This album was released on March 24, 2009, byWalt Disney Records.[3] All of the songs in the album were approved by the film's directorPeter Chelsom. He felt the film needed music that was tightly woven into the film's plot and the character's background. Several producers worked on the album, mainlyJohn Shanks andMatthew Gerrard. Shanks was more involved with Cyrus than the other artists. Meanwhile, Gerrard produced Cyrus' songs as Hannah Montana; he previously wrote her hit song "The Best of Both Worlds" (2006). Aremix of "The Best of Both Worlds" is featured as the album's closing track. Musically, the album merges heavy influences frompop andcountry. Songwriters include Cyrus, Gerrard and Taylor Swift, among others. The songs' lyrics primarily discuss the film's themes of fame, family, and love.
Contemporary critics were pleased with the album. Cyrus was praised for being natural and reflected while performing as herself. They also complimented Taylor Swift's performance and debated if she or Cyrus were more dominant. The soundtrack received a nomination for a2009 American Music Award for Favorite Soundtrack, but lost totheTwilight soundtrack.Hannah Montana: The Movie reached the top ten in many nations, and topped charts in countries such as Austria, Canada, and New Zealand. In the United States, it peaked at number one on theBillboard 200 and theBillboardTop Country Albums chart. By May 2009, theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the albumplatinum. The album was promoted through exclusive releases toRadio Disney and live performances at numerous venues. Cyrus performed four songs from the album on her first worldwide concert tour.
"The Climb", performed by Cyrus, was released as the lead single on March 5 on iTunes and later on a CD single. "Hoedown Throwdown" served as a promotional single released on March 10, 2009. "Let's Get Crazy", performed by Cyrus as Hannah Montana, was released in Italy as the album's second and final single on May 29, 2009.
Most of the songs on the soundtrack were offered toPeter Chelsom, thefilm's director, for inclusion on the film.[4][5] Producer Alfred Gough said, "Peter Chelsom describes the Stewart family [Cyrus' character's family in the film] as a bilingual family whose second language is music, and that's very true in this movie."[5] Chelsom says the film's numerous songs are tightly woven into the fabric of the story and the characters, which is why he believes the film will feel like a musical without being one.[5] "We continuously dance very close to the convention of a musical but are more integrated. Songs are going to sit within the film, not apart from the film. At times, you won't notice the music is happening; it'll just move the story along."[5][6]
In regards to Cyrus' songs, Chelsom said, "We realized this was an opportunity to move forward with the music, to update it and make it more sophisticated, to move with Miley’s age. I’ve never had a better musical experience on any film."[5] Cyrus noted that most of the songs included on the soundtrack were inspired by the return of Cyrus' character, Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana, to herNashville roots.[7][8] She explained, "The soundtrack is all about Nashville, and that's where I'm from, that's my roots. I think that's a lot of the reason I am who I am."[7][8] Cyrus co-wrote "Don't Walk Away" because it was to be included on her own studio albumBreakout (2008). "Hoedown Throwdown", a song in which Cyruscalls dance steps, took much time to write. It became an ongoing collaboration between Chelsom, Cyrus, choreographer Jamal Sims, and the song's writers, Adam Anders and Nikki Hasman.[5]
Jessi Alexander said she was inspired to write "The Climb" while driving to the home of her songwriting partner, Jon Mabe. Once she arrived, they decided to write a song about overcoming obstacles. Alexander referred to the process as a form of "therapy".[9] It had initially been passed over by several artists until Chelsom chose it and offered it to Cyrus.[9] Under the name Hannah Montana, Cyrus performs the song "Let's Do This", which was originally written and recorded by American country singer Adam Tefteller. The last track is a remixed version of Cyrus' hit "The Best of Both Worlds" (2006). The song is used as the theme song of the Disney Channel television showHannah Montana, the basis of the film, and was originally released on the television series'first soundtrack.[3]
Cyrus performing "Spotlight" in theWonder World Tour. The song is one of seven on the album credited to her television characterHannah Montana.Taylor Swift at the 2009 premiere ofHannah Montana: The Movie. She had a cameo appearance in the film and wrote two songs for its soundtrack.
Musically, it is apop and country album.[12][11] According toAbout.com, each of Cyrus' songs incorporate her "husky twang".[11] The up-tempo songs are mainly performed by Hannah Montana andballads are kept at a minimum.[11] Songs like "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home", "Let's Get Crazy", and "Spotlight" are the most true topop. "Let's Get Crazy" carries agroove and creates a beat frompaparazzi flashbulbs.[12] Cyrus' songs are more mid-tempo.[11] "Hoedown Throwdown" is an instructional dance song that mixes country andhip-hop.[11] "The Climb" has solid, clear vocals and is a standard-issuepower ballad that placespiano solos between chimingelectric guitars.[13] "Crazier" is awaltzing ballad that has Taylor Swift in relaxedsoprano vocals.[11][12]
Lyrically, the album explores a variety of concepts. With the exception of "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home", which speaks about staying grounded and relying on family,[12] Hannah Montana's songs describe the "glitzy-world" and privileges of acelebrity.[11][12] "Let's Get Crazy" centers on having fun at a party.[14] "The Good Life" is a "sugar-coated celebration ofGucci handbags andPrada shoes".[12] "The Best of Both Worlds" explicitly alludes toMiley Stewart'sdouble life as Hannah Montana: regularadolescent that moved fromNashville, Tennessee toMalibu, California by day andpop star by night.[15][16] In the song, Hannah Montana talks about the privileges and advantages that are faced in leading in two lives with references toOrlando Bloom,concerts,friendship andfilm premieres.[17] The songs Cyrus performs as herself are more reflective, personal, and sentimental.[11][12] "Hoedown Throwdown" is a tribute to down-home fun.[12] "The Climb" describes life as a difficult but rewarding journey.[18] "Butterfly Fly Away" is a father-daughter duet by Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus about thecoming of age.[11][12] In "Back to Tennessee" Billy Ray Cyrus laments leavingTennessee.[11] Country group Rascal Flatts provide an acoustic version of "Backwards" and "Bless the Broken Road" with Williamson County Youth Orchestra.[12]
"The Climb" was released as thelead single from the album on February 21, 2009, through digital distribution. The song was critically appreciated for its lyrical content and Cyrus' strong vocals.[13][19] It achieved commercial success and reached the top ten on charts in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Norway, as well as reaching the top twenty in many other countries.[20] In the United States, the song toppedHot Adult Contemporary Tracks for fifteen consecutive weeks.[21]
"Let's Get Crazy" was released as the second single from the album on May 29, 2009.[2]
Promotional singles
After the release of the soundtrack, Disney sent promotional songs.
