Hannah Montana 3 is the soundtrack album for the Disney Channel Original Series, Hannah Montana. It was released to stores and digital retailers on July 7, 2009 in the United States under Walt Disney Records.[5][6] The album was originally set for release on July 14, 2009, but was pushed forward a week for unknown reasons.[6] Hannah Montana 3 is the fourth soundtrack (excluding the live album) in participation of Miley Cyrus's alter ego, Hannah Montana and ninth under the franchise. The album is the follow-up to the 2007, triple-platinum selling record,[7] Hannah Montana 2.
The album received mostly positive reviews by About.com and Entertainment Weekly for its fun party-dance tracks and ability to go deeper with "searching ballads", comparing the music and Cyrus's vocal abilities to Shania Twain, Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson and more. It was not favored by Allmusic saying it was too "cookie cutter", even though "it seems to give fans exactly what they want".
Hannah Montana 3 debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling about 137,000 copies. The songs "He Could Be the One" and "Let's Get Crazy" became Cyrus's (as Montana) highest charting efforts in the United States and Canada respectively. "He Could Be the One" also became her first top ten entry worldwide.

Background

During 2008 and 2009, Cyrus recorded songs for the third season of the television series and for Hannah Montana: The Movie, the feature film based on the show, repeating "Let's Do This" and "Let's Get Crazy" the movie's soundtrack and the show's.[8] Several producers and songwriters worked on songs for the album including, American Idol judge, Kara DioGuardi who co-produced and co-wrote "Mixed Up", "He Could Be the One", "Supergirl" and "Don't Wanna Be Torn".[9] "The Best of Both Worlds" writing team Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil contributed to the album as well, in "Ice Cream Freeze". Colleen Fitzpatrick (Vitamin C) is a writer on "Let's Get Crazy" and Tim James on "Let's Do This" which was originally written and recorded by country singer Adam Tefteller before recorded by Cyrus as Montana.[10] The only song to not feature vocals by Cyrus is the track "Let's Make This Last 4Ever" which is performed by Hannah Montana co-star Mitchel Musso. Two duets, though both were originally recorded by only Cyrus: "I Wanna Know You" with David Archuleta and a new version of Hannah Montana's "If We Were a Movie" with Corbin Bleu that was used in the season two finale, are also featured on the album.[9] The new version changed some words to fit the duet, with the line: "Some kind of hero in disguise" being completely changed to "A double feature here tonight".
[edit]Release
The album was released as a physical CD and as a digital download beging on July 7, 2009. The deluxe edition sold exclusively to the iTunes Store and the physical CD contains access to 8 music videos taken from a concert filmed in California.[6][9][11] Other countries feature two discs, one for the songs and the other for the music videos. In the UK, on September 7, 2009 a special edition of the album, with a slightly different cover (a heading on top saying it's a special edition), with a CD and DVD will be released in stores. The DVD will feature the 8 live music videos; the set will include a free poster and bonus computer content.[12] On October 30, 2009, Walt Disney Records released a karaoke version of the album titled Disney's Karaoke Series: Hannah Montana 3 original release date was to on October 13, 2009, reason for the change of the release is unknown. The album features eight karaoke and eight vocal version of songs based from the soundtrack.[13]
[edit]Critical reception

Reviews for the album were generally mixed. Heather Phares of Allmusic, spoke of the album negatively, even more than Hannah Montana 2 and Hannah Montana: The Movie. On the review, Phares complains that the albums have not grown since the commence of the franchise by stating: "Miley Cyrus was 13 years old when she started performing as Hannah Montana, but by the time Hannah Montana 3 was released, she was nearly 17. That's a pretty big span of time in a teenager's life, but you'd never know it from listening to these songs." Another point which was brought by the reviewer was that the alteration from "fizzy pop" to "searching ballads" was too sudden. She described "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)" as "extremely similar" to Cyrus's own "Hoedown Throwdown" which wasn't received well by critics and others were too "equally cookie-cutter". To Allmusic the nadir of the album is "Just a Girl". She mentioned "the only thing worse than a big star singing about how fame has damaged her is a big child star singing about how fame has damaged her." Overall she said: "Hannah Montana 3 seems to give fans exactly what they want, but the calculation behind this music overwhelms the fun that used to be in it."[3] Warren Truit of About.com, looked at the album also from "a preteen's point of view" and taking into account that the songs are not supposed to represent her real life. Truit compared "It's All Right Here" and "He Could Be the One" to Shania Twain. He said the songs were a mix of Gwen Stefani, Joan Jett and Avril Lavigne with "fizzy Radio Disney pop rock". They also felt "Ice Cream Freeze" was just as "goofy" as "Hoedown Throwdown". As a summary he commented: "When it comes down to it, the Hannah Montana 3 Soundtrack is harmless, poppy fun for preteen music fans. The tunes on the Hannah Montana 3 Soundtrack may be a little cookie-cutter, but at least the songwriters realize who their audience is and they deliver the goods, unlike the Jonas Brothers' recent genre-jumping mishmash disaster Lines, Vines and Trying Times. Hannah Montana devotees will absolutely love the Hannah Montana 3 Soundtrack, and parents can actually tolerate most of the songs on the album."[2] Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly, was also on a lighter and more positive perspective on the album. He said:
"Teen-pop partisans worried by Miley Cyrus' Nashville vibe in Hannah Montana The Movie can breathe easy: These tunes from Cyrus' TV show trade the fiddles for bubble-grunge guitars. I Wanna Know You, a duet with David Archuleta, is a mite too earnest, but Supergirl rocks like primo Kelly Clarkson."[4]
[edit]Chart performance

