Best of Both Worlds (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Best of Both Worlds" is a pop
song performed by American singer–songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus
, performing as Hannah Montana – the alter ego
of Miley Stewart – a character she played on the Disney Channel
television series Hannah Montana
. It was released as the lead single
from the Hannah Montana soundtrack album on March 28, 2006. "The Best of Both Worlds" is the theme song for the television series; in the series' third season, the 2009 Movie Mix is used as the theme. A live version is available on Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert
(2008), a karaoke
version is included in the soundtrack's karaoke series (2008), and the 2009 Movie Mix is featured on Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack
(2009). The song has elements of bubblegum pop
and pop rock
. Lyrically, it is an explicit showcase of the double life lived by the series' protagonist Miley Stewart.
"The Best of Both Worlds" is considered to be one of Cyrus' signature song
s, introducing her to the music industry. The song received some critical praise, noting that the song was written well, but the concept was "weird". "The Best of Both Worlds" reached number ninety-two on the Billboard Hot 100
, and achieved average commercial success internationally. The song reached its highest international chart peak position in the Irish Singles Chart
, at number seventeen. A promotional music video for the song was taken from a recording of a concert performance. Cyrus promoted the song by performing it in several venues, including during the opening act for the Cheetah Girls' The Party's Just Begun Tour and as the closing number on her own first headlining concert tour of the same name
. Cyrus' performances of the song on the Best of Both Worlds Tour were as herself, but when she performed the song on television, she did so in character as Hannah Montana.
with a moderately fast tempo
of 130 beats per minute. The song is written in the key of C major
. Cyrus' vocals spans from A3 to D5. The song has the following chord progression
, C5–G5–D5–F5.
The song was written by Matthew Gerrard
and Robbie Nevil
. The duo wrote three other songs on the Hannah Montana soundtrack and continue writing songs for the franchise, including "Nobody's Perfect" and "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)
." Lyrically, the song is one of the three ("Just Like You" and "The Other Side of Me") that explicitly allude to Stewart's double life
as Montana: regular adolescent that moved from Nashville, Tennessee
to Malibu, California by day and pop star by night. In the song, Cyrus sings about the privileges and advantages that are faced in leading in two lives with references to Orlando Bloom
, concerts, friendship and film premieres.
compared the song to the musical styles of Avril Lavigne
, Ashlee Simpson
and Britney Spears
. However, Willman stated that the concept of "The Best of Both Worlds" was "a nice fantasy for Brangelina
, but a weird one to push on little girls."
, but not to other mainstream radio stations. The song debuted at number sixty-four on Billboard
s Hot Digital Songs
Chart which led to an appearance on the Billboard Hot 100
for the week ending August 12, 2006. It debuted and peaked at number ninety-two on the Hot 100, and stayed on the chart for two weeks. In the same week of its entry on the Hot 100, the song charted at number seventy-one on the Pop 100
and dropped from the chart the following week.
"The Best of Both Worlds" reached higher peak chart positions in Europe. For the week ending February 22, 2007, the song debuted and peaked at number seventeen in the Irish Singles Chart
, and dropped out of the chart the following week. The song debuted and peaked at number forty-three on the UK Singles Chart
dated March 3, 2007, and spent one week on the chart. It became Cyrus's highest peaking single in the United Kingdom, when credited as Hannah Montana. In 2008 it charted in the German Singles Chart, debuting at number seventy-one and eventually peaking at number sixty-six. It spent a total of seven weeks on the chart.
ned blouse, khaki jacket, and blonde wig, to perform "The Best of Both Worlds" and five other songs. She also performed complex choreography and acted out several of the song's lyrics with the background dancers. This performance premiered on Disney Channel
as the promotional video for the song and the television series on March 3, 2006. On June 23, 2006, Cyrus performed the song at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
. Cyrus performed the song on twenty dates when she opened for the Cheetah Girls' 2006 concert tour The Party's Just Begun Tour. On October 23, 2006, she performed it on Good Morning America
, and the following day, on Live with Regis and Kelly
. The following month she performed it at the 2006 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
.
