'Wrecking Ball' Video of Miley Cyrus Sets 1-Day, 19M Views Record

Fresh off her controversial "twerking" at the MTV VMAs last month, Miley Cyrus released her new music video for "Wrecking Ball" Monday, and the nudity-filled clip quickly broke the record for the most views in 24 hours.

According to the Los Angeles Times, "Wrecking Ball" racked up 19.3 million views within its first 24 hours on Vevo, the music industry's music video platform. It surpassed the previous record set by One Direction's "Best Song Ever," which tallied 12.3 million watches during its first day back in July.

Wrecking Ball has officially beat the @VEVO record. 🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈thank you smilerzzzzz ❤

— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) September 10, 2013

The record-breaking video, which features 20-year-old Cyrus licking a sledgehammer and swinging naked on top of an actual wrecking ball, left critics just as puzzled as her racy performance did last month.

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Cyrus shocked the world with her raunchy gyrating and barely-there latex outfit at the VMAs as she grinded on singer Robin Thicke to his hit "Blurred Lines."

But despite its skyrocketing views, Twitter users weren’t sure how to feel about the new "Wrecking Ball" video.

Wrecking ball is actually quite a good song it's just the video is a bit iffy

— hannah (@__hannahbushell) September 12, 2013

Wrecking ball is an okay song . The video is just stupid

— kadejahbadejah (@hellokadejah) September 12, 2013

It's a shame Miley Cyrus had to be so trashy in the Wrecking Ball video, because that's a beautiful song.

— Tayler Rose. (@Tbailor) September 12, 2013

I haven't actually heard one person say they like the Wrecking Ball video

— jessica (@jessslucy) September 12, 2013

Wrecking ball is a good song, I really like it but the video has nothin to do with the song.. It actually ruins the song in a way..

— caoimhemckennna (@horangasm_) September 12, 2013

That “Wrecking Ball” video makes me feel Billy Ray Cyrus should have spent a lot more time with Miley as a child—or a whole lot less.

— Sean Sean Sean (@SeanX3) September 12, 2013

Dont understand why miley needs to be naked in the wrecking ball video.

— kristina famularo (@k_famxo) September 12, 2013

Cyrus spoke out about the video in an interview Tuesday with Elvis Duran on his Z100 radio program.

"I think the video is much more. If people get past the point I make, and you actually look at me, you can tell I look more broken than even the song sounds," she said. "The song is a pop ballad that everyone can relate to; everyone has felt that feeling at some point. If people can take their minds off the obvious and go into their imagination and see what the video really means, it is so vulnerable. Actually, if you look at my eyes I look more sad than actually my voice sounds on the record."

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