Sinéad O'Connor To Miley: 'You Don't Need To Let The Music Business Make A Prostitute Of You'

Sinead O'Connor wrote an open letter to Miley Cyrus, warning her "in the spirit of motherliness and with love" that she doesn't need to over-sexualize herself to be successful.

Cyrus recently told Rolling Stone that part of the inspiration for her controversial "Wrecking Ball" video came from Sinead O'Connor's iconic "Nothing Compares 2 You," released in 1990. Both clips feature the singers tearing up in extreme close-ups. One difference: In her video, O'Connor wore a black turtleneck. In hers, Cyrus wore nothing.

In response to Cyrus's homage, O'Connor felt compelled to write to her on her website:

"I am extremely concerned for you that those around you have led you to believe, or encouraged you in your own belief, that it is in any way 'cool' to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos," O'Connor writes. "It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether it's the music business or yourself doing the pimping."

She continues:

"The music business doesn't give a shit about you, or any of us. They will prostitute you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think it's what YOU wanted ... and when you end up in rehab as a result of being prostituted, 'they' will be sunning themselves on their yachts in Antigua, which they bought by selling your body and you will find yourself very alone."

Miley Cyrus's transformation from Disney pop idol to vampish starlet has been making headlines since she came out twerking in her comeback video "We Can't Stop," which heralded a sulfurous new image for the singer. The scandal culminated with her performance with Robin Thicke at the 2013 MTV VMAs, which upset audiences and industry veterans alike.

O'Connor's letter will hopefully remind Cyrus that there's no need to go overboard with nudity and sexual imagery to sell records: "As for the shedding of the Hannah Montana image ... whoever is telling you getting naked is the way to do that does absolutely NOT respect your talent, or you as a young lady," she writes.

As evidenced in this lovely cover of Dolly Parton's classic "Jolene", Miley Cyrus doesn't need much "pimping" to shine as a talented vocalist.

Click here to read Sinead O'Connor's letter in full.

UPDATE: On Thursday morning Miley Cyrus tweeted a "response" to O'Connor, who suffers from bipolar disorder, comparing her to troubled actress Amanda Bynes.