Miley Cyrus: I work really hard to be fit, so I'll wear whatever I want (pics)

Teen star Miley Cyrus says she's not trying to 'be slutty.' Cyrus, 17,
says she works so hard to be fit that she just wants to dress how she
pleases. (AP Photos/A. Franca, A. Rodriguez)

Miley Cyrus insists she's not trying to "be slutty," and that people shouldn't judge her because of the sexy outfits she wears on-stage and in her music videos.

'I'M NOT BEING SLUTTY'

"I'm not trying to be 'slutty'," Cyrus tells the AP. "I'm not trying to go to a club and get a bunch of guys. What I'm trying to do is make a point with my record and look consistent in the way my record sounds and the way I dress."

Miley says she pole-dances in videos wearing corsets and short-shorts because she likes to flaunt her fit body, which she works so hard to maintain.

"I'm really comfortable with my body, I work really hard to be fit," says the former Hannah Montana star. "I know that I can wear whatever makes me most comfortable."

HAD PERSONAL TRAINER SINCE 15

Cyrus, who jogs, cycles and does Pilates to stay in shape, has worked out with a personal trainer since she was 15.

This isn't the first time Cyrus has been caught up in a scandal, and it won't be the last. In 2008, Cyrus gained widespread mainstream popularity after a series of racy photos the teen took of herself went viral online. Months earlier, Miley's topless photospread in Vanity Fair caused an uproar among parents. 

In Aug. 2009, Cyrus came under fire for doing a pole-dance at the Teen Choice Awards, and then made headlines again earlier this month after she appeared to "kiss" her female backup dancer during her performance on Britain's Got Talent June 3.

'I'M NOT USING SEX APPEAL TO SELL RECORDS'

Miley says all the press attention is much ado about nothing, and that wearing tight outfits that show a lot of skin is just her style.

"I feel more comfortable dressing with a little less, which is just how I've always been," she says. "Now I'm able to do that a little more freely. Also, I've just grown up to be this way too. It's not like this was me five years ago. It's me now, presently."

Despite the provocative outfits she wears, Miley insists she's not trading on her sex appeal to sell records. [see slideshow below]

 "When you're 11, the word you would use to describe someone is definitely not sexy, and as you get older I think you grow into that," she says. "And I think I've done that but that's not my schtick. That's not what I'm trying to do to sell records. I want people to buy my record because of my music."

Read more on Young Hollywood:

• Miley Cyrus: I'm, like, way deeper than normal people 
  
• Taylor Lautner covers July GQ: I won't go shirtless for just any role
• Miley Cyrus flaunts hot-pink bikini body on vacation
• Robert Pattinson: I've been so lucky I fear I'll die at 30
  
• Taylor Lautner: Staying ripped is hard! I lose weight so easily (photos + video)
• Sexy Taylor Lautner is New Moon's undisputed breakout star
• Miley Cyrus pole-dances at Teen Choice Awards (video)
• Vanessa Hudgens: I cycle and do Pilates to stay fit
• Kristen Stewart: I don't diet or exercise
• Ashley Greene: I trained 4 hours a day for New Moon
• Nikki Reed: I lost weight & quit smoking thanks to new boyfriend