"Start All Over" is a song recorded by American singer

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 ho ...

for her debut studio album '' Meet Miley Cyrus'' (2007). The song was written by Fefe Dobson, Anne Preven and produced by Annetenna. It was released by

Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...

on March 11, 2008, as the second single from the album only in Australia. An accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

, directed by Marc Webb was also released. A live version is available on '' Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert'' and as an

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...

in Cyrus's karaoke series. The song was originally recorded by

Fefe Dobson Felicia Lily Dobson (born February 28, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Born in Toronto, Ontario, she began performing as a teenager, during which time she received and refused an offer from Jive Records for a recording contract. Dobso ...

, who passed the song to Cyrus, because she did not desire to include it on '' Sunday Love''. The uptempo song is lyrically about having a second chance in a romantic relationship. The song reached its highest international peak in Australia at 41 and also charted in Canada and the United States at 68 and 91 respectively. Cyrus performed the song in 2007 and 2008 the

Best of Both Worlds Tour Best of Both Worlds Tour was the debut concert tour by American singer Miley Cyrus. The tour was held in support of the double-disc album '' Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus'' (2007), which consisted of the soundtrack to ''Hannah Montana''s ...

, as the opening number for her performances as herself. Cyrus again performed "Start All Over" once she embarked on the 2009 Wonder World Tour.

Background and composition

The song was written and recorded by Canadian recording artist

for her unreleased second album '' Sunday Love''. Dobson explained on an August 2009 interview with

MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...

, Dobson sings

background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...

, along with

Anne Preven Anne Preven (born February 25, 1965) is an American songwriter, musician, and record producer. As a member of the alternative rock band Ednaswap, she co-wrote "Torn" which was covered by Lis Sørensen (Danish), Trine Rein (Norwegian), and then N ...

, on Cyrus' version of the song. Among other personnel are: Paul Bushnell for

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

Scott Cutler Scott Michael Cutler is an American songwriter, musician, record producer, and music executive. As a member of the alternative rock band Ednaswap, he co-wrote "Torn" which was covered in 1997 by Natalie Imbruglia. Her recording became the worl ...

and David Levita for

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 ...

, Josh Freese for

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

and

Jeff Turzo Jeff Turzo, as singer/programming and songwriting/production partner in the electro-rock band God Lives Underwater (GLU), spent the better part of the 1990s as a producer and touring artist, first signed by Rick Rubin to American Recordings in ...

for

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

. 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 moderately fast

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 150

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 a key of

G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable compositi ...

. Cyrus' vocals spans one

octave 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 G₃ to B₄. 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 ...

, Dm7–Am–G5. In an interview with ''

Access Hollywood ''Access Hollywood'', formerly known as ''Access'' from 2017 to 2019, is an American weekday television entertainment news program that premiered on September 9, 1996. It covers events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created ...

'' on the set of the music video, Cyrus mentioned that the song was involved with romance and "the guy that I'm supposed to 'start all over. Lael Loewenstein, writing for ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', stated that "Breakout" and "Start All Over" "touch on the theme of self-reinvention".

Chart performance

"Start All Overs debut appearance on

Hot 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 starte ...

led to charting in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. For the week ending January 18, 2008, "Start All Over" debuted and peaked in the Hot 100 at number 68. That same week, the song debuted and peaked at number 57 on the discontinued

Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles s ...

. For the week ending January 26, the song ascended to number 50 on Hot Digital Songs, but failed to ascend in the Hot 100 and Pop 100; that week was its last on the three charts. The song garnered similar commercial outcomes in other nations. For the week ending February 23, 2008, 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 ...

, the song charted at number 93, falling from the chart the week after. In the Australian Singles Chart, issue dated July 14, "Start All Over" debuted at number 50. In its second week, ending August 11, 2009, the song moved up to number 41, where it peaked, and fell from the top 50 after five weeks.

Music video

On an exclusive interview with ''

'', Cyrus spoke in regards to the music video for the song, directed by Marc Webb. She said, "I wanted something crazy that no one else has done and like really random because this song is kinda random." Shot on November 16, 2007, in a suburban area of

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, the video included fifty background dancers, such as a middle school teacher. Cyrus said the concept was, "I'm singing and dancing and like rocking out and I have no idea where these people come from." The portion of the music video in which she enters the "carnival-like" scene drew influences from the 1950s and ''

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...

''. Another concept she further explained was the appearance of a man in a "

prom A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school y ...

-setting." Cyrus said, "Here it's gonna be the guy that I'm supposed to 'start all over' and we're at prom, so I'm just ..not like in a dress or anything. So, it's random. It's like everything is happening all at once." The ending of the music video, she explained, was when she went back to "where hebelongs" after a day of "torture." The video commences with Cyrus, in

pajamas Pajamas ( US) or pyjamas (Commonwealth) (), sometimes colloquially shortened to PJs, jammies, jam-jams, or in South Asia night suits, are several related types of clothing worn as nightwear or while lounging or performing remote work from hom ...

