"Malibu" and "Younger Now" were released as singles, with the former track being certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaking at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100.

She worked with mainstream producers to attract new listeners, and developed a sexually provocative image, which is credited with reviving Cyrus' career and turning her into a pop music icon.

It received mixed reviews, and Cyrus generated accusations of cultural appropriation for her wearing dreadlocks during promotional activities for the album.

[9] Cyrus also came out as pansexual in 2015, nearly a year after establishing the Happy Hippie Foundation to support homeless and LGBT youth.

[12] Cyrus admitted to being saddened by Clinton's loss and the strong political divide of the nation, and decided to return to her country roots and wholesome image to try to reach out to conservatives.

[14] In December 2018, Cyrus acknowledged that the musical direction of Younger Now "wasn't exactly the home for [her]" and credited producer Mark Ronson with "[helping her] carve out [her] sound, where [she] could do everything that [she wanted], which is more modern" for the follow-up record.

"[45] Dave Simpson of The Guardian opined, "On Younger Now, she has taken control of the songwriting and production and emerges as a conservative, big-lunged, country-tinged pop star with songs about breaking free.

"[1] Pitchfork writer Claire Lobenfeld rated the album 4.7 out of 10, citing "Bland production and weak songwriting hamstring the personalized nature of Younger Now, making it merely a suggestion of the kind of artist Miley Cyrus could be.

[52] In November 2018, Mike Wass from Idolator commented that Younger Now was "a potent reminder that you don't need dozens of collaborators and an A&R team the size of Texas to make an excellent pop album" despite not being "the sequel to Bangerz that [her fanbase] secretly wanted" and not having "obvious singles."

He felt that the title track combined the "pop hooks and meme-friendly lyrics" of "Malibu" with the "mood and emotion" of the album, and "holds up as a warm ray of light in Miley's discography" whose underwhelming performance was inexplicable.

[53] Cyrus' comments on growing distant from hip hop culture in her Billboard cover story sparked controversy in May 2017.

That month, she clarified that "[she] respects all artists who speak their truth and appreciate all genres of music" and elaborated on her preference for "uplifting, conscious rap", citing Kendrick Lamar as an example, over the sex- and materialism-based lyrics that she explained "pushed [her] out of the hip-hop scene a little" in the article.

"[55] In March 2023, teachers at an elementary school in Waukesha County, Wisconsin were ordered to remove the song "Rainbowland", a duet between Cyrus and Dolly Parton, from a program in which it was to be performed by first grade students.

[58] As of April 2023, the album has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 500,000 copies.

[62] The record became her eighth overall top 10 entry in Canada, combining both music under her real name and while performing as the character Hannah Montana, debuting at number three in the country.