The rest of the world may have been shocked and disturbed by pop sensation Miley Cyrus' antics of late, including shaving off most of her hair, honing her signature "twerk" dance style, grinding on married Robin Thicke at the MTV VMAs and swinging naked on a wrecking ball in her latest music video. However her father, country singer, Billy Ray Cyrus has spoken out in favour of his reinvented daughter and her raunchy routines.

Miley Cyrus
Miley Has Well & Truly Ditched Her Hannah Montana Alter-Ego.

It can't have been easy for father Billy Ray to support his daughter's rubbing her foam finger everywhere, licking sledgehammers and riding a pendulum naked but Billy Ray has come out as surprisingly unflustered at the whole debacle that has had the world's media chattering.

Speaking to Piers Morgan in his first interview since last month's MTV music video awards, Billy Ray explained he saw the whole thing as just Miley reinventing her image and distancing herself from her blue-eyed Disney days. "Miley harnessed into something very special. She's just Miley. She's an artist, she's real", he said, "I think that's what's happened over the years, Miley has been reinventing her sound."

Miley Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray & Miley Enjoying Dog Walking Together.

In response to the reams of bad press his daughter has received, reviling her new incarnation, Billy Ray said "She's evolving as an artist herself. I think that it's all of what everyone is calling controversy now. That's still my Miley," via The Mirror. Though Billy Ray said that he agrees that it is hard to watch a child star grow up, he's very much in support of his daughter whatever new creative direction she decides to take.

Though Billy Ray appears remarkably calm about Miley's new style, the pair did endure a brief period of estrangement in 2011 when Miley's image began to morph from sweet-faced Disney idol to a more sexualised celebrity.

Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Is Incredibly Accepting Of His Daughter's New Direction.

Regardless, Billy Ray could never argue with his daughter's success. This summer has seen the 20 year-old star propelled into the media eye more than ever and her latest music video, 'Wrecking Ball,' broke YouTube viewing records after garnering more views in its first 24 hours than One Direction's 'Best Song Ever.'

Still, can't be as easy as Billy Ray makes out to see his adult daughter perform in front of millions in greater stages of undress that he's probably comfortable with.