, turning off a nightlight and falling asleep. When she wakes up, Cyrus finds herself on her bed, in a skate ramp; she is wearing a white T-shirt, a black vest, red pants and black boots. Meanwhile,

skaters Skater may refer to: Sports *Someone who practices skateboarding *Someone who practices roller skating *Someone who practices inline skating * Someone who practices ice skating *An ice hockey player who is not a goaltender *Skater (subculture), ...

are using the ramp, Cyrus stands and performs the song in a confused manner. She then enters a

school bus A school bus is any type of bus owned, leased, contracted to, or operated by a school or school district. It is regularly used to transport students to and from school or school-related activities, but not including a charter bus or transit bus ...

, occupied by businessmen and businesswomen, which she exits through the back emergency door. Throughout the rest of the video Cyrus is seen exploring a "

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

-like" setting, while dancing. Several random figures make appearances, such as

astronauts An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

scuba divers This is a list of underwater divers whose exploits have made them notable. Underwater divers are people who take part in underwater diving activities – Underwater diving is practiced as part of an occupation, or for recreation, where t ...

, middle school teachers, and

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...

s. A large star pattern falls and reveals a concert stage where Cyrus performs the song along with a band. In the conclusion of the video, Cyrus is woken up by an alarm clock and a printer prints stills from what occurred throughout the music video. The music video to "Start All Over" was first seen 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 ...

on December 19, 2007. It became digitally available, via

iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

, on January 29, 2008. In 2008, the video received a MuchMusic Video nomination for Best International Artist Video, but lost to

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

's video for " Don't Stop the Music."

Live performances

On December 31, 2007, Cyrus performed the song along with "G.N.O. (Girl's Night Out)" and "We Got the Party," a

duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...

with the

Jonas Brothers The Jonas Brothers () are an American pop rock band. Formed in 2005, they gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel television network. They consist of three brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. Raised in W ...

, on the 2008 episode special of ''

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' (''NYRE'') is an annual New Year's Eve television special broadcast by ABC. The special broadcasts primarily from New York City's Times Square and prominently features coverage of its annual ball drop ev ...

''. "Start All Over" was then most notably performed on Cyrus' first headlining tour, the

. On the tour, the song served as the opening number for the portion of songs that Cyrus performed as herself. The song was preceded by the interlude from the opening act: first leg by the Jonas Brothers, ("

Year 3000 "Year 3000" is a song performed by British pop rock band Busted. It was released as the second single from their debut studio album '' Busted'' (2002). "Year 3000" reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and became the 34th-biggest seller ...

") second leg by

Aly & AJ Aly & AJ are an American pop rock duo that consists of sisters Alyson (Aly) and Amanda Joy Michalka (AJ) and signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records in 2004. Their debut album, ''Into the Rush'', debuted at number 36 on the US ''Bil ...

(" Rush") and third leg by

Everlife Everlife was an American pop rock band made up of three sisters, Amber, Sarah, and Julia Ross who formed in early 2001. History Everlife originated in Indiana, Pennsylvania. The band was formed in the winter of 1997 with Sarah on the drums, ...

. During the performances, Cyrus wore a gray metallic jacket, a white T-shirt and black leggings. It began with Cyrus emerging from the bottom of the stage and then roaming around the stage to perform the song. Cyrus' performance of "Start All Over" during the tour was received from mixed to average reviews by critics. Maitland McDonagh of ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' magazine stated that Cyrus' return after the Brothers was an up-beat "vague rocker-chick grab." A promotional music video from these live performances were made to promote the '' Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert'' film. On June 7, 2009, at the twentieth annual A Time for Heroes Celebrity Carnival, Cyrus performed the song, coupled with "

7 Things "7 Things" is a song by American singer Miley Cyrus. The song was co-written by Cyrus, Antonina Armato and Tim James, and produced by John Fields. It was released on June 17, 2008, by Hollywood Records as the lead single from the second st ...

," " Breakout," " The Climb," "The Driveway," "

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 ...

," "These Four Walls" and "

See You Again "See You Again" is a song by American rapper and singer Wiz Khalifa featuring fellow American singer Charlie Puth. It was commissioned for the soundtrack of the 2015 film ''Furious 7'' as a tribute to actor Paul Walker, who died in a single-ve ...

." Proceeded by "Breakout," it is second on the set list of her current and first international concert tour, the Wonder World Tour. In these performances, Cyrus wears black boots, skimpy black shorts and tank top. Throughout most of "Start All Over," Cyrus maintains on the construction carts that were used on the end of opening number.

Release history

Charts

References

External links

"Start All Over"
music video on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

(posted by

) {{Authority control 2007 singles 2007 songs Hollywood Records singles Miley Cyrus songs Music videos directed by Marc Webb Songs written by Anne Preven Songs written by Fefe Dobson Songs written by Scott Cutler