User:Teman13/Part of Me

"Part of Me" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry, released as the lead single from the re-release edition of her second studio album, Teenage Dream, titled Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection (2012). The song was written by Perry and Bonnie McKee, while the song's production and additional writing was done by Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Cirkut. The song was not included on the standard edition of Teenage Dream because Perry felt that the song did not fit the composition of the album. In late 2010, the entire demo of the song leaked online, with critics speculating that the lyrics were directed to the singer's ex-boyfriend Travis McCoy. "Part of Me" was re-worked and officially released on February 13, 2012, through Capitol Records. The artwork for the song was done by photographerMary Ellen Matthews.

Musically, "Part of Me" draws influences from several genres, including dance-pop and pop rock; reviewers compared it to Jessie J's "Domino" (2011) and Perry's previous singles "Firework" (2010) and "California Gurls" (2010). The composition infuses elements from house music, while its lyrics allude to feeling empowered after a dramatic break-up. The song received mixed to positive reviews from contemporary music critics, who praised the song's production, while some criticized Perry's vocals. Critics and media alike theorized that the lyrics were addressing Perry's divorce toRussell Brand. The singer later denied such allegations, stating that it was written in early 2010.

"Part of Me" was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the twentieth song to do so as well as becoming her seventh number-one single on the chart. The song also debuted at number one in the United Kingdom and Canada. The song became Perry's ninth consecutive number-one single on the Billboard  Hot Dance Club Songs chart. It has been certified Platinum in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The song has been used in promotion for marketing campaigns such as Adidas andThe Sims 3: Showtime as well as being covered by Lindsay Pavao for Season 2 of The Voice.

An accompanying music video was filmed at the United States Marine Corps's Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. The video showcases Perry enlisting in the marines following a heartbreak. Although the video garnered generally positive reviews, with critics praising Perry's "Girl Power" message, it drew criticism from feminist author Naomi Wolf, who claimed it to be military propaganda. As part of promotion for the song, Perry has performed it on the54th Grammy Awards, the 2012 Kids' Choice Awards, American Idol and others.

Background and release
"Part of Me" was written during writing sessions of the standard version of Teenage Dream  (2010) involving Perry, Dr. Luke, Bonnie McKee, and Max Martin, along with Hot 100 number-one singles "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream" and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)." Perry and McKee had been casual friends prior to Perry calling her requesting help on a song called “Part of Me". According to Rolling Stone, McKee stayed up all night writing lyrics. By the time Perry heard the third line, she shouted, “We’re buying you a car!”.

On December 30, 2010, the full demo of the track leaked online. According to MTV, the song was rumored to be a leftover cut from her Teenage Dream recording sessions. However, fans speculated that the track might be included in a re-release of the LP, which was unconfirmed at that time. In January 2012, Perry announced the re-release of Teenage Dream, she announced that the album will contain all 12 original songs from the original album, with three new songs and a remix to be released on March 26, 2012. In a press release, Perry stated: “This is the complete story of Teenage Dream. It was an incredible honor to tie the King of Pop's  Billboard Hot 100 record, but I’m moving forward and had a few things left to get off my chest. So this is the complete special edition of my album for my fans." On February 13, 2012, "Part of Me" received an official release as the lead single from the album's re-release. According to Perry, she had always been planning on releasing the song on the deluxe edition of the album rather than the original because it would not have fit the composition.

On February 11, two days before its worldwide premiere, the final reworked version with new lines and structure leaked onto the internet. "Part of Me" was released to most iTunes stores worldwide following Perry's performance at the 54th Grammy Awards on February 13, 2012. The song was released in the United Kingdom and France on March 18, 2012. Perry revealed via Twitter that all profits raised from the sales of the single will be donated to MusiCares. The artwork for the single was photographed by Mary Ellen Matthews as part of a photographic essay for the television program Saturday Night Live, where Perry participated of episode 710 of season 37.

