Miley Cyrus to Matt Lauer: "I'm an Artist, So I'm Hoping That I Get Attention"

Miley Cyrus isn't surprised by the attention she's getting after her infamousperformance at the MTV Video Music Awards and nude music video for "Wrecking Ball." In fact, she says, it's by design.

"It's kind of what I want," Cyrus, 20, told Matt Lauer on the Today show Monday. "I'm an artist, so I'm hoping that I get a little attention, otherwise my record sales might be a little sketch. ... I don't ever really plan to offend people, but sometimes that just happens, because I think people aren't open to what they don't understand."

Of her VMA performance with Robin Thicke, Cyrus said: "It went exactly as planned. I mean, it's a month later and we're still talking about it."

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Lauer, noting that he'd never look at a foam finger the same way again, asked the former Hannah Montana star if her hypersexualized persona was a phase. "I heard when you turn 40, things start to go a little less sexual," Cyrus said coyly to Lauer, 55.

"Don't say that," Lauer responded, smiling.

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Fresh off her weekend gig hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live, Cyrus also addressed her recent feud with Sinead O'Connor.

"I'm a big fan of hers, so it doesn't really matter," Cyrus said of their war of words. "I think she's an incredible artist, I think she's an awesome songwriter, and I was really inspired by her for my 'Wrecking Ball' video, which was what started the whole thing."

"I can't change the past," she added. "I don't really regret anything. ... I'm the happiest I've ever been in my whole life."

Watch Cyrus' full interview with Lauer below:

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