"Let's Get Crazy" is a song by American singer–songwriter and actress

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

, performing as

Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a ...

– the

alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...

Miley Stewart Miley Ray Stewart is the fictional main character in the Disney Channel television series ''Hannah Montana'', portrayed by Miley Cyrus. She first appeared on television in the pilot episode "Lilly, Do You Want to Know a Secret?" on March 24, 2 ...

– a character she played on the

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...

television series ''

''. It was released to '' Hannah Montana: The Movie'' and its soundtrack. The song is also included on the ''

Hannah Montana 3 ''Hannah Montana 3'' is the soundtrack album for the third season of the television series '' Hannah Montana''. Thirteen of its fourteen tracks are performed by the series' primary actress Miley Cyrus, and are credited to her titular characte ...

'' soundtrack. A

karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...

version is available in '' Disney's Karaoke Series: Hannah Montana 3''. The song is musically

dance-rock Dance-rock is a dance-infused genre of rock music. It is a post-disco genre connected with pop rock and post-punk with fewer rhythm and blues influences. It originated in the early 1980s, following the decline in popularity of both punk and disco ...

based. Lyrically, the track speaks about having fun and cutting loose. The song received critical success and garnered average commercial outcomes for Cyrus in several countries, compared to those of her previous efforts as Montana. This includes Canada and the United States. The song reached its highest international peak in the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...

, at number twenty-six. It therefore became Cyrus' highest charting song in Canada, as Montana. The song never received an official music video, but three promotional music videos were, of which two aired on

. Cyrus promoted the song through several venues, including a performance on her second headlining tour, the Wonder World Tour.

Background

The song is associated with

with a slight

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

twang Twang is an onomatopoeia originally used to describe the sound of a vibrating bow string after the arrow is released.Hensleigh Wedgwood, ''A Dictionary of English Etymology: Q - Z'' (1865), p. 433. By extension it applies to the similar vibrati ...

Electric guitars An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

and

synths A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...

are also used. Near the start, the song begins to make a beat of

paparazzi Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...

's flashbulbs. It is set in

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

with a moderated tempo of 120

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

. The song is written in the key of

A minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats and no sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: : Changes ...

. Cyrus' vocals span two

octaves In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...

, from A₃ to C₅. The song has the following

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

, A5—C5—D5. The song was written by Colleen Fitzpatrick known as Vitamin C, Michael Kotch, Dave Derby, Michael “Smidi” Smith, Stefanie Ridel, Mim Nervo and Liv Nervo. The song's lyrics center around a

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

and having fun, once referencing to leading a

double life An alter ego (Latin for "other I", "doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a different ...

with, "You see me on the cover of your

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

s, things are always different than the way they seem."

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews from critics. Warren Truitt of

About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, l ...

stated "Let's Get Crazy" was a mirror of

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...

's musical style.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewer Heather Phares described the song negatively, as a "fizzy

caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...

of pop", drawing away from the original musical influences by

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

, and

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...

. Leah Greenblatt of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' stated that the song was a "

demographic Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings. Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as edu ...

" because of it is "

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

-heavy confection". Owen Gleiberman, also from ''Entertainment Weekly'' drew attention to the line "Everyone can rock out like a superstar!", saying it was "her

mantra A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...

". Gleiberman added that the song a "freeze-dried ersion ofAvril Lavigne". When reviewing Cyrus' Wonder World Tour, Jim Harrington, writing for ''

The Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the decline ...

'', described "Let's Get Crazy" as "fun".

Chart performance

The song received mediocre

airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...

due to it not being released for mainstream radio and only

Radio Disney Radio Disney was an American radio network operated by the Disney Radio Networks unit of Disney Branded Television within the Disney General Entertainment Content, headquartered in Burbank, California. The network broadcast music programming ...

. However, the song debuted at number 33 on

Digital Songs The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally sta ...

which led to it making into the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, for the week ending April 11, 2009. The song debuted and peaked at number 57 in the Hot 100 and spent a total of three non-consecutive weeks on the chart. On the same week, the song debuted and peaked at number 26 in the

due to its number 11 position on Canadian Digital Song Sales, becoming Cyrus' highest charting effort in Canada credited to Hannah Montana. The song then ascended and descended several times until falling off the chart for the week ending May 9.

Music video

The song's first promotional music video, directed by

Peter Chelsom Peter Chelsom (born 20 April 1956) is a British film director, writer, and actor. He has directed such films as Hector and the Search for Happiness (film), ''Hector and the Search for Happiness'', Serendipity (film), ''Serendipity'', and ''Shal ...

