'I Was Brand New': Wiz Khalifa Reveals Why Miley's Team Was Hesitant About Releasing '23'

While the track ultimately became a hit and a staple of both artists' live shows, the rapper revealed there was hesitation behind the scenes before it ever reached listeners.

More than a decade after "23" became one of the defining collaborations of the early 2010s, Wiz Khalifa reflected on the song's unlikely path to success.

Released on September 10, 2013, "23" brought together producer Mike Will Made It, Miley Cyrus, Khalifa, and Juicy J for a collaboration that blended hip-hop and pop at a pivotal moment in each artist's career.

Written by Mike Will Made It alongside Juicy J, Khalifa, Pierre Ramon Slaughter, and Rock City, the song served as the lead single from Mike Will Made It's debut studio album, "Est. in 1989 Pt. 3 (The Album)."

The track went on to become a commercial success, peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 2 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Although "23" became a smash hit, it was revealed that not everyone initially believed it should be pushed as a major release.

Responding to the discussion, Khalifa explained that the timing of his career likely contributed to that uncertainty.

During a 2024 appearance on the "Sorry We're Stoned" podcast, hosted by 59-year-old Tish Cyrus and her 39-year-old daughter, Brandi Cyrus, the rapper looked back on "23" after the mother-daughter duo reflected on the song's enduring popularity.

The conversation then turned to why the song was never promoted more heavily despite its success. One of the hosts recalled believing "23" should have been Cyrus' single after hearing it for the first time but said others involved were hesitant. She recalled:

"I heard that song and I was like, '[expletive], this is the biggest song in the world.' [...] And they were like, 'I know, but I don't know if she should do that song', and I'm like, 'Are you out of your freaking mind?' I literally thought it should be like her first single."

Wiz Khalifa Says His Career Was Still Taking Off

Responding to the discussion, Khalifa explained that the timing of his career likely contributed to that uncertainty. At the time, he said, he had developed a strong following but had not yet fully broken into the mainstream.

This made him a riskier collaborator for an artist with Cyrus' level of commercial success. "I was in, like, a strange part of my career where I was underground but I was just starting to cross over," he explained.

"All the kids knew about me but, like, mainstream people didn't know about me yet," Khalifa added. Because of that, he understood why some people questioned whether releasing the collaboration as one of Cyrus' songs made sense.

"So it was more like a risk to have somebody like me on that song 'cause I was brand new — I hadn't crossed over," he said. The rapper also credited Cyrus with helping introduce him to a much wider audience.

Although more than a decade has passed since its release, Khalifa said "23" remains a regular part of his live performances.

"Miley, being such an OG and, like, you know what I mean, having such a huge platform, that did a lot. It stamped a lot for me," he shared. Looking back, he said he understood the hesitation, even if he believed the song ultimately spoke for itself.

"I could see why somebody would be shaky on, like, you know, releasing that as her record," he continued. "But it sounded good, it was a great moment."

According to Khalifa, the collaboration became especially significant within hip-hop circles and online music communities. "For us — like our community and the underground and the bloggers and everybody, bro — that was huge for us," he said.

The Song Continues to Be a Live Favorite

Although more than a decade has passed since its release, Khalifa said "23" remains a regular part of his live performances.

He recalled Cyrus inviting him to perform the track during her Lollapalooza appearance in Chicago and said audiences continue to embrace the collaboration whenever he includes it in his own concerts. The rapper revealed:

"I perform it on my tour, too. Like, even now, I think that song is, like, what, ten years old just now? I still do that [expletive] during my set."

The podcast hosts remembered the same performance, recalling that the crowd stretched as far as they could see and erupted when Khalifa joined Cyrus onstage. "I was actually in the crowd for that," the 39-year-old host said. "People went so hard for that song."

Reflecting on the collaboration more than ten years later, the "Black and Yellow" rapper said he remains grateful to have been part of what has become one of the most memorable songs of that era. "I'm definitely happy to be a part of that song," he stated.

More than a decade after its release, "23" continues to resonate with fans despite the uncertainty that once surrounded it and the questions over whether the collaboration should have been released as one of Cyrus' records.

The track went on to become a commercial success and remains a fixture in Wiz Khalifa's live shows, underscoring the lasting impact of a song he was once considered too "brand new" to headline alongside the pop star.