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- Why XXXTentacion’s legacy still resonates with young artists
- How Noah Cyrus honored him on I Want My Loved Ones to Go with Me
- Two songs that keep his memory alive
- Stage rituals: keeping Jahseh in the live set
- Why these tributes matter beyond one artist
- Memory, music, and the conversations that follow
Noah Cyrus says the music of the late XXXTentacion still follows her. The 2018 death of Jahseh Onfroy shaped a generation and left an imprint on artists who grew up with his raw lyrics. For Cyrus, that imprint moved from fandom to ritual. On her new album, she folds that memory into the music and into how she ends messages to people she loves.
Why XXXTentacion’s legacy still resonates with young artists
XXXTentacion reached listeners through songs about pain, anger, and loneliness. His sound connected deeply with teens and young adults searching for honest emotion. When he died at 20, the loss felt personal to many fans. That grief has continued to show up in music, conversations, and the ways artists process grief.
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For fellow musicians, his influence is more than sonic. It is about:
- the currency of vulnerability in pop and hip-hop
- how fans bond with artists during public struggles
- the durability of an artist’s voice after death
How Noah Cyrus honored him on I Want My Loved Ones to Go with Me
Cyrus discussed her record on The Zach Sang Show, explaining why a closing track became a quiet dedication. She rearranged the album sequence to let the tribute land as its emotional finale. The choice grew from a small personal habit to an artistic decision.
She told the host that she literally signs messages with the letters “XXX”. That private shorthand nudged her to reposition the album’s songs so the tribute would come at the end, where goodbyes carry more weight.
Two songs that keep his memory alive
“XXX” — a final note and a public goodbye
The track titled “XXX” became the album closer after Cyrus recognized its symbolic fit. She said it matched the way she ends her notes. That coincidence made the song feel inevitable.
“Again” — a family connection and a bridge to the past
“Again” began as a song her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, used to sing privately. For Noah, hearing him sing those words summoned images of Jahseh. The melody and lyric felt like a message carried on the wind.
- Origin: a family tune, never released by her father
- Meaning: a personal anchor during grief
- Placement: included to create an emotional line to the late artist
Stage rituals: keeping Jahseh in the live set
Cyrus said she plans to keep elements of XXXTentacion in her concert performances. She framed it as a promise to the audience and to herself. Even if her sound evolves, those moments will remain.
Her approach to live shows includes:
- preserving songs that reference or evoke Jahseh
- arranging sets to include a dedicated moment of remembrance
- adapting the tribute across different musical styles
Why these tributes matter beyond one artist
Small rituals can become powerful public acts. When an artist like Cyrus makes private grief visible, it invites fans to share in the mourning. It also raises questions about how we remember public figures who are complex and controversial.
By giving space to these songs, she is doing three things at once:
- honoring a personal connection
- acknowledging the influence of a fellow creator
- using music as a vehicle for processing loss
Memory, music, and the conversations that follow
The decision to include these tributes is both intimate and calculated. Noah Cyrus balances personal ritual with artistic structure. Her moves show how modern artists curate memory.
Fans hear the result as more than a nod. They hear ongoing dialogue between the living and the lost, rendered in lyric and performance, and felt in the quiet of an album’s final note.