Hannah Montana 3 debuted and peaked at number two in the United States's chart, Billboard 200, selling about 137,000 copies with a good amount being purchased online due to it charting at no. 5 in the Top Digital Albums[14] and no. 18 in Top Internet Albums.[15] The album lost the number one spot to Maxwell's album, BLACKsummers'night. On other charts in the U.S., such as Top Kid Audio and Top Soundtracks, the album debuted in the top spot. In Top Soundtracks, the franchise replaced herself at no. 1, Hannah Montana: The Movie was previously in the top slot and descended to # 2. Cyrus was at the first two positions for several weeks. In its second week, Hannah Montana 3 slid down one spot, to no. 3 with 73,000 copies sold (down 47%) in Billboard 200,[16] meanwhile it stayed at no. 1 for Top Kid Albums and Top Soundtracks; in the third week of it charting, Hannah Montana 3 fell to no. 5. In its fourth week on the charts it slid down to number seven with 41,000 copies sold.[17]
In Canada, the album also debuted at number two, losing the top spot to the third run of The Black Eyed Peas' album, The E.N.D. In its second week, the album fell to the fourth spot on the chart and later the sixth. Hannah Montana 3 debuted and peaked at no. 40 in Norway. In Mexico, the series' third soundtrack debuted at no. 27, the week after, it ascended to no. 26.
[edit]Singles

[edit]Official singles
"Supergirl" is the sixth Radio Disney single from Hannah Montana 3 that premiered on July 2, 2009. It made a chart effort on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart due to digital sales at number 5 (Hot 100 - 105), just below "Don't Wanna Be Torn".[18] The song was released as the only official single internationally with a CD single of the song being released to German markets on August 28, 2009 with "Every Part of Me" as the B-side.[19] It peaked at number forty-two in the country.[20] Though it officially premiered on Radio Disney on July 2, 2009, it was released for actual airplay in November.
[edit]Radio Disney singles
"It's All Right Here" is the lead single from the soundtrack. It was released to Radio Disney on November 7, 2008 and a music video was released to Disney Channel.[21] The track peaked on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Chart at no. 24 (Hot 100 - 124).[22]
"Let's Do This" is the second single from Hannah Montana 3. It was featured in Hannah Montana: The Movie and its soundtrack.[8] The video premiered on Disney Channel on December 13, 2008.[23][24] Due to digital download sales, the song debuted and peaked on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Chart at no. 23 (Hot 100 - 123).[25]
"Let's Get Crazy" is the third single from the soundtrack. This song was first used in Hannah Montana: The Movie and featured on the movie's soundtrack, before being used in the series.[8] A music video premiered on January 19, 2009 as part of promotion for the film.[26] Due to strong digital sales, it debuted and peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100;[27] in the Canadian Hot 100, the track peaked at no. 26, being Hannah's highest chart effort in Canada.[28][29] "Let's Get Crazy" is also featured on the compilation album, Disney Channel Playlist[30] and as a karaoke version on Disney Karaoke Series: Disney Channel, Vol. 1.[31] It was also the only song from the album to be featured on Cyrus' solo tour Wonder World Tour.
"I Wanna Know You" is a duet and fourth single from the soundtrack featuring David Archuleta. "I Wanna Know You" was first released to Radio Disney on May 2, 2009.[32][33] The song debuted and peaked at number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100.[34][35]
"Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)" is the fifth single from Hannah Montana 3. It premiered on May 22, 2009 on Radio Disney and the music video premiered on Disney Channel the same day.[36][37] "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)" and its corresponding video became digitally available in the iTunes Store on June 30, as part of the Radio Disney iTunes Pass in Week # 2, being the only single to be released before the release of the album.[38] "Ice Cream Freeze" peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 87,[39] at number 57 in the Canadian Hot 100[40][41] and at no. 90 in the UK Singles Chart being Montana's first entry in that region since "Nobody's Perfect".[42]
"He Could Be the One" is the sixth single from Hannah Montana 3, released on June 12, 2009 with an accompanying music video in promotion for an hour-long episode of Hannah Montana of the same name.[43][44][45][46] The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, beating Mariah Carey's "Obsessed",[47][48][49] and number 97 on the Canadian Hot 100.[50][51] This making Hannah Montana's highest chart effort (beating "Life's What You Make It" by 15 spots), first top ten chart entry, and highest debut, internationally.
"Just a Girl" is the eighth Radio Disney single from Hannah Montana 3. Its music video premiered on June 30, 2009 [52] and was later released to Radio Disney in January 2010. It has so far peaked at #5 on Radio Disney,[53] but has not charted on any major charts.
[edit]Other charted songs
"Don't Wanna Be Torn" is a song from the Hannah Montana, season 3 soundtrack that premiered on Radio Disney on July 1, 2009 on the week they were promoting the album release. It charted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart at number 4 (Hot 100 - 104).[54] Though it premiered on Radio Disney, it has not been officially sent for airplay on the station.
[edit]Promotion

