Format Digital download Length 3:24 | Genre Electro
electropop Label Atlantic
WMG | |
Released June 2, 2015 (2015-06-02) Writer(s) Christopher Baran
Kara DioGuardi
John Gluck
Wally Gold
Seymour Gottlieb
Melanie Martinez
Herb Wiener | ||
"Pity Party" is a song by American recording artist Melanie Martinez based on the 1963 Lesley Gore hit "It's My Party". It was released as the lead single from her debut album, Cry Baby (2015), on June 2, 2015. The music video was released on June 1, 2015. It impacted contemporary hit radio on March 22, 2016.
Contents
Background and composition
The song uses the chorus from Lesley Gore’s classic "It's My Party", released in 1963, as an interpolation, and also employs the iconic repeating-note horns hook from the original song as the recurring theme throughout. On July 28, 2016, the song was certified Gold by the RIAA, having sold 500,000 copies.
Regarding her song, she said, "This was during my second session with Kara DioGuardi. It was awesome to write that song because I love music from the 50s and 60s. When I was singing, Kara said my voice reminded her of Judy Garland and artists from that time. I really wanted to write about no one showing up to my birthday party and the song is perfect inspiration for this theme. I love samples, especially older songs because they can put a fresh new take on an old song. So we were really inspired by that and we sampled it for the first line of the chorus and that is how 'Pity Party' came about".
Mike Wass of Idolator noted how both "Pity Party" and Grace's single "You Don't Own Me" are based on Lesley Gore songs, saying "there seems to be a revival of the late [Gore's] music afoot".
Music video
The music video for "Pity Party" was released on June 1, 2015. However, the video was leaked 3 days prior to the official release. The video was directed by Melanie herself, she describes it as a "fun experience for her", considering she's the only person featured in the video.
A behind the scenes video was released June 17, 2015. Melanie describes her character, "Cry Baby", "She fell in love with someone, she threw a birthday party, invited him, and nobody showed up so she's just like absolutely insane". She said in the behind the scenes of her video.