2008 – present

Cyrus released her second studio album under her own name. Breakout is the first Miley Cyrus album that has no connection with the Hannah Montana franchise. Cyrus said that Meet Miley Cyrus was "just meeting me, finding out who I am", while Breakout was inspired by "what's been going on in my life in the past year." Cyrus co-wrote all but two songs on the album. "Songwriting is what I really want to do with my life forever, [...] I just hope this record showcases that, more than anything, I'm a writer." The album debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with a first week sales of about 371,000 copies. As of July 31, 2008 this was the second-biggest sales week of the year for a female artist; Mariah Carey's E=MC² previously sold 463,000 copies in its first week. "7 Things" was the first single to be released from Breakout. The single debuted at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100. Two weeks later of released, it rose sixty spots from number 70 to number nine.

She hosted the 2008 CMT Music Awards with her father in April. On April 9, 2008, Cyrus appeared on the American Idol fundraiser show Idol Gives Back, performing "Good and Broken" and "See You Again". She also told the audience that it has always been one of her dreams to appear on American Idol. In August 2008, Miley hosted and performed at the Teen Choice Awards.

On September 5, 2008, Cyrus along with many female singers performs a single for the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer, titled "Just Stand Up!", was performed live during the one-hour U.S. On September 14, 2008, Cyrus participated in other philanthropy action — along with other performers, performed at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA for the City of Hope Benefit Concert that will help raise for cancer research and training programs.

On November 4, 2008, Hollywood Records released a Christmas themed CD titled All Wrapped Up. Which include Cyrus version of the Christmas hit "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town". Cyrus co-wrote and recorded one of the two original songs to the soundtrack of Bolt, the song also features the other Bolt star John Travolta. Titled "I Thought I Lost You", it was later nominated to a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Her single, "The Climb" from the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack debuted at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, thus becoming her highest charting single to date since "See You Again" and "7 Things" which charted at number 10 and 9 respectively.

text by wikipedia.org
photos from cm1.theinsider.com