Party in the U.S.A.

"Party in the U.S.A." is a pop song performed by American recording artist, Miley Cyrus. It was released as the lead single from Cyrus' upcoming extended play, The Time of Our Lives. The song was scheduled to be released to mainstream radio on August 4, 2009, but the release date was changed to July 29 following an illegal leak on the Internet. "Party in the U.S.A" is a up-tempo/mid-tempo pop song that lyrically is about Cyrus moving from Nashville to Los Angeles. Critical achievements have been made due to Cyrus' pop with a country edge voice, its lyrics and reflective change of pace. It has currently peaked at number forty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay and in at the top sixty on other pop-genre airplay charts.

Cyrus performed the song at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards while wearing a vest, hot pants, and leather boots, and, for a short portion of the performance, dancing on and holding onto what appeared to be a dance pole. This performance was met with much controversy, saying that it was too suggestive and inappropriate for a teen event. Some have defended Cyrus, however, claiming that people focused too much on her "pole-dancing" and not enough on her many accomplishments that night, winning six awards at the show.

Music and lyrics

"Party in the U.S.A." is based in the pop genre and contains some use of synthesizers. According to About.com, the song is a "mid-tempo reflective song", though the New York Post it is more up-tempo. It is lyrically in regards to "an out of town success and [Cyrus'] first arrival in Hollywood." The lyrics discuss Cyrus' move from Nashville, Tennessee to Los Angeles, California and the struggles that came along with it. She doesn't fit, this can be interpreted from the lines: "Like who's that chick that rockin' [sic] kicks, She gotta [sic] be from outta town". Listening to songs by Jay-Z (his name is changed from Kanye West in the demo version) and Britney Spears makes the song's protagonist feel less susceptible and overcome the circumstance. Cyrus also slightly altered the lyrics in the live performance at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards; she mentions Britney Spears where Jay-Z was originally to be mentioned and instead of Spears, Cyrus mentions Michael Jackson.

Release

The song was planned to be released to mainstream radio on August 4, 2009. However, the illegal leak of an unfinished version of the song in late July 2009 caused Hollywood Records to release the song early on July 29. Cyrus, irritated by the leak, said on her Twitter account, "How did my friggen [sic] song get leaked???" The song was later released to digital retailers on August 11 to selected countries.

Critical reception

The song garnered positive reviews from critics. Bill Lamb of About.com called it a "Lyrically engaging song" and noted that "One of the unique aspects of Miley Cyrus' performance style among current pop artists is that she retains a country edge to her voice when she is performing straightforward pop songs." Ryan Brockington of The New York Post said, "The song is a little more mainstream pop than her previous efforts, and I gotta say, I don't hate it."

Chart performance

After its official release, fifty stations on mainstream radio added the single, making it the most added single to mainstream radio for the week. It tied for the second most added song of the year in a single week, with "We Made You" performed by Eminem and "You Belong with Me" performed by fellow friend Taylor Swift, behind Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You"; in its second week, twenty-eight more stations added the song, still maintaining it as the most added song of the week. In the U.S., on the Billboard issue dated August 15, 2009, "Party in the U.S.A." debuted at forty-three on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. It also debuted on pop charts, at number fifty-seven on the Pop 100 Airplay chart and at no. 40 in the Pop Songs. This making Cyrus' fifth airplay chart effort.

Live performances

Cyrus performed the song at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards on August 10, 2009. She performed in a vest that revealed much of her bra, "hot pants," and leather boots. The performance started with Cyrus and her backup dancers coming out of a trailer and dancing a routine around the stage. Cyrus then stepped onto an ice cream pushcart while dancing on and holding onto what looked to be a dance pole for balance for approximately 40 seconds. This performance has drawn some controversy, with some claiming that it was too sexual for a teen-oriented event.

Apryl Duncan of About.com defended Cyrus, saying, "While Cyrus' performance is the hot buzz and the most memorable moment of the 2009 Teen Choice Awards, it overshadowed her own big night. She took home six awards for her music and work on Disney's Hannah Montana. Instead of the young star's accomplishments, people are fixated on the pole-dancing controversy." Bill Lamb, also of About.com, also defended Cyrus and her performance. "Miley Cyrus generated some controversy when she performed 'Party in the USA' at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards. She was decked out in leather with a dance pole." He adds, "Any artist's emergence from being a child or teen star into an adult persona is difficult."

Cyrus' performance of the song was compared to recent performances by recording artist Britney Spears, whom Cyrus presented the Ultimate Choice Award to the same night. Cyrus welcomed the comparisons on her official Twitter account, saying,

"For all the people calling me the 'next Britney [Spears]' THANK U [sic]. I couldn't ask for a better compliment :)"

A spokesperson for the Disney said, "Disney Channel won't be commenting on that performance, although parents can rest assured that all content presented on the Disney Channel is age-appropriate for our audience - kids 6-14 - and consistent with what our brand values are."

Cyrus mentioned her performance had a much deeper significance. "I'm like, 'This is to represent where I am from. I'm so proud of it,' " Cyrus explained. "All the girls trying to be Hollywood and stuff with their big glasses, me shooing them away." Later, on an interview with Larry Carroll of MTV News, Cyrus further explained the concept of her performance. She stated: Vorlage:Quote

Charts

Chart (2009)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay	43
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Airplay	57
U.S. Billboard Pop Songs	40

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format
Canada	August 11, 2009	Hollywood Records	CD single
			Digital download
United States	August 4, 2009 (official release)		Airplay
	August 11, 2009		CD single
			Digital download

External links

• The official website of Miley Cyrus