Hoedown Throwdown
"Hoedown Throwdown" is a song performed by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. It was released as a promotional single on the iTunes Store from the soundtrack for Hannah Montana: The Movie on March 10, 2009.[1] It was also pressed as a promotional single by EMI Records. A karaoke version is available in the soundtrack's karaoke series.[2] "Hoedown Throwdown" is an instructional dance song with a hybrid of country and hip hop. The choreography was designed by Jamal Sims.
"Hoedown Throwdown"
The song received a mixed critical reception, but enjoyed commercial success and became a top twenty hit in various nations including Australia, Canada, Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "Hoedown Throwdown" reached its highest international peak in the Irish Singles Chart, at number ten. The single never received an official music video, but an excerpt from Hannah Montana: The Movie was used for promotion. Cyrus incorporated "Hoedown Throwdown" into the set list of her first worldwide concert tour, the Wonder World Tour. The song was not released to radio in the U.S.[3]
Background[edit]
"Hoedown Throwdown" was created for the 2009 musical film Hannah Montana: The Movie, in which Cyrus stars as a famous pop star sent to reconnect with her Southern roots and family. The film's director, Peter Chelsom, felt the movie needed a big dance-number, similar to the "Macarena" (1995) or the "Funky Chicken" (1950s).[4][5] Chelsom knew he wanted a song in which Cyrus' character, Miley Stewart, called dance steps that captured Cyrus' "real silliness physically" and her "great abandon".[4] In addition, Chelsom wanted the song to represent the two worlds of Stewart, the main theme of the film, by "combin[ing] Miley Stewart's L.A. hip-hop/pop style with her country roots".[4] Because the song is an instructional dance song, it became an ongoing collaboration between Chelsom, choreographer Jamal Sims, Cyrus, and the song's songwriters, Adam Anders and Nikki Hasman. According to Chelsom, the collaborators referred to the song by the working title "The Project" "for the longest time" before naming it the "Hoedown Throwdown".[4] The song was also nick-named "Miley's Macarena".[4][6]
Music and lyrics[edit]
"Hoedown Throwdown" merges from a hybrid of country and hip hop.[7] It is set in common time with a moderate tempo of 104 beats per minute. "Hoedown Throwdown" is written in the key of E♭ major. Cyrus' vocals span two octaves, from B♭3 to F5.[8] The song begins with an intro in which Cyrus repeats "Boom Boom clap, boom di-clap di-clap" four times. This line is reused in the song's outro.[8] AllMusic described the song as a tribute to "down-home family times".[9] Cyrus stated "Hoedown Throwdown" was one of those on the film's soundtrack that "is all about" her Nashville roots and "the reason why [she is who she is]."[10]
Chart performance[edit]
Due to digital sales, the song debuted at number sixty-eight in the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending March 21, 2009.[21] The song then found new peaks at number forty-six and twenty-eight on the chart, respectively.[22] For the week ending May 2, 2009, "Hoedown Throwdown" peaked at number eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100 due to digital downloads that placed it at number eight on Hot Digital Songs.[23] The song also peaked at number twenty-nine in the canceled Pop 100 chart.[24] As of July 2013, it has sold 1,300,000 copies in the United States.[25] In Canada, the song peaked at number fifteen.[21][23] In the Australian Singles Chart, the song debuted at number forty and peaked at number twenty after three weeks of finding new peaks.[26] "Hoedown Throwdown" was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for the sales of over 35,000 digital downloads.[27] "Hoedown Throwdown" debuted and peaked at number forty in the New Zealand Singles Chart.[28]
In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number sixty-two for the week ending March 18, 2009.[21][29] It peaked at number eighteen for the week ending May 16, 2009.[21][29] The song reached its highest international peak in Ireland. It entered the Irish Singles Chart on the week ending May 7, 2009, both debuting and peaking at number ten.[21][30] In mainland Europe, "Hoedown Throwdown" peaked at number fifty in the European Hot 100[23] and at number seventeen in the Norwegian Singles Chart.[21][31] The song also reached charts in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.[21]
Live performances[edit]
Cyrus never sang "Hoedown Throwdown" live during televised events, but often performed the dance with the track on playback. On April 3, 2009, Cyrus performed "Hoedown Throwdown" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[33] Cyrus performed the dance on Good Morning America on April 8, 2009.[34] On April 10, 2009, Cyrus danced to the track with some of the movie's castmates on The Tyra Banks Show.[35] Preceded by a performance of "Let's Get Crazy" as herself and succeeded by "These Four Walls", Cyrus performed "Hoedown Throwdown" as part of her set list in her first worldwide concert tour, the Wonder World Tour. For the performances Cyrus dressed in a short white tutu-like dress and performed the dance with her background dancers.[36] Mid-way through the song, will.i.am appeared on the screens to congratulate Cyrus and continued speaking as she left the stage. When he finished, the dancers performed to a remix of "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas.[36]