The Climb (Miley Cyrus song)

"The Climb" is a song recorded by American singer Miley Cyrus, for the 2009 film '' Hannah Montana: The Movie''. The song was written by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe, and produced by John Shanks. It was released on March 5, 2009, as the lead single from the film's soundtrack by Walt Disney Records, and is also included as a bonus track on the international release of '' The Time of Our Lives''. The song is a power ballad with lyrics that describe life as a difficult but rewarding journey. It is styled as a country pop ballad, and was Cyrus' first solo song to be released to country radio. The instrumentation includes piano, guitar, and violins. The song is considered both a modern classic and a signature song for Cyrus.

The song was nominated for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards; however, the song was withdrawn from consideration by Walt Disney Records because it had not been written specifically for a film as the category's eligibility rules required. The song became a top-ten single on charts in Australia, Canada, Norway, and the United States. In the United States, it peaked at number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became the eighth-best selling digital single of 2009. Five months after its release, the single was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Matthew Rolston, and depicts scenes of Cyrus climbing a mountain or singing, intercut with clips of ''Hannah Montana: The Movie''. Cyrus promoted the song with several live performances. Cyrus performed the song as the closing number of her Wonder World Tour. The song was also performed during her Gypsy Heart Tour. "The Climb" has been covered by several artists and was the most popular choice of song among auditioners for the ninth season of the American singing contest, ''American Idol'', with Hollie Cavanagh performing it in the top six of the eleventh season. Simon Cowell, creator of the British television talent show ''The X Factor'', chose "The Climb" to be the debut single of the winner of the competition's sixth series. Winner Joe McElderry's cover, released on December 14, 2009, by Syco Music, was produced by Quiz & Larossi and topped the Irish Singles Chart and the UK Singles Chart.

Before its official release, the song was premiered at Kids Inaugural: "We Are the Future" event on January 19, 2009.

Background

"The Climb" was not intentionally written for the 2009 musical film ''Hannah Montana: The Movie''. Co-writer Jessi Alexander conceived the song's melody while driving to the home of songwriting partner Jon Mabe. Once she arrived, Mabe and she developed a song about overcoming life's obstacles inspired by their personal struggles in the music industry. Alexander referred to the process as a form of "therapy" and recalled,
The song they created was titled "It's the Climb" and was written in the third person. Alexander described the original song as "more spiritual" than the version that was released, and said it contained lines about prayer. However, she claimed she knew it was pop and suitable for the Walt Disney Company.

Before reaching Cyrus, the song had been rejected by several country artists. It was eventually picked up by Peter Chelsom, director of ''Hannah Montana: The Movie'', who gave it to Cyrus to record for the film. Chelsom found what would become "The Climb" while visiting Nashville, Tennessee, during a quest to find 11 new songs for the movie. After hearing Alexander's music, Chelsom asked her to submit songs for consideration. Alexander recorded "It's the Climb" on a CD and gave it to him. Several weeks later, Chelsom called to say, "the song was gonna be an integral part of the movie". However, he wanted Mabe and Alexander to rework some of the song's content and to change the song from third person to first person. Alexander felt the changes amounted to a "substantial amount of the song" and commented, "For me, when you change something from third person to first person, it can change the whole meaning of a line." Mabe and she "wrestl dover taking words out" and how much they could change while maintaining the song's integrity. After a number of drafts, Mabe and Alexander finally created a version they felt was "perfect for the movie".

Upon receiving the final draft, filmmakers told the songwriters, "This is perfect for Miley, it’s gonna change her life, gonna change your life." Chelsom commented that the song "turned up" the film's music level by tapping into Cyrus's newfound vocal range. As with the other songs featured in ''Hannah Montana: The Movie'', the song is "tightly woven into the fabric of the story and the characters". In the film, Cyrus plays Miley Stewart, a character with a secret double life as superstar Hannah Montana. Keeping this secret causes trouble between Miley and many of the other characters in the film, and leaves Miley confused and contrite. She expresses her emotions by writing "The Climb". According to film producer Alfred Gough, "The song is her journey, the lessons she's learned in the movie. It's an epic ..power ballad that encapsulates Miley's journey and the message of the film."

"The Climb" was chosen as the lead single from the soundtrack due to its country elements, which introduced Cyrus to listeners beyond her usual pop audience. The song is Cyrus's first solo effort marketed directly to country radio, though she had previously recorded and released a country duet with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, which was titled "Ready, Set, Don't Go", in 2007. Warren Truitt of About.com referred to the song as "Miley's serious attempt to break into the contemporary country world." The song became available as a digital download on March 5, 2009. It was released to US country radio, and adult contemporary radio on March 10. In October 2009, it was re-released to countries outside the United States in the international version of Cyrus' extended play, ''The Time of Our Lives''.

Composition

"The Climb" is a country pop power ballad that incorporates soft rock and pop rock styles and lasts 3 minutes and 55 seconds. However, at two minutes and forty-five seconds, a "sudden, spiky burst of violins" enters the song, and the song switches to full power. Todd Martens, co-editor of the ''Los Angeles Times'' music column, says Cyrus uses "a raspy voice hatbrings a bit of country grit" to the song. "The Climb" is set in common time at a moderate tempo of 80 beats per minute. The song is sung in the key of E major and Cyrus's vocals span one and a half octaves, from E₃ to C♯₅. The song uses a standard-issue ballad arrangement with the chord progression, E5–Asus2–F♯7sus.

According to music reviewer Fraser McAlpine of the BBC
...