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Miley Cyrus speaks out about the Manchester attack: 'It's been an eye opener'

Hit maker Miley Cyrus took over the TODAY plaza Friday for the Citi Concert Series, but in between her performances, the singer got serious.
/ Source: TODAY

Hit maker Miley Cyrus took over the TODAY plaza Friday for our Citi Concert Series, but in between the summer-fun performances, the singer got serious.

Cyrus considers Ariana Grande a close friend, and during her visit to TODAY, she reflected on the suicide bombing that left 22 concertgoers dead and dozens more injured after Grande's performance in Manchester on Monday.

When asked about how the tragic event impacted her as a performer, the 24-year-old said, "Now I realize that I need to know that I'm around a lot of people and to protect myself and protect everyone that's here."

Cyrus looked out at her fans on the plaza as she spoke.

"Now I think I take that more seriously," she said of security concerns. "I will be more cautious rather than ... you know, I don’t really roll with a crew or a security team or whatever. Now I think, not only for my safety but for everyone else, it's really been an eye opener."

Earlier this week, on the season finale of "The Voice," Cyrus dedicated a moving performance of her single "Malibu" to Grande and all the victims of the attack.

Cyrus hasn't seen Grande since the incident but said, "For my friend, Ariana ... it's just beyond me, and I can't wait until I get a second to give her a big hug."

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