| "I Miss You" | |
|---|---|
| Song byMiley Cyrus | |
| from the albumMeet Miley Cyrus | |
| Recorded | 2006 |
| Studio | |
| Genre | Country rock |
| Length | 3:58 |
| Label | Hollywood |
| Songwriters |
|
| Producer | Brian Green |
"I Miss You" is a song by American recording artist,Miley Cyrus. It was co-written by Cyrus (credited under her birth name Destiny Hope Cyrus), Wendy Foy Green, and its producer Brian Green. "I Miss You" is an homage to Cyrus' late grandfather,Ron Cyrus, who died on February 28, 2006. He was diagnosed withmesothelioma, and, seeing her grandfather nearing death, Cyrus wanted to write him a song prior to his death. It was released on the dual discHannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus as the closing track of the second disc ofMeet Miley Cyrus, which is Cyrus' debut studio album. The song is aballad withrock andcountry influences.
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics; some commented on how it deviated from her usual material at the time and how effective the message was. "I Miss You" appeared on two United States charts: it peaked at number nine onBubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, an extension of theBillboard Hot 100 chart, and at number ninety-two on the defunctPop 100. Cyrus performed the song onacoustic guitar as anencore at several stops on her first headlining concert tour, theBest of Both Worlds Tour (2007–08).
The singer had a very close relationship with her paternal grandfather,Ron Cyrus, a Democratic legislator in the state of Kentucky and public servant,[2] whom she referred to as "Pappy".[3] He was diagnosed withmesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many of the body's internal organs, and struggled with the illness for several years as result of exposure toasbestos.[2] Cyrus then relocated fromFranklin, Tennessee toLos Angeles, California to commence work on theDisney Channel original seriesHannah Montana.[3] At the sight of her grandfather ailing from afar, Cyrus was inspired to compose "I Miss You". In her autobiographyMiles to Go (2009), she explained, "That's how I ended up writing the song 'I Miss You' for Pappy. He was so sick. I knew he was dying, and slowly so did my heart. I couldn't imagine life without him."[4] She co-wrote the song with her mother's dear friends Wendy Foy Green and Brian Green, and described it as the most difficult song for her write because of the subject matter. Cyrus attempted to halt writing "I Miss You", telling her co-writers she could not bear anymore.[4]
However, Cyrus later desired to resume writing, saying she "knew what [her] heart wanted to say, and whatever is in [her] heart finds its way to [her] fingertips."[4] Moreover, she desired for her grandfather to listen to the song before dying. Although Cyrus was never able to sing it for him, her father played a quick cut of "I Miss You" for Ron towards the end of his life. The singer said she liked to believe that the song gave her grandfather hope, in a similar fashion which he gave and continues to give hope to her.[4] At the age of 70,[2] Ron Cyrus died on February 28, 2006,[5] two days prior the red carpetpremiere ofHannah Montana.[4] In the episode "She's a Supersneak", Cyrus sang a part of the song asMiley Stewart, in memory of the character's late mother.[6] Cyrus then recorded the song for her debut album,Meet Miley Cyrus.[7] The singer believed that, despite having personal significance to her, "I Miss You" could have a variety of meanings for distinct people in divergent situations, including moving away from home, the loss of a parent, or a breakup in a romantic relationship.[8]
"I Miss You" is apop song with a length of three minutes and fifty-eight seconds. It is aballad that maintains low-key[9] with anacoustic styling.[10] "I Miss You" is influenced by elements of thecountry music genre; nevertheless, it has arock music-based musical arrangement,[11] relying prominently on a gentle strummingguitar for instrumentation.[12] Written in the key ofB♭ major but will transpose at the key ofC major at the end of the bridge, "I Miss You" is set incommon time with a tempo of 85beats per minute.[13] Cyrus' low and throaty vocals[11] span a oneoctave, ranging from G3 to B♭4. The song has the followingchord progression, B♭–Gm7–F–F–Fsus.[13]
"I Miss You" has received generally positive reviews from music critics. Heather Phares ofAllmusic complimented "I Miss You", and categorized it as one of the tracks onMeet Miley Cyrus that bared much resemblance toHannah Montana songs.[11] Andy Webster ofThe New York Times wrote that "I Miss You" is "as doleful as it gets".[14] Andy Spletzer of theSeattle Post-Intelligencer believed the track had a level a sincerity that was void from the remainder of Cyrus' repertoire at the time. He added, "The songs are more guitar-driven, the outfits more adult, and the lyrics imply a string of bad boyfriends -- but it feels like imaginary drama taken from high school poetry, as if she's pretending to be older than she is."[12] In a similar note, Elysa Gardner ofUSA Today stated the song was the exception to the "heavy on flash and fantasy" that characterized Cyrus at the time.[15] Joseph P. Kahn of theBoston Globe mentioned the song while remarking that Cyrus' songs surpass much of the music played onRadio Disney.[16] Maitland McDonagh ofTV Guide believed the track was a clear demonstration of how affectionate Cyrus was with her grandfather.[17] Kelly Jane Torrance ofThe Washington Times said "I Miss You" was an unpredictable effort, which, according to her, was both empathetic and executed properly, from Cyrus.[10]
On the week ending July 14, 2007, "I Miss You" debuted on two USBillboard charts. It entered at number nine on theBillboard Hot 100 extension, theBubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart,[18] and at number ninety-two in its only week on the discontinuedPop 100 chart.[19] The following week, the song fell to number twenty-five in its second and final appearance on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.[18]
Cyrus performed "I Miss You" as an encore on sporadic dates of her first headlining tour, theBest of Both Worlds Tour, which extended from October 2007 to January 2008. The tour'sconcert film uses the performance within the set, although it was not performed as such.[8] The performance had Cyrus dressed in a white tank top, blue cardigan, and denim pants,[8] and sole on the stage.[20] She sat on a stool that placed towards the end of the runaway, performing with anacoustic guitar, as images and home footage of Ron Cyrus appeared on the screens.[8][21] Chris William ofEntertainment Weekly attended the November 8, 2007 concert at theSan Diego Sports Arena inSan Diego, California, and wrote, "So it was especially sweet when, for the encore, she ditched the dancers and enhancers and strummed an acoustic guitar on 'I Miss You,' vulnerably serenading her late grandpappy — and, for once, really looking and sounding 14. Not everyone noticed because, when she finished, half the seats were empty."[20] Alison Bonaguro Dressed of theChicago Tribune stated that, despite its simplicity, the performance on December 8, 2007, at theAllstate Arena inRosemont, Illinois felt like as though it was the largest production of all.[22] In a gray shirt and black pants, Cyrus performed the song, along with "Ready, Set, Don't Go" and "The Best of Both Worlds", onThe Oprah Winfrey Show on December 20, 2007, as a screen displayed a light-blue background.[23] On October 5, 2013, Cyrus and comedianVanessa Bayer sang a snippet of "I Miss You" on aSaturday Night Live sketch.
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USBubbling Under Hot 100 Singles[18] | 9 |
| USPop 100[19] | 92 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[24] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||