In recent times, students have been indulging in more self-care activities, and it has been normalized on the internet as well. Influencers and content creators promote having downtime and romanticize being single and independent. Though the viral song “Flowers”, by Miley Cyrus is aimed at calling out Miley’s ex, it serves as an ode to self-love.

Whether they heard about it on Instagram, Youtube, or Tiktok, the song quickly captured many people’s interest.

“My initial reaction to the song was a positive one. I liked the background music and found the lyrics highly catchy,” Diya Kumar said.

“Flowers” continues to entertain people from all different walks of life. Even those who weren’t long-time fans have found themselves pleasantly surprised by the new hit.

“I listened to Miley before this song came out, maybe just once or twice. I’m not a huge fan of her, and I feel like a lot of that has to do with the time she was popular and the time I got into music,” Kumar said.

Cyrus hasn’t been one to shy away from the media, even during her Disney days. With flowers, she’s made a huge comeback as it’s been her first #1 billboard hit in twelve years. Her new song is an interesting take on self-love, especially with how self-love is represented in the media.

“Self-love has increasingly become relevant, and I definitely believe self-love is a very important topic that isn’t talked about much in the media,” Samira Bahaji said.

Self-love, although universally acknowledged, can take on many unique meanings and definitions for each person.

“To me, self-love means appreciating yourself for being you.  Being confident in who you are and feeling like you are worth it. It also means taking time to care for yourself out of admiration and relaxation,” Kumar said.

Cyrus is a continually unapologetic and bold individual, not heeding the societal expectations forced upon today’s generation. Her witty responses usually encourage others to do the same, and the popularity of the song stems from this.

“This song deserves to be popular because it has a strong positive message behind it. This makes it worthy of gaining popularity as it’s a great song with a good set of lyrics,” Bahaji said.

Many enjoyed this fresh take on self-love, and credit the central themes within it that appeal to the audience.

“Self-love means acknowledging and paying attention to your unique features and finding happiness in them and while Miley isn’t my fav singer, I feel like this song has potential and genuine meaning to it,” Kumar said.