Disney promoted the album through their radio station, Radio Disney, the use of music videos on their TV channel, and website. In October 2008, Cyrus as Hannah Montana performed a live, taped concert in Irvine, California where she performed songs from the third season of Hannah Montana for the purpose of having footage for the television show and for promotional purposes such as music videos. Promotional music videos for the songs "It's All Right Here",[21] "Let's Do This",[24] "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)",[37] "Mixed Up",[55] "Just a Girl",[52] "Let's Get Crazy",[56] "Supergirl",[57] and "Every Part of Me"",[58] were all taken from footage of the concert. The latter five videos were premiered daily between June 29 and July 3, 2009 as a promotional countdown to the album release.[59] Radio Disney premiered the songs from the soundtrack daily from June 29, 2009 up until the album's radio premiere on July 4,[60] three days before the album's release. Disney Channel also used various commercial segments to promote the album including a segment in which Hannah Montana co-star Jason Earles plays a charades types game titled "Hannah Montana: Sing Whaaat" in which Earles attempts to act out the names of titles of songs from the soundtrack for contestants playing the game; these commercials aired weeks before and after the release of the album.[61] A game, Rock the Beat, on Hannah Montana's official website was made to promote the album, currently featuring eight songs in the soundtrack.[62] Walt Disney Records also advertised the album outside of Disney, by sending commercials to teen-oriented channels.[63]
[edit]Track listing

Standard Edition
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "It's All Right Here" Antonina Armato, Tim James 3:49
2. "Let's Do This*" Derek George, Tim Owens, Adam Tefteller, Ali Theodore 3:32
3. "Mixed Up" Kara DioGuardi, Marti Frederiksen 3:52
4. "He Could Be the One" DioGuardi, Mitch Allan 3:00
5. "Just a Girl" Toby Gad, Arama Brown 3:35
6. "I Wanna Know You" (featuring David Archuleta) Chen Neeman, Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis 2:47
7. "Supergirl" Dan James, DioGuardi 2:54
8. "Every Part of Me" Adam Watts, Andy Dodd 3:30
9. "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)" Matthew Gerrard, Robbie Nevil 3:07
10. "Don't Wanna Be Torn" DioGuardi, Allan 3:28
11. "Let's Get Crazy*" Colleen Fitzpatrick, Michael Kotch, Dave Derby, Michael "Smidi" Smith, Stefanie Ridel, Mim Nervo, Liv Nervo 2:35
12. "I Wanna Know You" (solo version) Chen Neeman, Lurie, Aris Archontis 2:46
13. "Let's Make This Last 4Ever" (performed by Mitchel Musso) Justin Gray, Michael Raphael, Sam Musso, Mitchel Musso 3:12
14. "If We Were a Movie" (with Corbin Bleu) Lurie, Holly Mathis 3:04
Total length:
45:11