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At night, 80,000 voices know her name.
Ten minutes later, the applause is only a memory.
At dawn, there is no glamour, only a quietroutine.
In the studio, one perfect line may take 20attempts.
Before the crowd arrives, she rehearses for emptyseats.
Fame is the moment. Her routines are what make itpossible.
Let me ask you something. What's the real life ofa superstar like when the cameras are off and
the spotlight fades? Today, you'll hear the truth.From chaotic studios to quiet mornings,
from sold-out arenas to lonely hotel rooms, thisis the routine of a music star the media never
shows
you. Forget what you think you know about fame.Today, we are getting a raw, honest look at the
real routine of a superstar. She's a singer, asongwriter, a powerhouse, and a former child star.
Before we meet Maile, visit yourenglishtoolbox.com.
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and turn today's English into a routine you cankeep.
And now, let me introduce to you the world-famousMaile. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
It's great to be here. It's our pleasure, Maile.We're so happy to have you. So, your life seems
incredibly exciting and busy, but we want to knowwhat it's really like behind the scenes.
Hello, and welcome to Your English Toolbox. I'mJulia. And I'm Martin. We're here to help you
improve your English skills, one conversation at atime. And today, we have a very special guest
with us. Maile, instead of us telling everyoneyour story, would you mind introducing yourself
to our listeners? Of course. Well, hello,everyone. It's great to be here. My name is Maile,
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and I'm a singer and songwriter. My story is alittle different, though. I started my career
as a child actor when I was about 10 years old,working on a few popular TV shows. I loved it,
but music was always my real passion. So, a fewyears ago, I decided to focus on songwriting.
I released a couple of songs online, and to mysurprise, they went viral. Since then,
it's been a crazy journey. And I'm very excited toshare my day with you all.
Maile, people often imagine your life as a seriesof constant glamour, luxury,
and exciting experiences. They see the privatejets and the fancy clothes.
What is one thing about your daily life that wouldtruly surprise them?
That's a great question, Martin. I think peoplewould be really surprised by how much of my life
is actually very normal, even boring. They don'tsee the hours I spend in my pajamas,
just like everyone else. They don't see me gettinglost in a grocery store
or trying to put together furniture that I boughtfrom a popular home goods store.
The biggest surprise for most people wouldprobably be how little time I actually spend
on things that look glamorous. Most of my day isspent either in the studio, which is a lot of hard
work, or on a plane, which is just flying. I thinkit's important to remember that all the flashy
stuff is just part of the job, but it's not thewhole story. At the end of the day, I'm just a
normal person trying to live my life, and I thinkthat's the part people forget to see.
Thank you for sharing that, Miley. It really helpsus see the person behind the pop star.
On a different note, I imagine that with all thefame and travel, your love life, dating,
and relationships must be incredibly difficult.What is your love life about?
That's a great question, Julia, and it's somethingI think about a lot. Honestly,
it's one of the hardest parts of this job. Whenyou're a public person, it's so difficult to know
who you can trust. You meet so many people, andyou always have to wonder if they're interested
in you, or in the idea of you, the fame, themoney, the life. So for a long time,
I was very careful, and I think I closed myselfoff a bit. It's hard to find a genuine connection
when you're always wondering about someone'sintentions. That sounds incredibly lonely.
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It can be, yeah. But actually, I have some news. Akind of scoop, I guess. I am in a relationship.
I'm in love. He's a music recording technician,and he's just the most normal guy. He doesn't
want to get involved in the fame and the stardom.In fact, he kind of hates it. He reminds me
every day what real life is like. He loves me forme, not for my songs or my followers.
With him, I can just be Miley. It's so refreshing,and he's taught me so much about staying grounded
and remembering who I was before all of this. It'sreally helped me keep my feet on the ground.
