"Wrecking Ball" was featured close-up scenes of a nude Cyrus swinging on a wrecking ball. Critics were divided in their opinions of the music video; some appreciated its diversity from Cyrus' previous single "We Can't Stop", while others felt it was more provocative than its predecessor. "Wrecking Ball" currently holds the Vevo record for the most views in the first 24 hours after its release, and the record for being the fastest clip to reach 100 million views on the service. Cyrus has performed "Wrecking Ball" during several live performances, including the iHeartRadio Music Festival and an episode of Saturday Night Live.
Miley Cyrus was additionally performed during a controversial performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, while the latter became her first number-one hit in the United States. Miley Cyrus is recognized as among the most successful artists to originate from Disney. She ranked number thirteen on Forbes' 2010 Celebrity 100. For the 2011 Guinness World Records, Cyrus was named the “Most Charted Teenager” following her 29th US Billboard Hot 100 chart entry on November 7, 2009 with "Party in the U.S.A.". By the age of 18, she had seven top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and had four RIAA certified albums. As of October 2013, Cyrus has nine top-ten hits on the Hot 100.