Who knew the Super Bowl could get this emotional before it even started? Ahead of the big game, Miley Cyrus performed her TikTok Tailgate show, with a setlist filled with some of her biggest hits, guest appearances, and even a shout out to Britney Spears. 

“We love Britney,” Cyrus said during her performance of “Party in the U.S.A.” – whose lyrics famously reference a DJ playing Spears’ tunes. 

The homage follows the release of “Framing Britney Spears,” a New York Times documentary that looks back at the singer’s career, addressing past relationships, her 2007 breakdown, and the ongoing conservatorship feud with her father, which inspired the #FreeBritney movement. 

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Cyrus also got emotional while performing her breakup song “Wrecking Ball,” later explaining that the 2013 track is “about feeling completely broken and shattered.”

“Everyone’s suffering is different, even everyone’s threshold of pain,” she said. “I wear a lot of glitter and I wear a lot of armor and I also wear my heart on my sleeve, and it gets broken a lot.”

The show included fiery performances with Joan Jett and Billy Idol, who joined Cyrus to perform tracks from her latest album, “Plastic Hearts.” She also covered classic hits such as Nine Inch Nails’ “Head Like a Hole,” Dolly Parton’s Jolene, Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl,” and Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” – before closing off with her inspiring tune “The Climb.”

Cyrus performed to an audience of 7,500 vaccinated frontline workers and she said this was her first live show in about a year. 

“I try not to be too selfish, but I needed this as much as anybody else,” she said. “It’s my honor to perform for you. Our gratitude toward you is infinite.”