“Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus

On “Party in the U.S.A.”, Miley Cyrus traces her upbringing back to the State of Tennessee. But as we all know, she went on to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. And this song is meant to be a sentimental retelling of her migration from Nashville to Los Angeles. 

Simply put, it is not meant to be so much factual as much as indicative of what she feeling internally at the time. And in that regard she was understandably uncomfortable, experiencing a sensation akin to culture shock. But ultimately she is able to keep herself level-headed by listening to tracks by her favorite artists, i.e. Jay-Z and Britney Spears. 

Indeed when she puts on such tunes, it becomes “a party in the U.S.A.”, as in she instantly becomes more jovial, relaxed and optimistic. So the fact that America is referenced in the title probably alludes to the idea of this song being based on a cross-country trek the singer has undertaken, indeed in pursuit of her musical destiny.

Music Video

The director of the music video to “Party in the U.S.A.” was Chris Applebaum. Said clip was inspired by the classic 1978 musical film “Grease” as well as the earlier (i.e. courting) period of her parents’ relationship. And the clip proved to be quite a hit itself. It earned a 2010 Much Music Video Award in the category of Best International Artist Video.

Did Miley Cyrus write “Party in the U.S.A.”?

This track was written by Jessie J, Claude Kelly and Dr. Luke, with Luke also handling the production responsibilities. And at first, it was actually conceptualized to be sung by Jessie J but was later modified given to Miley Cyrus.

Interesting to note is that Miley wasn’t necessarily feeling the tune herself. The lyrics contained therein more or less reflect an image she was portraying at the time rather than her true self. For instance, it has been noted that whereas, as aforementioned, rapper Jay-Z is referenced as one of her favorite artists, back in those days Smiley Miley had never actually heard any of his songs.

Success

Miley didn’t really expect “Party in the U.S.A.” to blow up, but instead it ended being one of her early hits. In fact it became her biggest musical hit as of that point in her career.  For example, it topped the Billboard Mainstream Top 40. In achieving that, it also scored a number 2 on the Hot 100. In Britain, it reached 11th position on the U.K. Singles Chart.  Furthermore, “Party in the U.S.A.” went on to chart in nearly 20 countries.

But “Party in the U.S.A.” really proved to be a hit in the United States itself, where it went on to be certified septuple-Platinum and was one of the top-selling songs on 2009. And it also scored big north of the border, being certified quadruple-Platinum in Canada.

When was “Party in the U.S.A.” released?

Hollywood Records released this hit on the date of August 11th, 2009. It served as the lead single from Miley’s first EP, which is entitled “The Time of Our Lives”.

First Live Performance of “Party in the U.S.A.”

The first time Miley Cyrus performed this song live was during the 2009 Teen Choice Awards, which were conducted during early October of that year. It was a sexually-suggestive performance. 

And whereas later in her career such would more or less become Miley’s norm, considering it was a teen show and all Walt Disney was compelled to issue a statement disassociating itself from Miley in terms of said presentation. This was likely due to the fact that at the time Cyrus was still the star of the most-popular Disney Channel show ever (as of 2009), that being “Hannah Montana”.

Error in Song’s Lyrics

It has been vehemently noted by some fans that there is a factual error – if the lyrics of the first verse are to be interpreted in direct-chronological order – in this song. And that concerns the perspective in which Miley states that she viewed the Hollywood sign after departing from LAX.

“I hopped off the plane at LAX
With a dream and my cardigan
Welcome to the land of fame excess (Woah)
Am I gonna fit in?
Jumped in the cab, here I am for the first time
Look to my right, and I see the Hollywood sign
This is all so crazy Everybody seems so famous”

From the perspective Miley was traveling, the airport should have been to the left of her as opposed to the right, as stated in the song. It’s real petty, but some people made a big deal out of it.