| High Maintenance | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | March 15, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2010–2011 | |||
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| Length | 16:08 | |||
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| Producer | ||||
| Miranda Cosgrove chronology | ||||
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| Singles fromHigh Maintenance | ||||
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High Maintenance is the secondextended play by American actress and singerMiranda Cosgrove. It was released on March 15, 2011 byColumbia andEpic Records.[1][2] The EP was preceded by the release of its lead single, "Dancing Crazy", which was co-written byAvril Lavigne and produced byMax Martin andShellback. The single peaked at number 100 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.[3] Musically,High Maintenance mainly incorporates thepop genre withelectropop influences.
High Maintenance received mixed to positive reviews frommusic critics, with many complimenting the EP's sound and production as moreadult than Cosgrove's previousteen pop-oriented releases. However, others maintained that Cosgrove and her music lacked originality. The EP was promoted mainly through touring and live promotional appearances on television, including theDancing Crazy Tour.
In October 2010, Cosgrove announced new tour dates for the Sparks Fly Tour, in support of herdebut full-length studio album of the same name. It was later renamed theDancing Crazy Tour, named after her single "Dancing Crazy". On January 11, 2011, Cosgrove tweeted a picture from the photoshoot of the EP.[4] In an interview withBillboard, Cosgrove revealed the title of the EP to beHigh Maintenance, named after thetrack of the same name, which is aduet withRivers Cuomo that was co-written by Cuomo, along withBilly Steinberg andJosh Alexander, and produced by Alexander and Cuomo.
"It's the first duet I've ever done, and it was really fun. My part of the song is this girl who's high maintenance, and Rivers is this guy who's having to put up with it. I really enjoyed working with (Cuomo). He's really cool. I've worked withDr. Luke for awhile [sic]... and he ended up introducing me to Rivers.
— Cosgrove about new EP and collaboration with Rivers Cuomo"[1]
Along with the first two confirmed tracks, three more songs were confirmed for the EP which were: theelectropop song "Sayonara" that was co-written byGreg Kurstin,Nicole Morier, andBonnie McKee, and produced by Kurstin, acover of theShontelleballad "Kiss You Up" that was produced byMozella, who co-wrote it withJimmy Harry andTony Kanal,[5] and "Face of Love", which was co-written byScott Cutler, Carsten Mortenson,Anne Preven andLucas Secon, who produced it.
The EP's sound ispop music.[6] The EP's lead single, "Dancing Crazy", was reviewed byCommon Sense Media: "Dancing Crazy, [...] has one thing on its mind: cutting loose on the dance floor until the wee hours of the morning. [...] Though the actions in this tune aren't necessarily irresponsible, they may be a little iffy for the youngest tweens."[7] Hiponline said of the album, "The High Maintenance EP is apop-rock whirlwind, complete with sing-along choruses, candy-coated vocals and dance floor friendly beats." They later went on to say "Title track 'High Maintenance' sees Miranda tradingtongue-in-cheek vocals about her carefree, fun-loving ways withRivers Cuomo, who contributed as a songwriter and producer to the track. From the sentimentalballad 'Kiss You Up' to the explosive,electronic 'Sayonara' this album shows Miranda's true versatility as an artist embracing multiple styles and influences."[8]
Cosgrove headlined theDancing Crazy Tour, which was named after the EP's lead and only single "Dancing Crazy". The tour began January 24, 2011 and ended February 25, 2011. The tour featured dates inHouse of Blues locations.[9][10][11] Accompanying Cosgrove on the tour wasGreyson Chance[12]
During the week before the EP's release, the music video for "Dancing Crazy" was available for free digital download oniTunes.[3] Aside from being performed while on tour, the song was also performed live on the March 9, 2011 episode ofThe Ellen DeGeneres Show.[13] As Cosgrove started to sing the final chorus of the song, Greyson Chance came onto the stage to sing with her.[14][15] On March 15, 2011, the day of the EP's release, Cosgrove performed at theHard Rock Cafe inHollywood,California.[16] The first 500 customers to purchase the EP fromFYE or the performance at the Hard Rock Cafe received a free wristband, which grants them access to an album signing held by Cosgrove.[17]
Nickelodeon also aired the television specialDancing Crazy With Miranda Cosgrove on Saturday, March 19, 2011.[18] The special showed footage of Cosgrove recording the single as well as its music video. It also showed a behind-the-scenes look at her tour.[19][20][21]
On April 5, 2011, Cosgrove tweeted that she would be going on tour again in the summer.Greyson Chance again opened up for her on the North American part of the tour.
On August 11, 2011, Cosgrove's tour bus was involved in atraffic collision onInterstate 70 inVandalia, Illinois. Five passengers were injured including Cosgrove, who sustained a broken ankle.[22] Initial reports confirmed that the tour would be postponed while Cosgrove recovered. A week later, Cosgrove released a statement stating that the tour was canceled by the doctor's orders. Cosgrove admitted that she would resume touring by the following year.[23]
The tracks onHigh Maintenance were released on the Japanese edition of Cosgrove's debut albumSparks Fly.[24]
"Dancing Crazy" is theEP's lead and only single, co-written byAvril Lavigne withMax Martin andShellback, who produced it. The song was released fordigital download on December 21, 2010, while the music video was released ontoNickelodeon on February 13, 2011. It featured Cosgrove and her love interest at a party on a high school football field. In the US, it peaked at number 36 on the BillboardPop Songs chart. On theTop Heatseekers chart, it debuted and peaked at number 21. It peaked on theBillboard Hot 100 at 100.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic[6] |    |
| Boston Herald[25] | (Positive) |
| Entertainment Weekly[26] | (B+) |
| USA Today[27] | |
| The Washington Post[28] | (Mixed) |
Upon its release,High Maintenance was met with mixed to positive reviews. James Christopher Monger ofAllmusic wrote that the extended play (EP) had a moreadultpop sound, and gave the album a rating of two and a half stars out of five.[6] Lauren Carter ofThe Boston Herald compared the EP to the likes ofAvril Lavigne andKesha and commented "High Maintenance is mostly high-octane fun, Cosgrove's all-grown-up soundtrack to letting loose and testing the rules without breaking them."[25] Mikael Wood ofEntertainment Weekly said that Cosgrove's return to music is stronger than before.[26] Allison Stewart ofThe Washington Post gave a mixed view of the EP, stating, "Cosgrove's new EP,High Maintenance will sound familiar to anyone who heard her modestly received, similar-sounding 2010 full-length debut,Sparks Fly or any otherteen pop disc released in the last five years."[28] However, the editors forUSA Today gave the EP a negative review, noting, "She has been singing since the start ofNickelodeon'siCarly, but Cosgrove's newelectro-inspired EP is the first release to distinguish the 17-year-old from the show's lead character. But the break's not too sharp."[27]
The EP debuted at number 34 on theBillboard 200 chart in the US.[29]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dancing Crazy" |
| 3:40 | |
| 2. | "High Maintenance" (featuringRivers Cuomo) |
|
| 3:09 |
| 3. | "Face of Love" |
| 3:32 | |
| 4. | "Kiss You Up" | McDonald | 3:06 | |
| 5. | "Sayonara" | Kurstin | 2:41 | |
| Total length: | 16:08 | |||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "High Maintenance" (video) | 8:31 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USBillboard 200[30] | 34[31] |
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