It's My Party
I've been wanting to do something about songs' intertextuality for a while, and this is maybe the least pretentious approach to that? There are articles written about this so it's not like it's anything new but I think it's interesting.
Maybe I can make some conclusions? It's My Party is really about agency, but it has the advantage of rooting that in the pop music staple of a party setting. What a party is and sounds like can easily evolve with the time. But the concept at the heart of it that stays the same is asserting ownership over a situation, and the right to do whatever the singer wants. It's a youthful rebellion kind of idea, the desire to be in control, to declare it, brag about it, and ignore the consequences of deciding to do whatever you want. Of course, in the original, it's crying, and being allowed to feel and express your feelings is really a whole different thing and an uncommon message for a pop song; I've never really thought of "It's My Party" as being about allowing yourself to have your feelings, because I do think the message that gets passed along tends to have more of a young, even bratty, sense of entitlement. Maybe because of the reason she's allowed to feel her feelings; it's not because everyone is, it's because this is HER party. (Pretentious enough yet?)
Some of these songs are pretty annoying but they are making the point maybe. You can always stop listening once you get the use of the song.
Lesley Gore, "It's My Party"
Melanie Martinez, "Pity Party" - This one takes a different type of sadness, but is unusual in these in that it focuses on the crying, the tragedy; the party she's asserting ownership over is, perhaps, hers because no one else wanted it. [For some reason, I'm currently obsessed with this mashup.]
Icona Pop, "My Party" - Along "Pity Party" lines, it's the party-gone-wrong.
Drake, "Take Care" - This is maybe the first example that might be influenced by a desire to subvert the "squeaky clean" image of the Gore original. It's something that I'd argue pops up in most, if not all, of the rap interpretations, and definitely in "Sex Therapy." Also notable here that he avoids the word "party" -- even though he's likely talking about one.
Chaka Khan, "It's My Party" - This is maybe the closest to retaining the original meaning. She's asserting control of the party in the face of betrayal and heartbreak, not just to brag.
Jessie J, "It's My Party" - Perhaps the essential pop interpretation is "it's my party and I'll do what I want." But this does retain some of the sadness underneath; she doth protest too much that she doesn't "give a damn" and that's why she's having such a great party.
Brandy, "It's My Party"
Miley Cyrus, "We Can't Stop" - This one is interesting to me in terms of agency because "Can't" is there in the title. Despite that, it seems to be played straight as far as the prevailing pop interpretation goes; it's our party, we can do what we want. (Only I would type that and then thing of "Doin' the Things That We Want To.")
Cymphonique, "It's My Party"
Nightcore, "It's My Party"
Kitty Pryde, "Okay Cupid" - This one flips the usual usage. I don't have an analysis of the song, but it's definitely a twist.
Robin Thicke, "Sex Therapy" - They don't all have to be about parties. Maybe they're just harder for me to find when they're not.
Fabuloso, "This Is My Party"
Roscoe Dash, "It's My Party" I'm cutting myself off, but I still think it's hilarious that a guy I went to HS with is a rapper and he's featured here.
The Beatles, "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" - people say this was influenced by it?
Lesley Gore, "Judy's Turn to Cry"
I don't know that there's any other song that's referenced this much. And I'm sure there's more than this. Given the genre focus, I bet it shows up in other genres, just maybe there's less written about it and maybe they're more creative about naming their songs.
Maybe I can make some conclusions? It's My Party is really about agency, but it has the advantage of rooting that in the pop music staple of a party setting. What a party is and sounds like can easily evolve with the time. But the concept at the heart of it that stays the same is asserting ownership over a situation, and the right to do whatever the singer wants. It's a youthful rebellion kind of idea, the desire to be in control, to declare it, brag about it, and ignore the consequences of deciding to do whatever you want. Of course, in the original, it's crying, and being allowed to feel and express your feelings is really a whole different thing and an uncommon message for a pop song; I've never really thought of "It's My Party" as being about allowing yourself to have your feelings, because I do think the message that gets passed along tends to have more of a young, even bratty, sense of entitlement. Maybe because of the reason she's allowed to feel her feelings; it's not because everyone is, it's because this is HER party. (Pretentious enough yet?)
Some of these songs are pretty annoying but they are making the point maybe. You can always stop listening once you get the use of the song.
Lesley Gore, "It's My Party"
Melanie Martinez, "Pity Party" - This one takes a different type of sadness, but is unusual in these in that it focuses on the crying, the tragedy; the party she's asserting ownership over is, perhaps, hers because no one else wanted it. [For some reason, I'm currently obsessed with this mashup.]
Icona Pop, "My Party" - Along "Pity Party" lines, it's the party-gone-wrong.
Drake, "Take Care" - This is maybe the first example that might be influenced by a desire to subvert the "squeaky clean" image of the Gore original. It's something that I'd argue pops up in most, if not all, of the rap interpretations, and definitely in "Sex Therapy." Also notable here that he avoids the word "party" -- even though he's likely talking about one.
Chaka Khan, "It's My Party" - This is maybe the closest to retaining the original meaning. She's asserting control of the party in the face of betrayal and heartbreak, not just to brag.
Jessie J, "It's My Party" - Perhaps the essential pop interpretation is "it's my party and I'll do what I want." But this does retain some of the sadness underneath; she doth protest too much that she doesn't "give a damn" and that's why she's having such a great party.
Brandy, "It's My Party"
Miley Cyrus, "We Can't Stop" - This one is interesting to me in terms of agency because "Can't" is there in the title. Despite that, it seems to be played straight as far as the prevailing pop interpretation goes; it's our party, we can do what we want. (Only I would type that and then thing of "Doin' the Things That We Want To.")
Cymphonique, "It's My Party"
Nightcore, "It's My Party"
Kitty Pryde, "Okay Cupid" - This one flips the usual usage. I don't have an analysis of the song, but it's definitely a twist.
Robin Thicke, "Sex Therapy" - They don't all have to be about parties. Maybe they're just harder for me to find when they're not.
Fabuloso, "This Is My Party"
Roscoe Dash, "It's My Party" I'm cutting myself off, but I still think it's hilarious that a guy I went to HS with is a rapper and he's featured here.
The Beatles, "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" - people say this was influenced by it?
Lesley Gore, "Judy's Turn to Cry"
I don't know that there's any other song that's referenced this much. And I'm sure there's more than this. Given the genre focus, I bet it shows up in other genres, just maybe there's less written about it and maybe they're more creative about naming their songs.