Miley Cyrus Releases New Holiday Track “My Sad Christmas Song”
If the holidays aren’t a happy time of year for you, Miley Cyrus wants you to know you’re not alone.
On Saturday, December 21, the singer-songwriter dropped a track titled “My Sad Christmas Song,” that she penned a few years ago. “Was feeling like sh*t cause I couldn’t be with the one I loved,” Miley explained alongside a SoundCloud link for fans to listen to the song. “Even with a house full of family and friends I still felt alone.”
With lyrics like “I turn on the radio / I binge watch our favorite shows / This year feels kind of lame / But the last one was the same,” Miley’s slow, melancholy tune encapsulates the heavy feeling of the holiday blues, along with the disconnect between merry decorations and emotions of sadness, loneliness, and pain.
In another tweet, the singer reminded her fans that it’s normal to feel a little “meh” around the holidays — and that support is always out there. “If you feel lonely this season just know YOU ARE COMPLETELY MADE OF MAGIC!” Miley wrote. “You are as special as a snowflake, beautifully unique, and I hope inside your soul feels light, hope, peace, and joy knowing how singularly amazing YOU are! Love always wins!”
From the replies, it’s obvious that Miley’s words truly resonated with her fans. “I know how much I would have appreciated hearing this message back…when I felt alone, dark, and miserable during this time of year,” one person wrote, while another tweeted: “Thank you Miley, I always had such a sadness feeling every time that holiday season was coming, like I wasn’t able to really understand and feel all that joy, and honestly I still don’t, but now I am more faithful that one day this might change.”
Feeling sad during the holidays is actually pretty common, and the “holiday blues” can especially hit those coping with a mental illness. A study from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that 64% of people with mental illness find that holidays make their conditions worse, with one participant reporting: “The holiday season beams a spotlight on everything that is difficult about living with depression. The pressure to be joyful and social is tenfold.”
Fortunately, there are ways to combat seasonal holiday depression — and that starts with talking about it. Kudos to Miley for shedding light on the fact that not everyone is full of cheer right now, and for providing hope to those who might be going through the blues this year.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
Related: How to Deal With Seasonal Affective Disorder
Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
