When I Look at You
Encyclopedia
"When I Look at You" is a power ballad performed by American recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus
. The song was written by John Shanks
and Hillary Lindsey
and produced by Shanks. It was released on March 1, 2010 by Hollywood Records
as the second and final single
from Cyrus's first extended play, The Time of Our Lives
(2009). A remix version titled "Te Miro a Ti", featuring Spanish singer David Bisbal
was released later; in it, Cyrus sings her lines in English, while Bisbal's are mingled in both English and Spanish. "When I Look at You" was featured on the 2010 film The Last Song
and its corresponding soundtrack, being used to promote the film. The song contains an instrumentation
primarily based on piano
, while its lyrics speak of a dream boy.
"When I Look at You" received average to mixed critical reception and was unable to duplicate the commercial success of Cyrus' previous single, "Party in the U.S.A.
" "When I Look at You" peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100
and charted within the top thirty on charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The song's accompanying music video
was directed by Adam Shankman
. It features Cyrus playing a grand piano throughout several settings, including a beach and forest. Two other versions of the video were released: one replacing several scenes with clips from The Last Song and another featuring Bisbal. Cyrus performed the song in multiple venues, including on her first world tour, the Wonder World Tour
(2009).
and John Shanks
. It was used to promote the 2010 film The Last Song
, in which Cyrus stars as Veronica "Ronnie" Miller, an angry, rebellious adolescent forced to spend a summer with her estranged father. The song is included on the film and its corresponding soundtrack. The song was initially to be included on Cyrus's next record; however, it was included in The Last Song because it fit the film's concept well. According to Cyrus, when she sings "When I Look at You", she thinks of family and love. "It's kind of what this movie is all about", she said. A remix version titled "Te Miro a Ti", featuring Spanish singer David Bisbal
was released later; in it, Cyrus sings her lines in English, while Bisbal's are mingled in both English and Spanish.
, the song is a power ballad. The song is set in 3/4 time and has a moderately slow tempo of 138 beats per minute. It is written in the key of E major
and Cyrus's vocals span two octave
s, from G3 to E5. The song begins with piano
in its intro
and then transitions to Cyrus singing in a hushed tone. She begins to belt towards the second verse and a electric guitar
solo follows the second chorus. It follows the chord progression
Em–G–D–C–C. Jocelyn Vena, also of MTV News, interpreted the lyrics of "When I Look at You" to be about Cyrus' dream boy.
According to Byrne, the last line — "You appear just like a dream to me" — is very fantasy-like.
magazine's Lael Lowenstein calling it an "almost inevitable hit single" and Allmusic's Heather Phares noting that "When she lets her ... ballad-singing diva come to the fore, Cyrus really shines." Phares added, "She is just as accomplished on the EP's ballads". Bill Lamb of About.com
disagreed and stated, "the two ballad songs, 'When I Look At You' and 'Obsessed,' feel like throwaways. Miley Cyrus did have a big hit with the highly inspirational 'The Climb
,' but the ballads here flush out the distinctiveness in her voice and simply feel ordinary." Michael Hann of the English newspaper The Guardian
referred to "When I Look at You" as one of the "inferior ballads" on The Time of Our Lives. The song won the 2010 Teen Choice Award for "Choice Music: Love Song".
. On the week ending April 17, 2010, "When I Look at You" ascended to its peak at number sixteen, from its previous position at number twenty-five, on the Billboard Hot 100. The song peaked at number eighteen on Billboard
s Adult Contemporary Chart. The song first appeared on the Canadian Hot 100
at number fifty-nine and peaked at number twenty-four.