"Hoedown Throwdown" was released as a Radio Disney Exclusive single on March 10, 2009.[22] The song managed to make commercial success by reaching the top ten of theIrish Singles Chart[23] and top twenty in numerous regions.[24]
"Crazier" was premiered on Radio Disney and Disney Channel, the latter promoting the home release of the film. The song charting at number seventeen on theBillboard Hot 100,[25] sixty-four in theAustralian Singles Chart,[26] sixty-seven in the Canadian Hot 100,[25] and one-hundred on theUK Singles Chart.[27]
Cyrus performing "Hoedown Throwdown" in theWonder World Tour. It took much time to write due to it being an instructionaldance song. The song became a top ten hit in Ireland.
Radio Disney premiered the entire soundtrack on March 21, 2009, with a rebroadcast the next day.[51] The Miley Sessions, a series of promotional music videos that featured Cyrus singing in a recording studio were released toDisney.com in March 2009.[52] The videos feature Cyrus in arecording studio singing.[52] Disney Channel aired a series of commercial segments entitledHannah Montana: The Movie Playback, in which Cyrus is in the same setting describing the music of the album. Cyrus also embarked for a five cityacoustic radio promo tour that reached over two-hundred-fifty for six days to promote the album. In addition, Cyrus performed four songs from the album on her first worldwide concert tour, theWonder World Tour.
The album received generally positive reviews from critics. Warren Truitt ofAbout.com described the album as Cyrus' attempt to gradually capture a more mature audience by sharing the album with artists like the Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift.[11] Truitt also made musical comparisons toShania Twain in "Dream",Kelly Clarkson in "Don't Walk Away",Avril Lavigne in "The Good Life", andGwen Stefani in "Spotlight" and "Let's Get Crazy".[11] Heather Phares ofAllMusic noted the presence of many drastically different genres makes the album "a little weird".[12] She stated that Cyrus' songs which were performed as herself were "the best songs", and also compared Cyrus to Twain.[12] Phares also noted that Taylor Swift's "Crazier" was "the best song onHannah Montana: The Movie".[12] Leah Greenblatt ofEntertainment Weekly stated, "the distance betweentween andtwang isn't actually all that far; think of this [...] as a sort of country-lite starter kit for her legion of youngDisney-fed fans".[53] In the end, she saidHannah Montana: The Movie was "the Miley show — whether it broadcasts fromNashville orHollywood", despite appearances by other artists.[53]
Cyrus performing the album's lead single "The Climb" at theWonder World Tour. The song talks about remaining optimistic and became a big adult contemporary hit.
Hannah Montana: The Movie debuted on theBillboard 200 at number two with 139,000 copies sold on the issue date April 11, 2009.[54] After four weeks of ascending and descending the chart, the album reached the number one position, becoming the first soundtrack of the year to top theBillboard 200.[55][56] In its fourth week the album sold 133,000 copies, a decline of 32 percent compared to previous week's haul of 196,000.[55] It also toppedBillboardTop Country Albums for nine non-consecutive weeks andTop Soundtracks for nineteen non-consecutive weeks.[57] After two months, the album became certifiedplatinum for shipments of one million copies by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[58] The album has sold 2,085,000 copies in the US as of April 2014 and 3 million worldwide.[59] In Canada, the album debuted at number two,[60] and peaked at number one for two consecutive weeks.[61]
Hannah Montana: The Movie made its debut in theNew Zealand RIANZ Album Chart at number eleven and eventually topped the chart for a week.[62] It was certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for the shipment of 15,000 copies.[63] In Australia, the soundtrack peaked at number six and was certified platinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), selling more than 70,000 copies.[64] In Spain, the album debuted at number eighteen and peaked at the top spot for four weeks.[65] The album was later certified platinum by theProductores de Música de España for the shipment of 80,000 copies.[66] In Austria, the soundtrack peaked at number one for one week[67] and was eventually certified gold for sales above 10,000.[68]Hannah Montana: The Movie also topped the Portuguese chart and reached the top twenty of charts in Belgium, Denmark, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland.[69]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^"Hannah Montana (2006)".Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner, Inc. November 10, 2006. Archived fromthe original on February 1, 2014. RetrievedOctober 9, 2009.
^"Top 50 Albumes 2009"(PDF).Promusicae.org (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on September 30, 2011. RetrievedMay 9, 2021.
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