NEW YORK (AP) — Sinabi ni Miley Cyrus na nang maging agaw-eksena siya sa MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) noong nakaraang taon, hindi niya na-realize ang epekto ng kanyang impluwensiya. Ngayon, sinasabi ng singer na nais niyang gamitin ang kanyang star power sa kabutihan.

Ang 21-anyos ay tumutulong sa Hollywood homeless center na My Friend’s Place sa paglulunsad ng Prizeo campaign, na humihikayat sa kanyang feverish fans na magbigay sa kawanggawa na kumakalinga sa mga batang palaboy. Isinama ni Miley ang isang miyembro ng center bilang kanyang date sa VMAs noong Linggo sa The Forum sa Inglewood, California, at ito ang pinaakyat sa stage para tanggapin ang kanyang video of the year award.

“I think what I realized after my last performance at the VMAs, I didn’t realize my platform, I didn’t realize my power and I didn’t realize my voice and how loud it is,” sabi ni Miley sa isang panayam noong Lunes. “And I thought, you know, rather than sit here and talk about, ‘Oh, on every news cover, every time you go to AOL or wherever you go everybody’s sitting there talking about me,’ instead of using it as a negative, how can I use it as a positive? If I’m going to be speaking this loud, what am I trying to scream at the world? And this is it. It’s kind of a wake-up (call), which is what I had to do.”

Sinabi ni Miley na ang kasiyahan ng pagkakapanalo ng awards at ang memorable performances ay hindi nagtatagal, hindi kagaya ng kanyang charity work.

“This fills you up and it feels good for a long time. ...I feel incredible today. I feel like I have a jet strapped to me and I am ready to take off from this,” aniya. “I feel like there’s a way that I can incorporate everything I do in the future around youth homelessness. ...It just gives me more of a purpose. I tell everybody, I mean, dying a pop star is not what I want to have on my tombstone.”

Para sa kampanya, hinihiling ni Miley sa kanyang mga tagahanga na mag-donate ng $5 hanggang Sept. 21, na magpapasok sa kanila sa isang raffle. Ang mga mananalo ay makakasama si Miley sa kanyang concert sa Rio de Janeiro sa Sept. 28.

“I can’t really stop until I reach this goal. ...I just want to give my fans a real reason to use their power for much more than a VMA,” aniya nang mapanalunan ang fan-vote top award noong Linggo ng gabi.

Si Miley ay nagkaroon ng breakthrough noong nakaraang taon nang ilabas niya ang Bangerz noong 2013, na nagbigay sa kanya ng platinum status at nagtatampok ng kanyang hits na Wrecking Ball at We Can’t Stop. Sinabi ng dating Disney star na ginagawa niya ang bagong musika kasama ang Flaming Lips, ngunit hindi niya pine-pressure ang kanyang sarili na tapatan ang kanyang mga nagdaang tagumpay o magmadaling maglabas ng isang bagong material para matustusan ang momentum.

“With anything right now, I am just focusing on being the happiest and the best I can be because there were years I had to give out a lot of energy and now it’s taking it all in,” aniya. “I just haven’t been giving myself any kind of pressure. I grew up where I had pressure as a kid to work and to always have the next record ... and it’s not really about that for me anymore.”

“I’m really happy. I’m in the best place,” pagpapatuloy niya. “I’m just in constant gratitude of life. I’m in the happiest spot I’ve gotten to be in. I’m just beyond.”