Miley Cyrus, V. 2.0, Covers Billboard + Doesn’t Like Being Viewed as ‘The White Nicki Minaj’

The maturation of Miley Cyrus is a hot topic in music this year, since she has shed both her hair and her Hannah Montana image. Cyrus is prepping her RCA Records, promoting her new single 'We Can't Stop,' and now has a sexy, sultry, decidedly adult Billboard cover on her resume.

Cyrus, with her bleached blonde, punky pompadour, wears a black bathing suit with a deep, plunging V-neckline. It's highly cut on her hips, too, essentially eradicating her former Disney image.

Miss Party in the U.S.A. she is not. In fact, Miley is sick of the comparisons she's been receiving to other pop stars now that she's got a new look and sound.

"A lot of people wanted to try to make me the white Nicki Minaj," Cyrus said, quickly noting that she has mad love for that style of music. "That's not what I'm trying to do. I love 'hood' music, but my talent is as a singer."

Hood music? Is this going to spark some Tweet heat between Miley and her Minajesty? Quick, somebody get the popcorn and a ringside seat.

Cyrus, whose goofy side comes across in her twerk videos, wanted it to be known that she is a workaholic. "I never stop working, ever," she said. "I want my record to be the biggest record in the world, and I've given everything to get here, even down to friends and family and relationships -- I've just put this music first." Ah, so maybe that's why she and fiance Liam Hemsworth are having issues.

She also referred to music-making as a journey for her at this point in her life and career. Mind you, she's all of 20.

"It's not like I'm losing who I am -- I actually found out more about who I am by making this music," she reasoned. "I'm going on a journey, and that's more than a lot of 20-year-olds can say. And I'm still going to change so much. Because I'm not the same person I was six months ago -- I'm not even the same person I was two weeks ago."

Does that means she is no longer the fiancé of Hemsworth, like she was six months ago? Hey, we gotta ask…

MC did acknowledge that the raunchy 'We Can't Stop,' which was criticized for its perceived advocacy of drug use, is autobiographical. "I'm 20 years old and I want to talk to the people that are up all night with their friends. It's based on a true story of a crazy night I had: When I heard the song for the first time, it captured exactly what I was living. I didn't make this song for the critics, but for the people living it."

While she admitted wanting to explore her "country-rock influences," she has fully integrated in the urban world, but that's not to suggest that her new album will be hip-hop.

"It's not a hip-hop album, though -- it's a pop album," Cyrus declared. "I'm not coming in trying to rap. It's more like, 'I don't see any girls out there doing what Miguel and Frank Ocean are doing.'"

Alright, Miley. You win. While we were not wowed by the single, we want to hear more of the album after that explanation.