So your life seems incredibly exciting and busy,but we want to know what it's really like behind
the scenes. To start, what does your day look likewhen you're not on stage? What's the first thing
you do when you wake up? That's a great question,because a lot of people imagine I wake up and
immediately start singing. The truth is, mymornings are probably the most normal part
of my day. I try to wake up without an alarm, if Ican, and just have a quiet coffee and maybe
read a bit. It's my calm before the storm, youknow. I've learned that I need that time to get
my head in the right place before everythingstarts. Once the emails and messages start coming
in, my brain just has to go into autopilot. I canimagine. It's like a warm-up for your brain,
you know. You mentioned you were a child actor.That's a whole different kind of busy.
Did that experience prepare you at all for thislevel of fame?
Oh, absolutely. I think it gave me a hugeadvantage. When I was a kid on a film set,
I had to learn discipline very quickly. I wasworking long days, sometimes 12 hours or more,
and you have to be ready to perform the moment thedirector says,
action. So, I got used to the long hours and thepressure from a very young age.
It taught me to be professional and focused, evenwhen I was tired or feeling a bit overwhelmed.
I learned how to manage my time and my energy,which is a skill that is so important now that
I'm on tour, and my schedule is packed. That'sfascinating. So, in a way, you were always in
training for this moment. It sounds like youlearned how to switch gears from your private
self to your professional self very early on. Butnow, let's get to the most exciting part.
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The music. Can you walk us through what it feelslike to be in the studio,
working on a brand new song? Oh, I love thatquestion. The studio is like my second home.
It's where I feel most comfortable. The processusually starts with an idea,
a feeling, a line in my journal, or even just acool beat. Then, my producer and I get together.
He's amazing at helping me bring my ideas to life.We'll start with a basic melody,
and maybe a few chords, and I'll start singingsome lyrics I've written.
The energy in the room is incredible. It's a mixof excitement and concentration.
I imagine it must be a lot fresher. Do you getnervous about getting the perfect take?
I used to, for sure. But now, I've learned totrust the process. We record everything,
and I mean everything. We might record the sameline 20 times until it feels just right. We're
constantly laying down tracks for differentinstruments, and it's like building a big,
beautiful puzzle. My producer will give mefeedback, and we'll keep working on it until
it's finished. It's hard work, but when you hearthe final product, it's all worth it.
That sounds like a dream. What's the hardest partof the process for you?
Is it finding the right words or making the musicsound perfect? I think the hardest part is the
pressure to create another hit song. You wantevery song to be as good as your last one,
and sometimes you get creative blocks. That's whyI've learned it's so important to step away
from the studio sometimes. I have to live my lifeto get new inspiration.
Well, you're definitely doing something right.Your songs are on every playlist.
Thank you. It's still surreal every time I hearone on the radio. It's truly a dream come true.
Miley, we have to ask about a topic that alwayscomes up with pop stars.
There are so many stories in the media aboutpartying, drugs, and alcohol.
Is there any truth to that, or is it just a myth?
Martin, I think it's mostly a myth, to be honest.Of course, I go to parties from time to time,
and it's fun to celebrate, but that's not what mylife is really about. People don't realize
how much hard work it takes to be on tour. My showinvolves a lot of dancing and singing,
and I have to be incredibly fit to do it everynight. So, a healthy lifestyle is paramount for
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me. I go to the gym every day and focus on eatingwell. If I didn't, I wouldn't have the energy to
perform. For me, staying healthy isn't just achoice. It's a part of the job.
That's so interesting. It helps us understand yourworld a little more.
I have another curiosity. Do you pop stars becomefriends with each other,
or is there so much rivalry?
Julia, it's tough, honestly. Our lives are sointense, and we're always traveling,
so it's difficult to make and keep friends. It canfeel a little lonely sometimes,
because people don't really understand what thislife is like.
I can only imagine.
Right? But something really amazing happened tome. I met this other pop star. She's a tall,
blonde superstar who blends country with popmusic, and she's also an incredible dancer.
We had so much in common, from our passion formusic to the crazy schedules,
that we connected immediately and became friends.We talk on WhatsApp and Zoom all the time,
and we try to see each other whenever we can. It'sso nice to have someone who truly gets it,
who understands the good parts and the bad partsof this life.
That's a great story. It's wonderful that you havea friend who understands your world.
