Timbaland Helps Miley Cyrus Continue Her Climb Toward Adulthood

Perhaps Miley Cyrus should stick to rapping her public statements after all—she keeps stepping on landmines when she she attempts regular old interviews. One minute she’s admitting she didn’t really listen to a Jay-Z song in a cab, as she recounts in mega-hit “Party In The U.S.A.,” and the next she’s dissing Twilight—a scandalous act that has prompted Twi-hards to rattle off considerably more than seven things they hate about her.

So maybe it’s a good thing the Hannah Montana singer appears to be leaving younger fans behind in favor of a sexier image and more mature songs—like “We Belong To The Music,” her collabo with hit-maker Timbaland on his upcoming Shock Value II album. (Hear it below!)

It’s hard to just ignore Timbaland’s recent rave to Entertainment Weekly about Miley’s crooning skills:

“Man, she’s gonna be like Justin [Timberlake]. She comes from that same musical background, where she’s just got it. Her voice is just there. The best way to put it is she’s special. When I worked with her, I was very impressed. I was like, ‘Whoa.’”

Quite an endorsement from the guy behind songs like “SexyBack,” “Promiscuous,” “Maneater” and “Touch It.” (But also, you know, this.)

In the end, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised, then, that Cyrus has been voted Worst Celeb Influence in the first ever Just So You Know Awards. What is kind of surprising is that the 44,594 votes came from kids.