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) views on YouTube. A director's cut of the music video was released on September 24, which features only the close-up footage of Cyrus singing against the white backdrop. Vanessa White Wolf from MTV News noted that "the only time Richardson cuts away is at the very end, where, after a quick director's credit page, we see Terry and Miley laughing and mugging for the camera." The 2014 Australian art prize the Bald Archy was awarded to Judy Nadin for "Wrecking Balls Ashes to Ashes", parodying cricketer Mitchell Johnson as Cyrus. In an interview in 2017, Cyrus stated that she isn't