The song also made moderate success in Australia and New Zealand. The song entered the Australian Singles Chart
at number fifty and, after three weeks of ascending the chart, reached its peak at number nineteen. In New Zealand, "When I Look at You" debuted and peaked at number twenty-seven. The song debuted at number seventy-nine on the UK Singles Chart
. On the week ending April 1, 2010, it debuted and peaked at number forty-five on the Irish Singles Chart
. In mainland Europe, "When I Look at You" peaked at number twenty-three on the Belgian Tip Singles Chart
(Wallonia) and number forty-nine on the Swiss Singles Chart
.
for "When I Look at You" was directed by Adam Shankman
, producer of The Last Song. The video was filmed on August 16, 2009 in several outdoor settings in Savannah, Georgia
. "The premise of the video for 'When I Look at You' is to put together the relationships between Miley, the piano, and music, her relationship with Liam, her relationship to the song", Shankman commented, in regards to the video's concept. He believed Cyrus and Hemsworth had "great chemistry" while filming The Last Song and brought it into the set of the video. The video opens by showing a black grand piano alone on a pier
, which transitions to a close-up of Cyrus with her wavy hair styled loose. She is shown playing the in a long white dress. Australian actor Liam Hemsworth
, who portrays Will Blakelee in The Last Song, appears next to the piano, Cyrus not being present. Throughout the rest of the video, Cyrus sings and plays the piano in a forest, the beach, and a mansion's front yard. Cut-scenes feature Cyrus and Hemsworth interacting romantically, at one point kissing in a wheat field. The video ends by, again, showing the piano alone in the pier. Two alternate versions of the music video were later released: one replaces the cut-scenes of Cyrus and Hemsworth with clips from The Last Song, and another for the song's remix featuring Bisbal. The latter version replaces cut-scenes with shots of Bisbal signing in a forest and beach; his scenes were directed by Marc Roussel.
The video was officially premiered on February 21, 2010 on ABC Family
, but was previously leaked to the Internet on September 11, 2009. Jocelyn Vena of MTV News congratulated Shankman for capturing romance in the video. She further commented, "Cyrus is definitely growing up, something she's wanted to prove to the world for a while now. And although there's nothing particularly jarring in the clip, the vibe shows that Cyrus is most certainly ready to leave Hannah Montana
behind." Jefferson Reid of E!
reviewed the version where clips from the film are used, and said the clips made production values high, "but also helping to keep things easy on the eyes".
, her first world tour. She performed the song at each venue during the tour, wearing a black dress
with tail that extended below her knees. The performances began with large video screens surrounding the stage displaying The Last Song' s trailer
; the trailer premiered the on September 14 concert in Portland, Oregon
, at the Rose Garden Arena, the Wonder World Tour's opening night. Cyrus then emerged from the bottom of the stage while playing a white grand piano, sitting on a bench. Midway through the song, Cyrus stood up and continued performing while the video screens were brought down to Cyrus' height. Cyrus described the performance as a "sneak preview" of The Last Song, adding that her excitement about the life imitating art
scenario she experienced while filming The Last Song led her to show the movie on tour. Melinda M. Thompson of The Oregonian
believed that by playing the piano at the opening night's performance of "When I Look at You", Cyrus "showcased her many talents and proved she really just beginning to grasp her star power." Mikael Wood of The Los Angeles Times attended the September 22 concert in Los Angeles, California
at the Staples Center
and commented, "Once again, make-believe Miley was more compelling than the real thing."
Upon its release as a single, Cyrus performed "When I Look at You" on the ninth season
of singing competition American Idol
on March 24, 2010, the same week she mentored the contestants on the show. Dressed in a long, white satin dress, she began by sitting in a bench to play the piano and later standing up to sing; the set was decorated with trees and twinkling outdoor lighting. Katie Byrne of MTV News commented, "Cyrus seemed to take her own advice by connecting with the audience and making eye contact during the dramatic performance." Monica Herrera of Billboard
said Cyrus, after mentoring the contestants, she "showed them how it's really done". Cyrus later performed the song on MSN
Movies. Her first televised performance of the song outside the United States was at the Rock in Rio concert in Lisbon, Portugal on May 29, 2010. Cyrus was joined by David Bisbal to perform "When I Look at You" at the Rock in Rio concert in Madrid, Spain on June 4, 2010.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
. The song was written by John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
and Hillary Lindsey
Hillary Lindsey
Hillary Lindsey is a country music singer-songwriter. As a songwriter, she has written songs with or for Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, and Tim McGraw. One of her compositions, Underwood's Number One hit "Jesus, Take the Wheel",...
and produced by Shanks. It was released on March 1, 2010 by Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
as the second and final single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from Cyrus's first extended play, The Time of Our Lives
The Time of Our Lives (EP)
The Time of Our Lives is the first extended play by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The EP was released on August 28, 2009 by Hollywood Records, initially as a United States' Wal-Mart exclusive. With alterations in artwork and track listing, an international edition was issued October 16,...