On March 28, 2007, Cyrus appeared as Hannah Montana and performed the song for Hannah Montana: Live in London
at Koko. The event was televised on several international Disney Channels. On December 20, 2007, Cyrus performed the song as herself on The Oprah Winfrey Show
. "The Best of Both Worlds" was later performed as the closing number on Cyrus' first headlining Best of Both Worlds Tour
. She performed the song as herself, wearing an all-pink outfit composed of a tank top, plaid mini-skirt, sneakers, and a jacket. She most recently performed "The Best of Both Worlds: The 2009 Movie Mix", from the Hannah Montana: The Movie
soundtrack, with eight other songs, at the concert taping for the third season of Hannah Montana; the concert was held on October 10 in Irvine, California at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song performed by American singer–songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
, performing as Hannah Montana – the alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
of Miley Stewart – a character she played on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
television series Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
. It was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from the Hannah Montana soundtrack album on March 28, 2006. "The Best of Both Worlds" is the theme song for the television series; in the series' third season, the 2009 Movie Mix is used as the theme. A live version is available on Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert
Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (album)
-DVD:* Note: In Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines, the DVD is not included.-Charts and sales performance:By the end of July 23, 2008 the album had sold over 700,000 copies worldwide....
(2008), a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
version is included in the soundtrack's karaoke series (2008), and the 2009 Movie Mix is featured on Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack
Hannah Montana: The Movie (soundtrack)
Hannah Montana: The Movie is the soundtrack for the film of the same name. The film is an adaptation of the popular Disney Channel original series Hannah Montana, which first aired in 2006. In the television series and film, American singer–songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus portrays Miley Stewart,...
(2009). The song has elements of bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
and pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
. Lyrically, it is an explicit showcase of the double life lived by the series' protagonist Miley Stewart.
"The Best of Both Worlds" is considered to be one of Cyrus' signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
s, introducing her to the music industry. The song received some critical praise, noting that the song was written well, but the concept was "weird". "The Best of Both Worlds" reached number ninety-two on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and achieved average commercial success internationally. The song reached its highest international chart peak position in the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, at number seventeen. A promotional music video for the song was taken from a recording of a concert performance. Cyrus promoted the song by performing it in several venues, including during the opening act for the Cheetah Girls' The Party's Just Begun Tour and as the closing number on her own first headlining concert tour of the same name
Best of Both Worlds Tour
The Best of Both Worlds Tour was the first concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The tour was held to promote the double-disc album Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus , which consisted of the soundtrack to Hannah Montanas second season and her debut studio album...
. Cyrus' performances of the song on the Best of Both Worlds Tour were as herself, but when she performed the song on television, she did so in character as Hannah Montana.
Background
"The Best of Both Worlds" is a song that uses out of beat electric guitars, upbeat synths and backing vocals' . Genre influences come from dance, rock and country music. It is set in common timeCommon Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a moderately fast tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 130 beats per minute. The song is written in the key of C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
. Cyrus' vocals spans from A3 to D5. The song has the following chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
, C5–G5–D5–F5.
The song was written by Matthew Gerrard
Matthew Gerrard
Matthew Gerrard is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. He has written hit singles by artists such as Nick Carter , Kelly Clarkson , Hilary Duff , Eden's Crush and Jesse McCartney...
and Robbie Nevil
Robbie Nevil
Robert S. "Robbie" Nevil is an American pop singer, songwriter, producer and guitarist. He is best known for his 1986 Billboard Hot 100 #2 hit, "C'est La Vie".-Life and career:...
. The duo wrote three other songs on the Hannah Montana soundtrack and continue writing songs for the franchise, including "Nobody's Perfect" and "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)
Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)
"Ice Cream Freeze " is a pop song by American recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus, performing as Hannah Montana – the alter ego of Miley Stewart – a character she played on the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana. The song was written by Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil and...
." Lyrically, the song is one of the three ("Just Like You" and "The Other Side of Me") that explicitly allude to Stewart's double life
Double Life
Double Life is a 2-CD compilation album of songs by Värttinä. It includes the entire 6.12 live album, and songs from studio albums Seleniko, Aitara and Ilmatar...
as Montana: regular adolescent that moved from Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to Malibu, California by day and pop star by night. In the song, Cyrus sings about the privileges and advantages that are faced in leading in two lives with references to Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom is an English actor. He had his break-through roles in 2001 as the elf-prince Legolas in The Lord of the Rings and starring in 2003 as blacksmith Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and subsequently established himself as a lead in Hollywood...
, concerts, friendship and film premieres.
Critical reception
The song received generally positive reviews from critics. Heather Phares of Allmusic described the song as having "sharper-than-average songwriting" and one of the best tracks from the Hannah Montana soundtrack. Chris Willman of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
compared the song to the musical styles of Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
, Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...
and Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. However, Willman stated that the concept of "The Best of Both Worlds" was "a nice fantasy for Brangelina
Brangelina
Brangelina is a celebrity supercouple consisting of American actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Pitt has appeared in over 40 major films, including 12 Monkeys , Ocean's Eleven , and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , while Jolie has appeared in over 30 major films, including Girl, Interrupted...
, but a weird one to push on little girls."
