Terry Richardson came in like a wrecking ball.

In the opening scene, Miley Cyrus sheds a single tear in a close-up in which she sings lyrics that sound like they were tailored for Lana Del Rey. It’s easy to assume that the 20-year-old pop singer is remorseful for her controversial VMA performance, but she isn’t. Instead, she’s crying about a failed relationship.
As she sings:
I came in like a wrecking ball
I never hit so hard in love
All I wanted was to break your walls
All you ever did was wreck me
Yeah you, you wreck me
We witness Terry Richardson’s anticipated music video debut. Thankfully, his signature look remains present as the — sometimes naked Miley — performs Wrecking Ball’s heartfelt lyrics whilst sitting on a boulder, licking a sledge hammer and readying for other close-ups. On a personal note, we admire her resilience. Instead of feeding into criticism, she released a new music video that will make us all soon forget her worst moments.