Miley Cyrus' Super Bowl Pre-Show Performance Was So Good We Don't Even Need The Halftime Show

The Weeknd's Super Bowl Halftime Show is sure to be a huge spectacle. But let's be honest — Miley Cyrus' Super Bowl pre-show performance of "The Climb" at her NFL TikTok Tailgate show was so good that we really don't need the halftime show at all. Prior to the kickoff of Super Bowl LV, Cyrus performed a full concert (remember those?) outside Raymond James Stadium for a crowd of 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers invited by the NFL to support their life-saving work during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it served as the inspiration we all need to keep going.

Cyrus opened her set with a cover of Toni Basil's ultra-peppy "Mickey," with the hook cleverly changed to "Hey Miley, you're so fine," and took viewers through a selection of her biggest hits and most viral covers, including "Prisoner," Blondie's "Heart of Glass," and of course, "Party In the U.S.A." Unlike the Halftime Show performer, Cyrus had special guests on deck: Billy Idol joined her for their collaboration "Night Crawling," while Joan Jett duetted with Cyrus on "Bad Karma" and two of her own hits, "Bad Reputation" and "I Hate Myself For Loving You."

However, it was the grand finale of "The Climb" that really made the crowd, viewers at home, and even Cyrus herself shed a tear.

Before her finale, Cyrus choked up while performing "Wrecking Ball," rumored to be about her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth. "I wear a lot of glitter and I wear a lot of armor, but I also wear my heart on my sleeve, and it gets broken a lot," she said. Right before going into "The Climb," Cyrus confessed that the song strongly resonated with her right now, just like it does for fans. "I try not to be too selfish, but I needed this as much as anybody else," she remarked, while calling for unity and noting "the power being in all of us, not one of us."

In recent years, Cyrus has rarely sang "The Climb" live, but she tends to bring it back at the most appropriate times. Most recently, she performed the Hannah Montana: The Movie classic at Facebook's #Graduation2020 ceremony, taking the podium and delivering it like an actual commencement speech. It just goes to show that when in doubt during a crisis, listening to "The Climb" is a guaranteed mood booster.