Chart performance
The song received mediocre airplay due to it being released to Radio DisneyRadio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
, but not to other mainstream radio stations. The song debuted at number sixty-four on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
Chart which led to an appearance on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
for the week ending August 12, 2006. It debuted and peaked at number ninety-two on the Hot 100, and stayed on the chart for two weeks. In the same week of its entry on the Hot 100, the song charted at number seventy-one on the Pop 100
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...
and dropped from the chart the following week.
"The Best of Both Worlds" reached higher peak chart positions in Europe. For the week ending February 22, 2007, the song debuted and peaked at number seventeen in the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, and dropped out of the chart the following week. The song debuted and peaked at number forty-three on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
dated March 3, 2007, and spent one week on the chart. It became Cyrus's highest peaking single in the United Kingdom, when credited as Hannah Montana. In 2008 it charted in the German Singles Chart, debuting at number seventy-one and eventually peaking at number sixty-six. It spent a total of seven weeks on the chart.
Live performances
Cyrus often dressed as the Hannah Montana character when she performed "The Best of Both Worlds" at concerts and promotional television appearances. At the concert taping to promote the first season of Hannah Montana, Cyrus dressed in boots, jeans, a pink-sequinSequin
Sequins are disk-shaped beads used for decorative purposes. They are available in a wide variety of colors and geometrical shapes. Sequins are commonly used on clothing, jewelry, bags, shoes and lots of other accessories. Large sequins, fastened only at the top, have been used on billboards and...
ned blouse, khaki jacket, and blonde wig, to perform "The Best of Both Worlds" and five other songs. She also performed complex choreography and acted out several of the song's lyrics with the background dancers. This performance premiered on Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
as the promotional video for the song and the television series on March 3, 2006. On June 23, 2006, Cyrus performed the song at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
Typhoon Lagoon is a water park located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States.The park, which opened on June 1, 1989, is home to the world's largest outdoor wave pool. The theme of the park is the "Disney legend" of a typhoon that wreaked havoc upon a formerly...
. Cyrus performed the song on twenty dates when she opened for the Cheetah Girls' 2006 concert tour The Party's Just Begun Tour. On October 23, 2006, she performed it on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, and the following day, on Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
. The following month she performed it at the 2006 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
.
On March 28, 2007, Cyrus appeared as Hannah Montana and performed the song for Hannah Montana: Live in London
Hannah Montana: Live in London
Hannah Montana: Live In London was a concert held at the Koko Club on March 28, 2007 in London, England featuring Hannah Montana. She performed hits from the Hannah Montana and Hannah Montana 2 and also answered some questions from fans in the audience. The concert aired on Disney Channel UK on May...
at Koko. The event was televised on several international Disney Channels. On December 20, 2007, Cyrus performed the song as herself on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. "The Best of Both Worlds" was later performed as the closing number on Cyrus' first headlining Best of Both Worlds Tour
Best of Both Worlds Tour
The Best of Both Worlds Tour was the first concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The tour was held to promote the double-disc album Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus , which consisted of the soundtrack to Hannah Montanas second season and her debut studio album...
. She performed the song as herself, wearing an all-pink outfit composed of a tank top, plaid mini-skirt, sneakers, and a jacket. She most recently performed "The Best of Both Worlds: The 2009 Movie Mix", from the Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 Walt Disney Pictures musical comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana which was released on April 10, 2009, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the second Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by...
soundtrack, with eight other songs, at the concert taping for the third season of Hannah Montana; the concert was held on October 10 in Irvine, California at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (Irvine)
Not to be confused with amphitheatres in Georgia, Missouri, or Virginia.Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Irvine is a 16,085-capacity amphitheater, located in Irvine, California...
.
Track listings
- US/EU Digital Single
- "The Best of Both Worlds" - 2:54
- US/EU CD Single
- "The Best of Both Worlds" - 2:54
- "If We Were a MovieIf We Were A Movie"If We Were a Movie" is a pop song by American recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus. She performed the song as Hannah Montana – the alter ego of Miley Stewart, a character she plays on the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana. "If We Were a Movie" was written by Jennie Lurie and...
" - 3:03
- FR CD Single
- "The Best of Both Worlds" (French Version) - 2:54
- UK EP Digital Download
- "The Best of Both Worlds" - 2:54
- "If We Were a Movie" - 3:03
- "The Best of Both Worlds" (Daniel Canary Remix) - 2:36
Charts
| Chart (2006 - 2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | 66 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
17 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
43 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
92 |
| U.S. Pop 100 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... |
71 |
External links
- The official website of Hannah Montana
- "The Best of Both Worlds" lyrics on MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....