Entertainment Music Miley Cyrus Tears Up Performing New Single 'Malibu' at the Billboard Music Awards Miley Cyrus made Las Vegas feel a lot like "Malibu" at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards By Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit is a Royals Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 21, 2017 09:15 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Kevin Mazur/BBMA2017/Getty Miley Cyrus made Las Vegas feel a lot like “Malibu” at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. The pop star, 24, returned to the award show’s stage to perform her new single for the very first time on live TV. Introduced by her father Billy Ray Cyrus and her sister Noah Cyrus — who joked it was Miley’s “first time [appearing] in years with pants on” — the singer let her sultry voice do the talking, in an unusually stripped-down performance. Kevin Mazur/BBMA2017/Getty Sure, there was a sea of balloons that fell from the sky onto the audience. But for the most part, Miley stayed away from theatrics and stuck to pouring her heart out in song. Wearing a pair of short white jean shorts, a matching off-the shoulder cropped top and a tan cowboy hat, Miley had the beach vibe down pat — part of her new relaxed image and sound. Ethan Miller/Getty Debuting the new Miley to the public was emotional for the former Disney star. She choked up at the end of the song, thanking fans. The moment was so sweet, even Nicki Minaj couldn’t help but smile from the audience. https://www.instagram.com/p/BUYNa1uhQCp/?taken-by=mileycyrus Check out PEOPLE’s full 2017 Billboard Music Awards coverage. https://www.instagram.com/p/BT6o-30BppZ/ Before hitting the Billboard Music Awards together, Miley and fiancé Liam Hemsworth stopped by Britney Spears‘ Vegas show on Saturday night. Gustavo Caballero/BBMA2017/Getty FROM PEN: Grammy News and Notes: Album of the Year Nominees Miley, whose last album was 2015’s Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, previously told Billboard that “Malibu” was partly inspired by her rekindled relationship with Liam Hemsworth. “I never would’ve believed you if three years ago you told me I’d be here writing this song,” she said. “[People are] going to talk about me if I come out of a restaurant with Liam. So why not put the power back in my relationship and say, ‘This is how I feel?’ ”