MUMBAI: Singer Noah Cyrus says it was really tough growing up in the shadow of her sister and pop star Miley Cyrus.

Noah released the song "Young & Sad" off her EP "The End of Everything" last week, and has now opened up about its connection to her sister during an Instagram Live session, reports people.com.

The new track, which Noah released on Friday, includes the lyrics, "My sister's like sunshine, bringing good light wherever she'll go/ and I was born to rain clouds, blessed in her shadows."

The 20-year-old star opened up about the song during the live session, and at one point broke down while reflecting on the criticism she faced when she was younger.

"I think just the message in the second verse, being born in the family I was in, everyone gave me such a hard time for having a hard time being Miley's little sister. But you know, I always felt like I was that person that no one gave a s**t about due to what people said to me online," she said.

"It was absolutely unbearable. And that's why I write, 'My sister's like sunshine, bringing good light wherever she'll go/and I was born to rain clouds, blessed in her shadows.' Because, that's why everybody always says to me, that no matter what, I was going to be in that shadow," Noah added.

Noah admitted that she "always believed" she would only stay in sister Miley's shadow.

"That was something I heard my whole life, every single day, my whole life. It was either that or that I wasn't enough in some way, whether it was the way I look or the way I am. Like I said the other day, sometimes I feel like I don't even breathe right sometimes," she said, adding: "Basically, that is what the song is about, and I just wanted to open up about that once and for all, because that's been a big part of my life, and I probably won't talk about it anymore. I just wanted to put it out.

"Everybody always says you're giving the people power by seeing it, but I can't control seeing it," Noah tearfully continued, and further shared: "You guys are young, you know the internet. It's been really tough on me, so that song is just pretty tough to get through."

(Source: IANS)