She made headlines earlier this week with another attention-seeking display of flesh by going fully n/ud/e in her new hit video Wrecking Ball.

But Miley Cyrus says her nudity actually has a deep and very personal message to communicate to her fans.

The 20-year-old clai/ms her overtly gratuitous display is symbolic of where she is in her life right now.

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Something to say: Miley Cyrus has defended her nu/dity in her Wrecking Ball video, pictured on Wednesday in London

In a recent interview on The Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, on New York City’s Z100 radio station, the singer revealed that her nakedness in the short film is a metaphor for how vulnerable she feels inside.

Miley explained: ‘I think the video is much more, if people get past the point that I’m naked and you actually look at me.

‘You can tell that I actually look more broken than even the song sounds.’

‘I’m broken’: The 20-year-old claims the provocative imagery is indicative of how vulnerable she feels

Helping hand: Miley pictured with her mother Leticia Finley Cyrus

Adding: ‘The song is a pop ballad. It’s one of these songs that everyone is gonna to relate to, everyone’s felt that feeling at some point.’

In the video a nude Cyrus straddles a swinging wrecking ball, licks a sledgehammer and smashes up a few walls for good measure.

But Miley admitted that the provocative visuals may provide a challenge to viewers, who could write off the performance as merely lewd and attention-seeking.

Vulnerable showing: The We Can’t Stop singer revealed that her latest artistic effort was a highly ’emotional experience’

‘If people can take their minds off the obvious and go into their imagination a little bit and see kind of what the video really means and the way that it is so vulnerable,’ Miley said.

And Miley, who is engaged to actor Liam Hemsworth, admitted she was incredibly nervous about exposing herself emotionally on camera: ‘If you look in my eyes I look more sad than actually my voice sounds on the record. It was a lot harder to do the video than it was to even record the song. It was much more of an emotional experience.’

Cyrus posted a link to the video on Monday with the hashtag ‘#WreckTheRecord’ meaning she’s keen to break her own VEVO record of views in one day, and to reclaim her crown from One Direction.

In action: Miley swings on a wrecking ball in her new video shot by famed photographer Terry Richardson

She can’t stop: Miley performs many outrageous in the film

We Can’t Stop video scored 10.7 but One Direction’s Best Song Ever clip accumulated 10.9 million glances in July.

And Miley achieved her goal as she blasted past her competition with 14million views in a 24 hour period, successfully breaking the VEVO most-viewed in one day record.

The single Wrecking Ball is off of Cyrus’ upcoming album Bangerz, which will be released on October 8 and the album will reportedly feature a collaboration between Miley and Britney Spears.

And while Miley has caught heat for her nudity in the smash hit video, her father Billy Ray Cyrus isn’t too concerned.

Playing for keeps: The former Disney princess pulled out all the stops for her latest endeavour

The country star revealed to Entertainment Tonight that he thinks his daughter is an artist.

The 52-year-old father explained: ‘It wouldn’t have mattered if Miley would have worn jeans and a flannel shirt … a Tux … or a nun’s habit.

‘The song’s a smash … and her performance vocally on the tune reflects her roots and sheer God given talent.’

Hammering it home: The star hit out against a concrete wall with a sledgehammer

But the nude showing is just one in a series of over-the-top displays of less than demure behaviour.

In her now infamous VMA performance she paraded around in a bra and knickers, whilst twerking and performing some other obscure movements with a foam finger.

And the popstrel defended herself, in the same radio interview on Wednesday, against critics who claim her recent behaviour is merely raunchy and in bad taste: ‘Anything I do becomes such a big deal. I’m just having fun. Whatever people label it as, it doesn’t really matter. I always want to switch it up.’

Proud father: Billy Ray Cyrus recently defended his daughter as a true artist, pictured in April on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno