Today is the 20th anniversary of Hannah Montana's premiere (Western time), and I'm feeling quite emotional. As far as I could remember, Hannah was my first introduction to English, pop music, and pop culture as a whole (there was that video of younger me bussing it down to Scream N Shout by will.i.am and Britney filmed by my sister, but that acted more as a prelude to what's to come). I literally learned new words and the concept of slang and catchphrases by watching Hannah get into all kinds of shenanigans. How I'm speaking and joking around has traces of Hannah's sass from back in the day. Her personality and on-stage outfits introduced me to the human flamboyancy that had become very integral to who I am. The music was the catchiest thing my primary-school ears heard. The English was still crunchy at the time, but I remember trying to mouth and sing the lyrics to Nobody's Perfect. Heck, I even brought those songs with me to class while I should have been focusing on basic math. It was weird, I was kinda weird 'cause Hannah had been off the air by the time I discovered it. Plus, no other kid from Southeast Asia in the early 2010s, let alone Vietnam, knew who the hell this white lady with a blonde wig was; they were all into Conan the detective kid. But honestly, I didn't care. Hannah was the most fascinating thing to me, and while it was sad and alienating that I couldn't share that love with anyone, a part of me was glad that I was the only one who discovered this treasure. Overall, the sitcom aspect and the music were perfect, but it wasn't the main selling point for me. What captivated me the most, even to this day, was the concept of how an ordinary kid could achieve and have an extraordinary career as a global pop star. Miley went from just some schoolgirl by day to a dominant super diva by night, and that concept fascinated me. I had a pretty boring childhood (probably because I couldn't really connect to the other kids with my Western obsession - that and I had to switch schools due to moving), so I was always dreaming about doing something big, something exciting, anything to break out of that mundane, and Hannah represented that idea. Hannah was the embodiment of the idea that anyone could be a superstar if they believed in themselves. "I'm a lucky girl whose dreams came true, but underneath it all, I'm just like you," or so she sang. I was entranced by how someone small and even looked down upon could achieve their wildest dreams and still retreat back to normality. She really had the best of both worlds (pun intended), and I carried that sentiment with me, even to this day, as I balance studying in school for a financially stable job and experimenting behind the scenes for an artistic career. In short, Hannah Montana really set the foundation for parts of who I am today. From the banging tunes, the flamboyant outfits, to the wacky and fun personalities, and the nerve to dream big as an ordinary kid. Without her, I really don't know who I would have become, or if I would have discovered the fun and colorful parts of myself. She truly has led me on the path of self-discovery, and that's important 'cause life's what you make it, so why not make it rock, as the legend once proclaimed. I'm forever indebted to her, and happy 20th anniversary, Hannah Montana❤️(P.S. I got into this beef back in middle school and literally shared the Nobody's Perfect MV on Facebook as a clapback. If you search hard enough, you might see it on my main account. If not, I had probably deleted it out of embarrassment, lol)
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