Composition and lyrical interpretation


"Part of Me" is a dance-pop and pop rock song set to a house beat and is composed in the key of F major. The song is set in the time signature of common time with a tempo of 130 beats per minute. Perry's voice spans the tonal nodes of D4 to D5 while the music follows the chord progression of Dm–F–A♯-C Production for the song was done by Perry's frequent collaborator Dr. Luke. In "Part of Me", the song begins with Perry somberly and emotionally singing the line "Days like this I want to drive away/ Pack my bags and watch your shadow fade." As the bridge begins, the beat amplifies and Perry's lyrics become more aggressive. By The time the chorus starts, the beat reaches its peak as well and Perry's aggressive tone and the song's aggressive lyrics become more prominent as she starts to sing: "This is the Part of me that you're never-ever gonna take away from me." As the song continues, Perry's lyrics become strong and empowered in specific lines such as: "So you can keep the diamond ring/ It don't mean nothing anyway/ In fact you can keep everything Yeah/ Yeah Except for me" The song ends with Perry repeating the chorus as the beat fades.

James Dinh of MTV noted that "the pop star appears strong, bold and just a tad resentful after a breakup" on the track. Dinh went on to analyze the lyrics, noting: "The singer declares herself unbreakable after a breakup, evident in lines such as "Days like this I want to drive away/ Pack my bags and watch your shadow fade/ 'Cause you chewed me up and spit me out/ Like I was poison in your mouth/ You took my light, you drained me down/ But that was then and this is now, now look at me." Dinh also compared "Part of Me" to Perry's previous single "California Gurls" (2010), noting the two song's similarities in that "the tune's steady beat amplifies" as the chorus starts. Andrew Hampp from Billboard described the song as a "dance-floor rave up" and compared the song's composition to Jessie J's "Domino" (2011). Edna Gundersen of  USA Today  stated: "Katy Perry could be addressing her ex or her detractors on this defiant slapdown, a gleaming "Firework"-like pop torpedo propelled by slick beats and a brazen chorus." Chris Ryan also of MTV inferred that the song was aimed at Perry's ex-boyfriend Travie McCoy, while New York magazine journalist Amanda Dobbis considered it as "another break-up anthem". Upon the release of the song, Perry's fans and media immediately claimed that the changed lyrics in regards from the demo were re-directed from McCoy to Perry's ex-husband Russell Brand, whom she recently divorced. Perry later denied the rumors stating: "I wrote it two years ago, which is funny because everybody is like 'God, it sounds so current,' and some people that I work with were like 'You should just say you wrote it a couple of weeks ago.' I'm like 'I'm not a dick, I'm going to tell the truth.' I wrote it two years ago when I was writing and recording Teenage Dream, [but] it didn't feel right on the record. I would've had to take out one of my other songs that [made the album] a nice, complete package."

Critical reception
"Part of Me" received a mixed positive response amongst music critics. Amy Sciarretto from PopCrush praised the song, giving it 4 out of 5 stars, however she gave a mixed review of its "vicious" lyrics towards Russell Brand." Bill Lamb from About.com also gave the song 4 out of 5 stars stating: "In the wake of her recent divorce, 'Part Of Me' takes on new resonance and also contains lyrics that specifically point at the end of the relationship. With its emotional survival theme and seriously catchy melody, 'Part of Me' keeps Katy Perry pointed directly at the pop mainstream."

Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone gave a mixed review of the song, giving it three stars out of five, criticising the song's generic topic but praising the production. A reviewer from Plugged In criticized Perry's decision to make an uplifting song about a subject matter as serious as divorce stating: "Framing the song in terms of her divorce from Brand, though 'Part of Me', puts a much more somber and serious spin on things. This is no mere breakup. It's the demolition of a marital covenant. So no matter how bad things were in her relationship, no matter how much better she feels now, no matter how cathartic the pulsing beats (courtesy of hitmeisters Max Martin and Dr. Luke) might feel, the ultimate end here is a very sad one indeed." Priya Elan of NME gave a negative review of the song, criticizing Perry's vocals and the song's "cheesy" message stating: 'This is the part of me, that you’re never going to take away from me,' "she sings in that strange angry robot voice of hers. The sentiment, as ever, is punch you in face crystal clear and probably meant something to one of the (probably) 17 writers who wrote the song. As it stands, it’s another de-humanised slab of radio pop from Perry INC."