(2009). A remix version titled "Te Miro a Ti", featuring Spanish singer David Bisbal
David Bisbal
David Bisbal Ferré is a Grammy-winning Spanish pop singer. He gained his initial fame as a runner up on the interactive reality television show Operación Triunfo produced by TJ Hall....
was released later; in it, Cyrus sings her lines in English, while Bisbal's are mingled in both English and Spanish. "When I Look at You" was featured on the 2010 film The Last Song
The Last Song (film)
The Last Song is a 2010 American coming of age drama film developed alongside Nicholas Sparks novel by the same name. The film was directed by Julie Anne Robinson in her feature film directorial debut and co-written by Sparks and Jeff Van Wie...
and its corresponding soundtrack, being used to promote the film. The song contains an instrumentation
Instrumentation (music)
In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
primarily based on piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, while its lyrics speak of a dream boy.
"When I Look at You" received average to mixed critical reception and was unable to duplicate the commercial success of Cyrus' previous single, "Party in the U.S.A.
Party in the U.S.A.
"Party in the U.S.A." is a pop song performed by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The song was written by Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly, and Jessie J and produced by Dr. Luke. It was released on August 11, 2009, by Hollywood Records, as the lead single from Cyrus' first extended play The Time of Our...
" "When I Look at You" peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and charted within the top thirty on charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The song's accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Adam Shankman
Adam Shankman
Adam Michael Shankman is an American film director, producer, dancer, actor, and choreographer. He has been a judge on the television program So You Think You Can Dance since Season 3. He began his professional career in musical theater, and was a dancer in music videos for Paula Abdul and Janet...
. It features Cyrus playing a grand piano throughout several settings, including a beach and forest. Two other versions of the video were released: one replacing several scenes with clips from The Last Song and another featuring Bisbal. Cyrus performed the song in multiple venues, including on her first world tour, the Wonder World Tour
Wonder World Tour
The Wonder World Tour is the second concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The tour was held to promote her second studio album Breakout and first extended play The Time of Our Lives...
(2009).
Background
"When I Look at You" was written by Hillary LindseyHillary Lindsey
Hillary Lindsey is a country music singer-songwriter. As a songwriter, she has written songs with or for Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, and Tim McGraw. One of her compositions, Underwood's Number One hit "Jesus, Take the Wheel",...
and John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
. It was used to promote the 2010 film The Last Song
The Last Song (film)
The Last Song is a 2010 American coming of age drama film developed alongside Nicholas Sparks novel by the same name. The film was directed by Julie Anne Robinson in her feature film directorial debut and co-written by Sparks and Jeff Van Wie...
, in which Cyrus stars as Veronica "Ronnie" Miller, an angry, rebellious adolescent forced to spend a summer with her estranged father. The song is included on the film and its corresponding soundtrack. The song was initially to be included on Cyrus's next record; however, it was included in The Last Song because it fit the film's concept well. According to Cyrus, when she sings "When I Look at You", she thinks of family and love. "It's kind of what this movie is all about", she said. A remix version titled "Te Miro a Ti", featuring Spanish singer David Bisbal
David Bisbal
David Bisbal Ferré is a Grammy-winning Spanish pop singer. He gained his initial fame as a runner up on the interactive reality television show Operación Triunfo produced by TJ Hall....
was released later; in it, Cyrus sings her lines in English, while Bisbal's are mingled in both English and Spanish.
