The stars are rocking a hime haircut, which dates back to ancient Japan

Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus at 2025 Grammys. Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic (2)

When Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus stepped out for the 2025 Grammys, they both had striking new hairstyles.

Both artists wore their long hair straight with a middle part, and both of them had bangs. Both of them also had short side pieces that were cut right around chin length.

Though Gaga’s hair was jet black and Cyrus’ was light brown with blonde highlights, their cuts were very similar.

Billie Eilish even had a version of the style on Grammys night, wearing her black hair tied back in a ponytail but also rocking choppy face-framing side pieces.

Very quickly, their new style made waves on social media with many people highlighting the style as a “jellyfish haircut.” However, they were actually rocking the “hime haircut,” which is a similar style to a jellyfish cut.

The jellyfish cut also sees a drastically shorter layer, but it is cut all the way around the head, while the hime cut only has the front pieces cut.

With the jellyfish style, the top layer is typically curled under with the bottom layer flipped out to mimic the look of a jellyfish. A hime cut is traditionally worn straight and blunt.

Billie Eilish at 2025 Grammys.John Shearer/Getty

Cher famously had this haircut in the 1960s, wearing her long black hair straight in the back and with short blunt bangs in the front with choppy side pieces.

She rocked this style in the late 1960s for a period of time. The singer was the poster child for the style when it came back in the early 2020s, where it blew up on TikTok.

The hime haircut — pronounced hee-may — dates back to the Heian period (794-1185), when noblewomen would grow their hair out and “maintain specific, ritualistic trims,” says Japanese hairstylist Taka Tokuyama, who owns the Tokuyama Salon in New York with two locations. Hime translates to princess, which is why this haircut is derived from that of noblewomen.

“One of these traditional cuts was the amasogi, a straight cut at shoulder length, and the binsogi, where side locks were trimmed around the age of 20 in a coming-of-age ceremony,” he explains. “Over time, the style became associated with aristocracy, and in modern times, it’s been popularized through J-pop idols, anime characters, and Harajuku street fashion.”

 Ayano Jinnouchi, owner of Minori Hair and Scalp Studio and NatureLab. TOKYO brand ambassador, further points to the popular TV show Shōgun and the character Lady Mariko Sama (played by Anna Sawai). She can be seen with a hime cut.

Tokuyama notes that the hime cut and the jellyfish cut are similar, but the hime is typically more blunt and face-framing, while the jellyfish is a modern “layered take on the hime cut.”

“It consists of a blunt, short bob or bowl-cut top layer, with long, flowing layers underneath, resembling the shape of a jellyfish.

This style offers more movement and softness compared to the structured hime cut, making it feel more contemporary and versatile,” he tells PEOPLE.

Jinnouchi says the easiest way to think about it is this: “The jellyfish cut is essentially a bob cut on top with a long layer on the bottom. The jellyfish cut became a popular hairstyle in 2000s, especially in street fashion and in the unique Harajuku scene.”

Cher in 1968.Silver Screen Collection/Getty

The hime — which works best on naturally straight hair but can also work on curly textures — has come in and out of fashion many times over the years and is again on the rise.

Tokuyama credits its current rise to K-pop, with idols like Lisa from Blackpink rocking the haircut. He also points to “alternative” aesthetics bringing the haircut into the mainstream, calling out goth, cyberpunk and anime as trends that lend themselves to this style.

Jinnouchi advises, “The hime cut works great on straight, mid to thick hair, and shiny and smooth texture is the key.”

With the haircut quickly on the rise, Tokuyama doesn’t want anyone to shy away from trying out this style, no matter who you are or where you come from. The most important part is appreciating the history.

“While it has deep cultural roots in Japan, hairstyles are a form of self-expression, and anyone can wear a hime cut regardless of their background,” he says.

“That said, if someone is concerned about cultural appropriation, it’s worth understanding and appreciating the history behind the style rather than wearing it just as a fleeting trend.

The hime cut has evolved beyond its noble origins and is now a global fashion statement embraced by various subcultures and fashion-forward individuals.”