Chart performance
In the United States, "Part of Me" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the U.S. Hot Digital Songs chart with 411,000 copies sold its first week for the issue dated March 3, 2012. The song debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 almost exactly a year after Lady Gaga's Born This Way (2011) did on the week of February 26, 2011. Furthermore, "Part of Me" became Perry's sixth number one single from her Teenage Dream franchise, the 20th song to debut atop on the chart, Perry's seventh number-one song, and her sixth in the 2010s. "Part Of Me" stayed in the top 10 of the chart for 10 weeks. The song debuted at number one on and also debuted at number 36 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart having 35 million radio impressions in its first week. "Part of Me" has been certified Platinum by the RIAA with sales of 1 million copies sold, becoming Perry's tenth song receive the platinum certification. On June 15, 2012, the song sold 2 million downloads to date in the US. "Part of Me" also topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart becoming Perry's ninth song to top do so beginning with "Waking Up in Vegas" (2009). The song additionally debuted at number one on the Canadian Hot 100 selling 46,000 downloads in its first week. The song spent 12 weeks in the top 10 on the chart. In Brazil, the song peaked at number one on the Brazil Pop 100 and stayed atop of the chart for 2 weeks.

In New Zealand, "Part of Me" debuted at number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart, becoming Perry's first number-one debut on the chart and her seventh single to reach the top of the chart. She tied Mariah Carey for the record of seven number-one singles in the country. The song has received a Platinum certification by the RIANZ with over 15,000 copies sold. In Australia, "Part of Me" debuted at number 22 on the chart and peaked at number 5. The song has since been certified 2× platinum by theARIA with sales of 140,000 copies sold. In the United Kingdom, the song entered at number one on the UK Singles Charton March 25, 2012 (for the week ending date March 31, 2012). It sold 79,079 copies in its first week, becoming her third number-one single in that country behind singles "I Kissed A Girl" (2008) and "California Gurls" (2010). "Part of Me" was certified silver by the BPI with sales of over 200,000. In Ireland, "Part of Me" peaked at number 5, becoming her 12th single to reach the top 10 on the chart. In Italy, the song was certified Gold by the FIMI with sales of over 25,000 "Part of Me" reached number one elsewhere in Europe such as Croatia, Poland, Hungary and the Netherlands. The song also peaked at number 1 in Venezuela and peaked at number 2 inSouth Africa.

Background and concept
The music video for "Part of Me" was directed by Ben Mohr, filming began on February 16, 2012, and took place over the course of three days at the USMC's Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. After a couple of days of the song's release, Perry confirmed via Twitter that she was shooting a video for the song, tweeting: "Holy power of the Grammy's, Part Of Me is already top 10 on itunes! U guys are killing it! NICE! Can't wait to shoot this video! #grateful." Perry later revealed that before filming began she had to undergo vigorous military training, learning such things as rope climbing, military etiquette, combat training, and more. As filming began to take place, pictures from the set of the video surfaced online, the pictures revealed Perry with short hair and dressed in military clothing. According to Perry, only real marines were cast in the video, no actors or actresses were involved other than Perry. Perry revealed that the experiences of being surrounded by marines and partaking in marine activities gave her a new-found respect for men and women in the service. On March 16, 2012 Capitol Records released an official trailer for the video, the video shows different clips of Perry wielding a machine gun, marching in formation, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with other recruits and ends with the announcement for the video's official release date of March 21, 2012. The music video premiered on its announced date of March 21, 2012 during the program MTV First: Katy Perry. During the program Perry revealed her experiences filming the video and the background of the video's plotstating: "Well, I actually had the idea, I wrote the story about what it is actually like to be in the Service, and it does take a lot of physical strength, but now that I've been through it – and even just for the three days I was there, [it's] a lot of mental strength. We used only Marines, no actors or actresses. We used all of the Marine's equipment and they were so lovely to us, I always have fun even though it's a lot of work. Even though I was sore and exhausted, I was so educated on people in the service, who I've always respected but the stuff they go through, and the kind of loyalty they posses, it's very communal, and community. Not to sound weird, but it seems like the heart of America. Seriously, the heart."

