“Party in the U.S.A.,” proffers a supposedly nervous Miley taking her first steps from familiar Nashville into funky town Hollywood: “I hopped off the plane at LAX with a dream and my cardigan/Welcome to the land of fame excess/Whoa, am I gonna fit in?”
Let’s cut to the chase: Yup. She fits right in.
In the “Party” video Miley’s whittled-down wardrobe and provocative dance moves prove that the 17-year-old took to the Hollywood machine like a duck to water. When she sings, “I’m noddin’ my head like ‘Yeah,’/I’m moving my hips like ‘Yeah,'” she’s not kidding.
(And when Miley sang “Party” for Queen Elizabeth II in 2009, even fellow performer Lady Gaga wore more for the event.)
Are her push-up bra, low-cut tank and short shorts supposed to, um, reveal a more mature, evolved Cyrus? She seems to think so. She told British TV show GMTV, “I kind of want [The Time of Our Lives] to be my last pop record for a little while, and then … have something edgier and not have to worry about people saying, ‘Oh, well, this isn’t what her fans want to listen to.’ … in a few years, as I grow up, so will my fans.”
Britney Spears, one of Cyrus’ heroes, gets a fond mention in the track. And in the video a huge American flag unfurls at her name. So, in effect, “Party” all but screams, “America! Land of trashy pop stars!” Jay-Z’s also lauded. For which, apparently, God should get the credit. Grateful for being “really blessed” with the song’s massive popularity, Miley said, “God has definitely put me in an amazing position with amazing people.”
Amazing partying people whose problems all melt away when they hear hit songs on the radio.
