completely different corners of music onto the same stage.
If the ultimate job of a New Year’s Eve special is to make the old year leave with a little more excitement than it arrived with, Miley’s party understood the assignment.
Conclusion
Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party succeeded because it did not behave like just another countdown. It treated New Year’s Eve as an excuse for a live concert, a comedy show, a family reunion, and the occasional wardrobe emergency.
With Pete Davidson, the program was mischievous and unpredictable. With Dolly Parton, it became warmer and even more musically ambitious. Across the two editions, Miley Cyrus performed new material, revisited career-defining hits, sang with artists from multiple generations, announced a major new single, and repeatedly demonstrated why live television works best when producers leave enough room for something unexpected to happen.
There may be bigger New Year’s television traditions, but few have ever felt quite so much like somebody handed Miley Cyrus the keys to the party and wisely decided not to ask too many questions.
Note: This article is a retrospective of the NBC/Peacock editions of Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party that welcomed 2022 and 2023; broadcast schedules and streaming availability may change over time.