Synopsis
The video begins with Perry sitting in her car outside her boyfriend's job, gazing at her necklace, she notices her boyfriend (played by actor and model Lucas Kerr) flirtatiously interacting with a woman. She confronts him in his office and they break up. As the titular track begins; she drives to a gas station and buys a can of tea inside the shop. After paying for her items she notices a moto-sticker on the bulletin board; the sticker reads "All women are created equal, then some become Marines". Increasingly emotional, Perry gathers her possessions and enters a nearby restroom to begin to change her identity. She cuts her hair and changes into a hoodie and jeans. Perry enlists in the United States Marine Corps and, after a brief scene in recruit training, she reports to the School of Infantry for the Marine Corps' rigorous basic combat instruction course. Perry eventually finds herself reminiscing over her experiences with her ex-boyfriend, yet remains spiteful towards him. She then begins to burn a love note and starts to vent her frustration through theMarine Corps Martial Arts Program. throughout the remainder of the video Perry is shown in training as well as dancing beneath a large garrison flag. The video ends with Perry's final transformation into a basically trained warrior, clad in Marine Pattern (MARPAT) camouflage utilities, body armor and camouflage face paint.

Reception and propaganda allegations
The video garnered positive reviews from critics with many praising its girl power theme and Perry's different approach in comparisons to her previous music videos. Ethan Sacks from New York Daily News said:"[The singer] dons combat fatigues and aims some barbed lyrics, perhaps at Russel Brand [...] Katy Perry has traded her whipped cream-spewing brassiere for USMC issue MARPAT for her new video. Judging by the way Perry handles a bayonet in the "Part of Me" video, Brand may want to consider staying half a planet away." Bruno Nessif from E! Online compared the video to Demi Moore's role in G.I. Jane. Ray Rahman from Entertainment Weekly echoed the similarity of the G.I. Jane influence in the video while calling it an "intense ride" Jenna Busch gave the video a positive review, commending its girl power, and noted the unique take to videos on the song's topic. James Montgomery from MTV praised the video and Perry's role saying: "Over the years, Perry has been a California Gurl, a nerdy teenager, an alien and just about everything in between, but up until now, she's never really been an actual person." He went on to praise the video stating: "Part of Me" is unlike any pop video in recent memory. Rihanna did military chic in her Hard video (she even straddled a tank), and just about every one of Perry's pop contemporaries have ventured down the same path. But they were never really in the military; they were just making it more fabulous. Perry takes the opposite tact: She cuts off her hair, she eschews makeup, she fights, crawls, suffers. It's a commendable level of commitment. Your move, everybody else."

While the film earned positive reception for its encouragement of "girl power," feminist author Naomi Wolf criticized the video and accused it of being propaganda for the Marine Corps. Wolf released a statement via her Facebook page saying: “I really want to find out if she was paid by them for making it. . . it is truly shameful. I would suggest a boycott of this singer whom I really liked if you are as offended at this glorification of violence as I am.” Glenn Selig, founder of The Publicity Agency responded to the claims on Fox News Live stating: “In her efforts to boycott the video, Naomi Wolf has brought more attention to it, without her comments, most people would clearly have seen the military simply as a metaphor and not as an attempt by Katy Perry to glamorize the military or war. Perry told MTV that she chose the military plot because it represented the song, saying, "It's an affirmation of strength, so I wanted to go the strongest route I ever could."

