Miley Cyrus 'Wrecking Ball' Video Breaks Vevo Record, Directed By Controversial Photographer
The new Miley Cyrus music video has had everyone talking, and now it's already breaking records.
According to Mirror U.K., the controversial music video for "Wrecking Ball" has garnered over 12.3 million views in 24 hours, beating the previous record set by One Direction for their music video for "Best Song Ever."
The ballad, which features the 20-year-old pop star singing about heartbreak, is currently No. 2 on the iTunes Top Singles chart, presumably because of the release of her music video yesterday. The video, which shows Cyrus completely naked while swinging on an actual wrecking ball, has been compared to softcore porn. The video also features a long shot of Cyrus licking a sledgehammer, which has obvious sexual connotations.
While the former "Hannah Montana" star made headlines late last month with her VMA performance of "We Can't Stop," she seems to have outdone herself with her latest music video.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the director/photographer of "Wrecking Ball" has quite a controversial past. Terry Richardson has been repeatedly accused of exploiting children and inappropriately touch models, the L.A. Times reports. Richardson photographed Cyrus for the upcoming October cover of Bazaar.
Richardson has denied the many allegations including one from model Jamie Peck in 2010, who accused Richardson of requesting a sex act from her, as well as getting naked himself. According to formal model Ria Rasmussen, Richardson's manner of photography is degrading towards young women.
"I just want to take a moment to say I'm really hurt by the recent and false allegations of insensitivity and misconduct," Richardson said in a statement in 2010. "I feel fortunate to work with so many extraordinary people each and every day. I've always been considerate and respectful of the people I photograph and I view what I do as a real collaboration between myself and the people in front of the camera."
Cyrus's rep didn't address to the L.A. Times whether she knew about Richardson's lurid past. "Bangerz," Cyrus's fourth studio album, is set to be released Oct. 4.