Now, let's talk about a different part of the job.
A song isn't just a song these days, is it? Itneeds a music video.
What is a music video shoot like?
Oh, a video shoot is a completely differentuniverse from the recording studio.
In the studio, it's very calm and creative. Avideo shoot is absolute chaos. There are so
many people everywhere. The director, the cameracrew, the stylists, hair, makeup,
the lighting people. It's a big production. It'salso very physical. We might have to do
the same dance move or facial expression a hundredtimes to get the perfect take.
The hours are incredibly long, so you have to havea lot of energy. It sounds exhausting.
It can be, but it's also a lot of fun. I love thecostumes and the dramatic makeup.
It's a chance to get into character and tell avisual story that matches the song.
Sometimes, we're filming on location somewhereamazing, and other times,
we're on a studio lot in front of a green screen,which is kind of funny.
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So, are you involved in the creative side of thevideo, or do you just show up and act?
No, I'm very involved. I love being part of theprocess. I sit down with the director,
and we talk about the message of the song and whatkind of story we want to tell.
It's important to me that the video feelsauthentic and that it represents the song in
the right way. I have a lot of input on thecostumes and the set. It's another way for
me to be creative, but in a very different waythan songwriting. It's a huge amount of work,
but when you see the finished video, it's soexciting to see your vision come to life.
Thank you for sharing that, Maile. It's trulyincredible how much work goes into a single video.
But now, let's talk about the grand finale of apop star's day.
Your day isn't over, is it? We heard you had a bigconcert that night.
What was it like to prepare for a show for 80,000people?
Oh my gosh, that's a whole different kind ofenergy. Being on tour is a marathon,
and the concert is the finish line. The whole dayis just building up to that moment.
Before the show, the atmosphere backstage iscrazy. We do a sound check in the afternoon to
make sure everything is perfect, and I can hearthe crew moving around and testing the lights.
There's a nervous energy, but it's a good kind ofnervous. You get into a routine. I warm up my
voice, stretch my body and my band, and I justhang out and get ready. Then the moment comes,
walking out in front of 80,000 people. How doesthat feel? It's impossible to describe.
It's the moment you live for. The lights go downand the crowd starts screaming. I can't really
see anyone, just a sea of lights from theirphones. My heart is beating so fast. Then the
music starts
and I take the stage. It's just a crazy amount ofadrenaline. You just feel this huge wave of
energy coming from everyone in the stadium. It's asellout show and you can feel it.
And what's it like when you're performing? Are youthinking about the dancing and the singing,
or is it something else? It's a mixture ofeverything. My body just takes over, you know.
It's all muscle memory from rehearsals, but mymind is on the connection. The best part is seeing
the audience singing every word of my songs. Ilook at their faces, and I see people laughing
and crying, and I realize my music is a part oftheir lives. It's so powerful. You feel like
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you're
not just a person anymore. You're part of thishuge, beautiful moment. That's amazing. I can only
imagine what the energy feels like. When the showis over and you walk off stage, does the feeling
stay with you? For sure. We usually do an encorewhere the fans cheer for more songs, and we come
back out. After that final song, I bow, wavegoodbye, and walk back off stage. As soon as I'm
backstage, the energy is still so high. Everyoneis hugging and cheering. It takes me a long time
to
switch off. I might have some tea and just try tobe quiet. It's hard because your body and mind are
still going a hundred miles an hour. It's a hugehigh, but you have to find a way to come down from
it and prepare for the next day, the next show,and the next crowd. And let me ask you, how do you
manage
to go back to planet earth after such a rush ofadrenaline? To be honest, the first thing I do
is talk to my family. They're the ones who reallyhelp me stay grounded. After that, I usually try
to
see my boyfriend. Going out for a late dinner withhim away from the venue is how I feel normal
again.
It helps me disconnect from the famous music starcharacter and just be my Lee. I'm not on stage
anymore. I'm just a person having a conversation.It's so important for me to have those moments of
real life. My best friend, the tall blondesuperstar I told you about, feels the same way.
