A conversation with Night Acclaim about “Party in the USA”
Q: Hi! What inspired you to create “Party in the USA”?
A: Hey! Ever since I was four, Party in the U.S.A. has been one of my all-time favorite songs. I would always go over to my CD player, put the disc in, hit play, and it would be the first song that came on. I think I wore out that CD! Fast forward 13 years when I told my team I wanted to put out a cover song. There were so many options that I was circling through. But Party in the U.S.A. was the one I would always come back to.
Q: How did you approach putting your own spin on this iconic song while staying true to the original?
A: I wanted to stay true to the original roots of the song, but to also make this my own. I asked myself, what can we take from the original song and how can we turn it into a pop tune that sounds different from the original?
Q: Can you tell us about your collaboration with Myah Marie on this cover? How did you two work together to bring a fresh perspective to the song?
A: I love working with Myah Marie! She has such incredible talent, and I am so grateful I have the opportunity to work with her. When I asked her if she wanted to feature on my cover, she said yes and was excited about it. She had ideas on how she wanted to sing it and I knew what she wanted to do would be amazing.
Q: What elements of the original song did you want to preserve in your version, and what aspects did you want to update or change?
A: While we were creating this, I put a lot of pressure on myself because this is such an iconic song. I wanted to do it right! So, I told my producer Zak that I wanted to keep the immediately identifiable guitar line but change and update everything else. This included changing the key, creating fresh drums, and updating the bass to a more modern sound.
Q: How do you think your cover of “Party in the USA” fits into your overall music style and discography?
A: Party in the U.S.A. fits into my discography well because it incorporates my style of dance-pop. All my songs have been written from personal experiences in my life. Having this song be a favorite since early childhood fits in well with my discography, especially when I was able to make it my own.
Q: What was the most challenging part of working on this cover, and how did you overcome it?
A: When you cover an iconic song like Party in the U.S.A., you want to create your own version while doing the original song justice. The most challenging part of
working on this cover is asking yourself the question, how can I make this my own? How can I make this a Night Acclaim song but still take elements from Miley Cyrus? You need to find a way to merge the two in a way to make people say, oh I know this song and oh, this is different. It sounds funky and fresh. Who is this? Many people will often compare the original version of the song to the newly released version, so there is a lot of pressure to improve it from the original. How do you overcome it though? Well, you take elements from the original song and combine them with your sound, to make it your version.
Q: How do you think your version of “Party in the USA” will resonate with both fans of the original song and new listeners?
A: I hope that everyone will love my version of Party in the USA. I kept the original roots of the song but changed the key, created a new instrumental sound with the drums, and updated the bass to create a diverse sound. You can love the old song and love this song. I wanted to cover the song in a way to pay homage to the original with distinctions that make it my own.
Q: Can you share any memorable moments or experiences from the recording process of this cover?
A: My most memorable moment was the release of the song. Seeing Party in the U.S.A.with my name next to it was and is still so exciting. To have the ability to cover an iconic Miley Cyrus song and make it my own is truly memorable. Zak and Myah are also two top people to work with in the industry. Having them involved inthis project makes it truly memorable.
Q: Are there any other songs you would like to cover in the future? If so, which ones and why?
A: OMG, YES! I would love to cover Katy Perry’s California Gurls. This song has a West Coast feel with a 2010 sound that is infectious and makes you want to sing and dance. Fun fact, this was my second choice for a cover after Party in the U.S.A