, is an excerpt from '' Hannah Montana: The Movie'' that was premiered on

on January 19, 2009. The video begins with Montana entering

Lilly Truscott This list of ''Hannah Montana'' characters includes characters appearing in the Disney Channel series ''Hannah Montana'' as well as the related film '' Hannah Montana: The Movie''. The characters listed are almost all fictional, except for stars ...

's, portrayed by

Emily Osment Emily Jordan Osment (born March 10, 1992) is an American actress, singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Osment began her career as a child actress, appearing in numerous television shows and films, before co-starring as Gerti ...

, Sweet sixteen at the

Santa Monica Pier The Santa Monica Pier is a large double-jointed pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California, United States. It contains a small amusement park, concession stands, and areas for views and fishing. Attractions Pacific Park Th ...

. Montana is attempting to explain the scenario to Osment's character, saying, "I'll make it up to you, I promise." Then Truscott (Osment) says, "You will never make this up to me." Montana is being overwhelmed by fans, which proceed to lift her to a

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

and perform the song. Throughout most of the video Cyrus' character performs the song with

background dancer A backup dancer also known as background dancer is a performer who dances with or behind the lead performers in a live musical act or in a music video. Their movements (especially where there are many moving together) improve the visual aesthetic ...

s, a band, and

Steve Rushton Steven John Rushton (born 30 October 1987) is a British solo artist, and formerly co-lead singer bassist for the pop punk band, Son of Dork. Rushton contributed two songs to the number 1 box office and Billboard movie/soundtrack album, '' Hannah ...

on the

. In the conclusion, Rico Suave, portrayed by

Moises Arias Moises or Moisés is a male name common among people of Iberian origin. It is the Spanish, Portuguese and Tagalog equivalent of the name Moses. ;Places * Doctor Moisés Bertoni, a village in the Caazapá department of Paraguay * Moises Padilla, a ...

, emerges from a massive

birthday cake A birthday cake is a cake eaten as part of a birthday celebration. Birthday cakes are often layer cakes with frosting served with small lit candles on top representing the celebrant's age. Variations include cupcakes, cake pops, pastries, and ...

that explodes on the crowd. A second promotional music video for "Let's Get Crazy" was filmed as promotion for the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

. The video was released in March 2009 on

Disney.com disney.com is a website operated by Disney Digital Network, a division of The Walt Disney Company, that promotes various Disney properties such as films, television shows, and theme park resorts, and offers entertainment content intended for child ...

and features Cyrus singing in a

recording studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enoug ...

. It was a part of a series of promotional videos entitled ''The Miley Sessions''. The song was also featured in the theatrical trailer of the film.

Live performances

Cyrus, dressed as Montana, premiered "Let's Get Crazy", along with eight other songs, at the concert taping for the third season of ''Hannah Montana'', which was set on October 10, 2008 in Irvine, California at the

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Verizon Wireless Amphitheater(re), Verizon Wireless Music Center(re), Verizon Wireless Theatre(er), and other variants may refer to: *The following venues were formerly known by the Verizon-sponsored names: **Verizon Wireless Music Center (Alabama) ...

. The performance began with Montana, in a

T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are general ...

with a pink star, zebra-patterned skirt, tennis shoes and metallic jacket, coming out from behind a giant mirror ball. She then roamed the stage singing the number. The performance was later premiered on July 1, 2009 on

to promote ''

''. Proceeded by "

Fly on the Wall Fly on the wall is a style of documentary-making used in film and television production. The name derived from the idea that events are seen candidly, as a fly on a wall might see them. In the purest form of fly-on-the-wall documentary-making, t ...

" and succeeded by "

Hoedown Throwdown "Hoedown Throwdown" is a song performed by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. It was released as a Radio Disney exclusive promotional single from the soundtrack for '' Hannah Montana: The Movie'' on March 10, 2009. A karaoke version is availab ...

", "Let's Get Crazy" is one of the songs on the set list of Cyrus' second headlining concert tour, the Wonder World Tour. The song is one of two Hannah Montana songs that she performed as herself. The performance featured Cyrus wearing white tutu-like dress and an

Asian culture The culture of Asia encompasses the collective and diverse customs and traditions of art, architecture, music, literature, lifestyle, philosophy, politics and religion that have been practiced and maintained by the numerous ethnic groups ...

-themed video playing on a couple of overhead screens.

Charts

References

{{authority control 2009 songs Hannah Montana songs Dance-rock songs Songs from television series Songs written by Vitamin C (singer) Walt Disney Records singles Songs written by Stefanie Ridel Songs written by Olivia Nervo Songs written by Miriam Nervo