Taylor Momsen: I’m Not Miley Cyrus, I Do It for the Music

They’re both 17, have a career in television, are adored by fans their age, and also have music records out there. With all that, comparisons between Taylor Momsen and Miley Cyrus are stupid – and Taylor is the first to say so, in an interview with the UK issue of FHM magazine (story via here). Not only are they musically different, but they also have different personalities and goals, Taylor says.

The blonde star, who came to prominence on the “Gossip Girl” television series, is now working on launching herself as a rock singer. She fronts a band called The Pretty Reckless and already has an album out, which she is now promoting in the media and with live performances. However, it’s not just the sound that makes her stand miles away from Miley Cyrus, Taylor says: acting jobs, the ability to sing and being the same age simply isn’t enough to draw parallels.

“I’m not looking to be Miley [expletive]-ing Cyrus,” Momsen says in her now-trademark foul-mouthed manner. “I don’t care about the fame. I do it because I love music. I like making records and if people like them, then we’ll go along for the ride. I’m not dissing Miley personally. However, I do think the Disney bubblegum [expletive] that the world is living right now is pathetic. I thought we passed that repression. I don’t know Miley, but musically we’re different. To compare us because of our age is silly,” the singer adds, trying to downplay the initial harsh comment about Miley.

In the end, this is what it all comes down to: Miley is a pop star, while she, Taylor, is a rocker. The sound is different, the attitude is different and, as such, comparisons are not only “silly” but also completely unnecessary. “People will be surprised by the record. I mean, it’s a rock record. I get that there is this blonde thing from ‘Gossip Girl’ and they’re expecting pop [expletive], but it’s a rock band and its heavy. Our record is a life record. It confronts everything head on. It’s death, love, drugs, religion, politics,” Momsen says of the band’s debut album.

This is not the first time that Taylor speaks out to squash comparisons with Miley Cyrus, which should be evidence enough of how frequently they occur. Last time she did so, she said the show “Hannah Montana” would have never become as popular as it is today if she’d been offered the part for the simple reason that she would have probably told everyone to go to hell by the time she turned 11. 

Follow me on Twitter @ElenaGorgan