Wrecking Ball (Miley Cyrus song) for "Billboard", Jason Lipshutz stated that the "nude Cyrus shown straddling a swinging wrecking ball" was the most surprising piece of the clip. Amelia Proud from "Daily Mail" provided a mixed review, commenting that Cyrus delivered a visual that was more provocative than its "boisterous" predecessor "We Can't Stop" and questioned if she has "finally gone too far this time". The staff from "Entertainment Weekly" joked that viewers would be "scandalized/titillated/disappointed in Billy Ray Cyrus' parenting skills" after seeing his daughter nude and "fellating a sledgehammer. " Writing for "The Guardian", Michael Hann criticized Cyrus' attempts to distance herself from
Breakout (Miley Cyrus song) teen who's too grown-up to submit to her parents, teachers or anyone else" with the lines "tired of bein' told what to do". "Breakout" received positive responses from contemporary critics, with Chris William, writing for "Entertainment Weekly" stating that Gina Schock left influences from The Go-Go's' 1982 hit single "Vacation" with "just the right amount of maturing". Mikael Wood of the "Los Angeles Times" called the song "a slightly tougher, more guitar-based sound than last year's "Meet Miley Cyrus"", while Bill Lamb of About.com said the song was one of the "top tracks on "Breakout"" and Heather Phares of AllMusic