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
Wrecking Ball (Miley Cyrus song) concluded "Cyrus is breathtaking and talented, and, now that she has our attention with her own version of "Cry Me a River," can dial down the shock tactics and present her artistic vision in the form of a new full-length." With 19.3 million views in the first twenty-four hours of its release, the clip held the record for having the most views in that time-frame across Vevo platforms. The first-day viewing record was surpassed by the video for "Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj in August 2014, which received 19.6 million views upon its premiere. The video has received over 980 million