Noah Cyrus has spoken publicly about her deep emotional bond with the late rapper XXXTentacion, shedding light on how his untimely death profoundly impacted her. In a recent episode of The Zach Sang Show, she reflected on their 2017 collaboration, Again, sharing that their relationship went beyond a musical partnership — she considered him a friend.
During the interview, Noah disclosed that she ends her personal letters with “XXX,” a tribute she connects directly to Jahseh Onfroy, XXXTentacion’s real name. She said that when crafting her latest album, I Want My Loved Ones to Go With Me, she realized how fitting it was to close the record with a track titled “XXX”, tying together her signature sign-off with her emotional farewell.
This gesture underscores how much he meant to her — not just as an artist, but in a deeply personal way. By ending her album on that note, she symbolically weaves him into her artistic identity, preserving his memory in a way that’s intimate and lasting.
Grief, Letters, and Symbolism
Noah Cyrus’s use of “XXX” carries layered meaning. As she explained on The Zach Sang Show, she signs all her letters with “XXX” — a way of saying goodbye, but also a way of keeping him close. At first, her album didn’t end with the track “XXX”: she and her team had another song (“Love Is a Canyon”) slated to close it. But she realized the emotional symmetry of ending with “XXX” — it’s what she writes in her goodbyes, so it made sense to make it the album’s finale.
That decision wasn’t just aesthetic. It functioned as a kind of catharsis. By placing “XXX” as the final track, she’s doing more than memorializing — she’s communicating that every goodbye she personally offers him is part of her public expression too. It’s a bridge between private mourning and creative output.
Performing His Memory: Bringing Jahseh Onstage
In her interview, Cyrus made it clear that XXXTentacion remains a part of her live performances. She said she “always wants Jah a part of my set,” regardless of how her music evolves stylistically. This commitment shows how much she values preserving his influence — not just in the studio, but in front of audiences.
She’s not treating him like a relic. Instead, she’s treating his memory as something alive — something dynamic. By incorporating his spirit into her shows, she’s keeping their connection vibrant, not stuck in the past. It’s a way for her fans to see how meaningful he was to her, and for her to continue working through grief through performance.
Healing Through Song: “With You” and Her Father’s Influence
One of the most poignant parts of Noah’s reflection centers on her song “With You,” which plays on her album as a tribute. She revealed that the track was originally written by her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, but had never been released. At a particularly low point in 2018 — shortly after XXXTentacion’s death — she found herself drawn to this song while her dad sang it to her. She said that when he performed it, she would “always see Jah.”
The lyrics “Just listen in the wind, know that I’m your friend and always with you” took on new meaning in that context. For her, they weren’t just comforting words from her father — they became a spiritual connection to XXXTentacion. By including this track on her album, she uses her own music as a vessel for remembrance. It’s not only a tribute but a way to process grief, healing, and loss.
Grief, Growth, and Legacy: What This Means for Noah Cyrus
Noah Cyrus’s reflections on XXXTentacion’s death offer us insights into the complexity of grieving someone who was both a peer and a collaborator. Her grief is personal, public, and artistic — she doesn’t separate “Noah Cyrus the person” from “Noah Cyrus the artist.” By embedding her mourning into her music, she turns loss into legacy.
This is not just about sadness. It’s about transformation. Her decision to end her album with “XXX,” to perform Again live, to reconnect through a song her father wrote — these are all ways she’s working through pain, not shying away from it. Her grief becomes a creative force.
Moreover, her story underscores the powerful role that friendship and artistic collaboration can play in healing. For Noah, XXXTentacion’s death didn’t just leave a void — it left a lasting emotional imprint that continues to shape her identity. By keeping him “in the set,” by keeping him in her sign-off, she affirms that grief and love don’t have to be hidden. They can be an ongoing part of who she is and what she creates.