"Make It in America" is a song performed by the Victorious cast featuring American actress and singer Victoria Justice from the show's debut extended play (EP),Victorious 2.0:More Music from the Hit TV Show (2012). It was co-written by Justice and Martin Johnson. The track was released as the extended play's second and final single on May 15,2012,through Columbia Records in association with Nickelodeon. The song was featured in the show,where Tori Vega (Justice) performs it during a major award show.
Musically,"Make It in America" is an upbeat pop and pop rock track with lyrics about a person following after their dreams. The song received generally positive reviews from critics,who mostly praised its catchiness. It peaked at number one on the US Kid Digital Song Sales chart. An accompanying music video was released in 2012 and portrays Justice and the Victorious cast driving through Los Angeles. Justice performed the track live on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in May 2012.
Background and release
"Make It in America" was first released as a single on May 15,2012,through Columbia Records in association with Nickelodeon.[1][2][3] The song then appeared on the American Nickelodeon television sitcom Victorious on May 19 in a one-hour special titled "Tori Goes Platinum".[4][5][6] In the episode,a famous music producer selects Tori Vega (Victoria Justice) to perform an opening song for a major award show,but only under the condition that he can completely revamp her image. She performs "Make It in America" during the episode.[4] It was added as the first track to the show's first extended play (EP) Victorious 2.0:More Music from the Hit TV Show on June 5,2012.[7][8] The song was released as a single in Australia by Sony to radio airplay on November 1,2012,and digital download on November 9.[9]
Composition and lyrics
Justice provides the lead vocals and is credited as a writer on the track. Martin Johnson contributes background vocals and also serves as a writer,producer,and programmer. Martin added acoustic guitar,electric guitar,and percussion,with Jon Keefe on drums. The track was mastered by Stephen Marcussen and mixed by Miles Walker. Engineering and programming were handled by Kyle Moorman,with Eric Bisgyer serving as assistant engineer.[10]
Justice explained that the she was inspired to write "Make It in America" after hearing her mother on the phone talking about someone "breaking big and making it in America," a phrase that stuck with her and inspired the song's title,which she felt carried a powerful message.[6][11] She stated in an interview that "Make It in America" was "a song that I'm very proud of".[12] Music critics have described "Make It in America" as an upbeat pop and pop rock track.[13][14] The track has lyrics centered on a person dreaming about success in the music industry while encouraging others to work hard to follow their goals and chase after their dreams.[10][13][15]
Reception
Alyssa Melillo for the Long Island Press opined that "Make It in America" was one of the songs that "set an energetic high bar for the show".[16] The joint website of Bop and Tiger Beat gave a positive review of the track,deeming it as "pretty powerful" while stating that they are "absolutely loving" the song.[11] Heather Phares,writing for AllMusic,commended "Make It in America",stating that Justice's "commanding vocals are the main attraction".[17] The staff of Perez Hilton.com labeled the track as "summery" and stated that it "would make a great addition to a road trip playlist".[5]
Writing for MovieWeb,Israel Olorunnisola placed "Make It in America" at number ten on his "Victorious:10 Songs You Forgot Were Awesome" list,describing it as a "gem" and mentioning that the song's "catchy chorus and upbeat melody makes it a track not to dismiss".[13] Olorunnisola opined the track "showcases Justice's vocal abilities and proves her versatility as an artist".[13] Megan Gaertner and Allison Kane for Her Campus placed the song at number five on their "The Best Songs from Victorious" list,describing "Make It in America" as "really sweet" while also calling it "really nice and heartwarming".[15] Commercially,"Make It in America" peaked at number one on the US Kid Digital Song Sales chart.[18]
Promotion
A music video for "Make It in America" was first released in May 2012.[11][19][20] The video was later uploaded to the official VictoriousYouTube channel on September 20,2012.[21] The music video features Justice and the Victorious cast driving in a convertible through Los Angeles,making stops at numerous landmarks,including the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Griffith Observatory.[11][13] Justice performed the song live on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in May 2012,and also sang it during her first solo tour in the United States in late 2012.[22][23][24]
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