Composition
"When I Look at You" is pop song with a length of four minutes and eight seconds. According to Katie Byrne of MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, the song is a power ballad. The song is set in 3/4 time and has a moderately slow tempo of 138 beats per minute. It is written in the key of E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
and Cyrus's vocals span two octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
s, from G3 to E5. The song begins with piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
in its intro
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
and then transitions to Cyrus singing in a hushed tone. She begins to belt towards the second verse and a electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
solo follows the second chorus. It follows the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
Em–G–D–C–C. Jocelyn Vena, also of MTV News, interpreted the lyrics of "When I Look at You" to be about Cyrus' dream boy.
According to Byrne, the last line — "You appear just like a dream to me" — is very fantasy-like.
Critical reception
Reception from contemporary critics for the song has been average to mixed, with VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine's Lael Lowenstein calling it an "almost inevitable hit single" and Allmusic's Heather Phares noting that "When she lets her ... ballad-singing diva come to the fore, Cyrus really shines." Phares added, "She is just as accomplished on the EP's ballads". Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
disagreed and stated, "the two ballad songs, 'When I Look At You' and 'Obsessed,' feel like throwaways. Miley Cyrus did have a big hit with the highly inspirational 'The Climb
The Climb (song)
"The Climb" is a song performed by American recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus, for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. The song was written by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe, and produced by John Shanks. It was released on March 5, 2009, as the lead single of the film's soundtrack by...
,' but the ballads here flush out the distinctiveness in her voice and simply feel ordinary." Michael Hann of the English newspaper The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
referred to "When I Look at You" as one of the "inferior ballads" on The Time of Our Lives. The song won the 2010 Teen Choice Award for "Choice Music: Love Song".
Chart performance
In the United States, on the week ending January 23, 2010, "When I Look at You" debuted at number eighty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. On the week ending April 17, 2010, "When I Look at You" ascended to its peak at number sixteen, from its previous position at number twenty-five, on the Billboard Hot 100. The song peaked at number eighteen on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Adult Contemporary Chart. The song first appeared on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
at number fifty-nine and peaked at number twenty-four.
The song also made moderate success in Australia and New Zealand. The song entered the Australian Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
at number fifty and, after three weeks of ascending the chart, reached its peak at number nineteen. In New Zealand, "When I Look at You" debuted and peaked at number twenty-seven. The song debuted at number seventy-nine on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. On the week ending April 1, 2010, it debuted and peaked at number forty-five on the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
. In mainland Europe, "When I Look at You" peaked at number twenty-three on the Belgian Tip Singles Chart
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
(Wallonia) and number forty-nine on the Swiss Singles Chart
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "When I Look at You" was directed by Adam Shankman
Adam Shankman
Adam Michael Shankman is an American film director, producer, dancer, actor, and choreographer. He has been a judge on the television program So You Think You Can Dance since Season 3. He began his professional career in musical theater, and was a dancer in music videos for Paula Abdul and Janet...
, producer of The Last Song. The video was filmed on August 16, 2009 in several outdoor settings in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. "The premise of the video for 'When I Look at You' is to put together the relationships between Miley, the piano, and music, her relationship with Liam, her relationship to the song", Shankman commented, in regards to the video's concept. He believed Cyrus and Hemsworth had "great chemistry" while filming The Last Song and brought it into the set of the video. The video opens by showing a black grand piano alone on a pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
, which transitions to a close-up of Cyrus with her wavy hair styled loose. She is shown playing the in a long white dress. Australian actor Liam Hemsworth
Liam Hemsworth
Liam Hemsworth is an Australian actor. He took the role of Josh Taylor in the soap opera Neighbours and as "Marcus" on the children's television series The Elephant Princess and appeared in the American film The Last Song, released on 31 March 2010...
, who portrays Will Blakelee in The Last Song, appears next to the piano, Cyrus not being present. Throughout the rest of the video, Cyrus sings and plays the piano in a forest, the beach, and a mansion's front yard. Cut-scenes feature Cyrus and Hemsworth interacting romantically, at one point kissing in a wheat field. The video ends by, again, showing the piano alone in the pier. Two alternate versions of the music video were later released: one replaces the cut-scenes of Cyrus and Hemsworth with clips from The Last Song, and another for the song's remix featuring Bisbal. The latter version replaces cut-scenes with shots of Bisbal signing in a forest and beach; his scenes were directed by Marc Roussel.