Live performances
On February 12, 2012, Perry performed the single live for the first time along with "E.T." (2011) at the 54th Grammy Awards. The presentation began with "E.T.", but the song ended partway through the chorus with electronic sound effects and the stage lights turning off. Following this, Perry, wearing a metallic bodysuit with the appearance of golden armor and a blue hair color, descended from the roof of the venue in a transparent cube. The object then shattered and fireworks around the stage went off. She then began to sing "Part of Me", with the dancers who were present during "E.T." reappearing and lifting Perry up as well as performing a routine behind her. The Huffington Post noted the difference from her previous performance a year prior at the 53rd Grammy Awards stating: "The theatrics couldn't be more different from last year. Instead of sparkles and hearts, Perry delivered the song in a skin-tight, metallic jumpsuit while the stage bursts aflame." Perry later performed the song at the Let's Dance for Sport Relief final on March 17, 2012 in a metallic jumpsuit similar to her performance of the song at the Grammy's. Two days later on March 19, 2012, Perry performed the song as part of a Live Lounge special for BBC Radio 1's Fearne Cotton along with "The One That Got Away", "Firework", Thinking of You" and "Niggas in Paris". "Part of Me" was also performed at the 2012 ECHO Music Awards.  On March 31, 2012, Perry performed the song at the 2012 Kids' Choice Awards. The performance began with Perry ziplining onto the stage with her and her background dancers dressed in Medieval attire. Perry begins to act as though she is performing the song for the King and Queen, ending with her playfully hitting the King in the face with a pie.

Perry performed "Part of Me" on season 11 of American Idol on April 26, 2012. The performance was similar to Perry's previous performances and the song's video. The performance was pre-taped due to Perry being sick. The pre-taped performance began with a short Military style video intro. When the video ended, it is implied that Perry is coming down from a Helicopter onto a military base while her and her all female background dancers are dressed in military clothing. During the performance, Perry and her background dancers display energetic choreography backed with complex production while most of the performance being shot in night vision. The performance was met with mixed reviews from critics and fans, who criticized Perry's decision to pre-tape the performance and her vocal performance, however the production of the performance was well received. Brian Mansfield from USA Todaycommented that the performance was a "Pretty impressive production." Melissa Locker of Rolling Stone commented: "It's admirable that Katy Perry is singing live (with a track) – unfortunately, it's a slightly janked-up performance. But who cares? She's declaring war on Russell Brand and writing a breakup dance anthem for the ages. Clear the dance floor, boys!" On June 9, 2012, Perry included the song into thesetlist of her performance at Capital FM's Summertime Ball festival where she wore a fifties style black and white polka dot dress and a black fringe haircut.

Usage in media
"Part of Me" was used in a National marketing campaign to promote the limited edition expansion-pack for The Sims 3, entitledThe Sims 3: Showtime. Perry filmed a 30-second commercial, performing the song on a stage appearing as a Sim version of herself. The expansion pack includes Katy Perry themed items that players can use on their own Sim which were all inspired by the concept and artwork of her album Teenage Dream (2010). Capitol Records released an official remix of "Part of Me" done by Jacques Lu Cont entitled the "Thin White Duke Remix". The remix was used in an Adidas campaign to promote being healthy and being active entitled "We All Run." Perry, along with David Beckham, Lionel Messi, and Derrick Rose all participated in the commercial. The campaign showcases the group being active via running to promote being healthy and the Adidas brand. On April 16, 2012, Lindsey Pavao performed a cover of the song during season 2 of the U.S. version of The Voice.

Track listing

 * Digital download
 * 1) "Part of Me" – 3:35


 * Digital remix download
 * 1) "Part of Me" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) – 6:02


 * UK remix EP
 * 1) "Part of Me" – 3:35
 * 2) "Part of Me" (Jacques Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) – 6:02
 * 3) "Part of Me" (Jacques Cont's Thin White Duke Radio Edit) – 3:47
 * 4) "Part of Me" (Instrumental) – 3:35


 * Part of Me – The Remixes
 * 1) Part of Me (Freemasons Radio Edit) – 3:57
 * 2) Part of Me (Freemasons Mixshow Edit) – 5:48
 * 3) Part of Me (Freemasons Dub) – 7:58
 * 4) Part of Me (Freemasons Club Mix) – 8:18