We talk about it all the time. That feeling ofneeding to reconnect with who you are when you're
not performing. Having her to talk to about it isa huge help. My Lee, that's such a powerful way
to end your day. It sounds like the key to yoursuccess is not just the hard work, but also
staying
grounded and connected to who you really are.Exactly. I think it's the only way to survive
this life. To be honest, it's all about finding abalance between the person on stage and the
person at home. That's a beautiful message. You'vegiven us such a unique look into your world,
the good, the bad, and the normal. Before we letyou go, do you have any general advice for
people who want to have a career as a singer?What's one thing you would tell them? That's a
really important question. I think the one pieceof advice I would give is to be incredibly honest
with yourself. This isn't an easy career. It's alot of hard work. And you're going to hear no
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much more often than yes. You need to be ready forthat. So, my advice is to work harder than
you've ever worked before. Practice your craftevery single day. Don't worry so much about being
famous. Focus on being a great artist. Find yourown voice and what you want to say to the world.
And always, always remember why you started doingthis in the first place. For the pure love of the
music, if you have that, you're alreadysuccessful. Thank you both so much for having me.
It was a real
pleasure. Our pleasure entirely. And with that,we'll say goodbye to the incredible Miley.
Martin, I don't think I'll ever listen to a popsong the same way again.
It makes you realize how much work goes on behindthe scenes, doesn't it?
It really does. And on that note, we'll take aquick break. And when we come back,
it's time for our Language Lab. We've got a lot ofnew vocabulary to go over for Miley's day.
Language Lab
Welcome back. And now, as promised, it's time forour Language Lab. Today, we've got some great
phrases from our conversation with Miley that willhelp you sound more like a native speaker.
Julia, you want to get us started?
I'd love to. First up, Miley mentioned that as achild, she had to learn discipline. This word
simply means the ability to control yourself andbe focused, even when you don't feel like it.
You need a lot of discipline to achieve big goals,right?
Exactly. The next one is about a musician's lifeon tour. When a band or artist is on tour,
it means they are traveling from city to city,performing concerts. So you can say,
the band is on tour for the next six months.
She also said that before a show, she and the banddo a sound check. This is a short practice
or rehearsal to make sure the microphones andspeakers are working perfectly. No one wants
to hear bad sound. Definitely not. Another greatphrase she used was to sell out. This is a great
expression. When a concert or event sells out, itmeans all the tickets are gone. The place is full.
So you can say, her show was so popular, it soldout in just a few minutes.
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And speaking of the show, Miley said the best partwas when she got to take the stage.
This just means to walk onto the stage to beginyour performance. So you can say,
the singer will take the stage at 9pm sharp.
She also talked about the roar of the crowd. Acrowd is simply a large group of people.
In music, we use it to talk about the audience.She could feel the energy of the crowd.
And after the show, she said the fans cheered foran encore. An encore is an extra song that
a performer sings at the end of a show because theaudience asks for more.
We also learned some great phrases for thecreative process.
She said she gets in the zone when she'scomposing.
To be in the zone means you are completely focusedon what you're doing
and you don't notice anything else.
Another one was hit song. A hit song is a verypopular and successful song.
You hear it everywhere. Just like Miley's.
And finally, she mentioned that she lays down atrack when she records.
To lay down a track means to record a part of asong in the studio.
You could say,
he's in the studio today laying down a track for anew song.
And that brings us to the end of our conversationwith Miley.
What a fascinating look into her world.
I don't think I'll ever listen to a pop song thesame way again.
It makes you realize how much work goes on behindthe scenes, doesn't it?
It really does.
I was so impressed with her honesty and how hardshe works.
She's not just a pop star.
She's a businesswoman, an artist, and a normalperson trying to stay grounded.
Her story about her love life and her friendshipreally helped me feel connected to her.
It makes you realize that even when you're famous,
the most important things in life are the same foreveryone.
A perfect summary, Julia.
Thank you to Miley for sharing her day with us.
And thank you all for listening.
That's all the time we have for today.
Remember to subscribe to your English Toolbox formore conversations and language tips.
Bye for now.
Jace.
See you next time.