The video was officially premiered on February 21, 2010 on ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
, but was previously leaked to the Internet on September 11, 2009. Jocelyn Vena of MTV News congratulated Shankman for capturing romance in the video. She further commented, "Cyrus is definitely growing up, something she's wanted to prove to the world for a while now. And although there's nothing particularly jarring in the clip, the vibe shows that Cyrus is most certainly ready to leave Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
behind." Jefferson Reid of E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
reviewed the version where clips from the film are used, and said the clips made production values high, "but also helping to keep things easy on the eyes".
Live performances
Cyrus performed "When I Look at You" at the 2009 Wonder World TourWonder World Tour
The Wonder World Tour is the second concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The tour was held to promote her second studio album Breakout and first extended play The Time of Our Lives...
, her first world tour. She performed the song at each venue during the tour, wearing a black dress
Little black dress
A little black dress is an evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short. Fashion historians ascribe the origins of the little black dress to the 1920s designs of Coco Chanel, intended to be long-lasting, versatile, affordable, accessible to the widest market possible and in a neutral...
with tail that extended below her knees. The performances began with large video screens surrounding the stage displaying The Last Song
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
; the trailer premiered the on September 14 concert in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, at the Rose Garden Arena, the Wonder World Tour's opening night. Cyrus then emerged from the bottom of the stage while playing a white grand piano, sitting on a bench. Midway through the song, Cyrus stood up and continued performing while the video screens were brought down to Cyrus' height. Cyrus described the performance as a "sneak preview" of The Last Song, adding that her excitement about the life imitating art
Life imitating art
-The Philosophical Position:Anti-mimesis is a philosophical position that holds the direct opposite of mimesis. Its most notable proponent is Oscar Wilde, who held in his 1889 essay The Decay of Lying that "Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life"...
scenario she experienced while filming The Last Song led her to show the movie on tour. Melinda M. Thompson of The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
believed that by playing the piano at the opening night's performance of "When I Look at You", Cyrus "showcased her many talents and proved she really just beginning to grasp her star power." Mikael Wood of The Los Angeles Times attended the September 22 concert in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
at the Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
and commented, "Once again, make-believe Miley was more compelling than the real thing."
Upon its release as a single, Cyrus performed "When I Look at You" on the ninth season
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
of singing competition American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
on March 24, 2010, the same week she mentored the contestants on the show. Dressed in a long, white satin dress, she began by sitting in a bench to play the piano and later standing up to sing; the set was decorated with trees and twinkling outdoor lighting. Katie Byrne of MTV News commented, "Cyrus seemed to take her own advice by connecting with the audience and making eye contact during the dramatic performance." Monica Herrera of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
said Cyrus, after mentoring the contestants, she "showed them how it's really done". Cyrus later performed the song on MSN
MSN
MSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
Movies. Her first televised performance of the song outside the United States was at the Rock in Rio concert in Lisbon, Portugal on May 29, 2010. Cyrus was joined by David Bisbal to perform "When I Look at You" at the Rock in Rio concert in Madrid, Spain on June 4, 2010.
Track listing
- U.S. / AUS CD Single
- "When I Look at You" (Album Version) – 4:08
- AUS / EU 2-Track CD Single / Digital Single
- "When I Look at You" (Radio Edit) – 3:43
- "Party in the U.S.A.Party in the U.S.A."Party in the U.S.A." is a pop song performed by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The song was written by Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly, and Jessie J and produced by Dr. Luke. It was released on August 11, 2009, by Hollywood Records, as the lead single from Cyrus' first extended play The Time of Our...
" (Cahill Club Remix) – 5:45
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
19 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
57 |
| Belgian Tip Singles Chart (Wallonia) | 23 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
24 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
45 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
27 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
49 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
79 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
16 |
| U.S. Adult Contemporary | 18 |
| U.S. Adult Pop Songs | 38 |
External links
- "When I Look at You" music video on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
(posted by Cyrus' VevoVevoVevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
) - Music video ecard for "When I Look at You"