Miley Cyrus believes she was "sexualised" when she was younger and is now happy to be in charge of her own destiny.
The former 'Hannah Montana' star caused a stir at the 2013 MTV VMAs when she twerked on stage alongside Robin Thicke but Miley believes that her racy image was actually crafted years earlier.
She told Harper's Bazaar: "People were so shocked by some of the things that I did. It should be more shocking that when I was 11 or 12, I was put in full hair and makeup, a wig, and told what to wear by a group of mostly older men. I didn't want to become any sort of man hater because I love all humans; I am a humanitarian.
"It became something that was expected of me. I didn't want to show up to photo shoots and be the girl who would get my t**s out and stick out my tongue. In the beginning, it was kind of like saying, 'F**k you. Girls should be able to have this freedom or whatever'. But it got to a point where I did feel sexualised."
However, Miley, 24, is now in charge of her own destiny and is happy to do things her way.
She explained: "I think I'm just figuring out who I am at such a rapid pace that it's hard for me to keep up with myself.
"There's so much I don't remember about being a child entertainer because it was so much to keep in my brain. It's like anything when you are in it. I didn't realise how much pressure I was under and how that shaped me until, like, this year.
"I feel really kind of far away from that person. I just want people to see that this is who I am right now. I'm not saying I've never been myself. Who I was on the last record was really who I am," she says. "It's just myself has been a lot of different people because I change a lot."
And Miley hopes people will accept her as a role model.
She said: "How can I f***ing be the role model I'm supposed to be? Yeah, I just said f***ing role model. Who gives a s**t? Because I got my t**s out before doesn't make me less of a role model. I think I show people that they can be themselves. I also think something that has been important for me, in this next little, like, transition phase of my career is that I don't give a f**k about being cool. I just want to be myself."