American Teenager

"American Teenager" is a song by American singer-songwriter Ethel Cain. It was released as the third and final single from her debut album, Preacher's Daughter (2022). A heartland rock anthem, it illuminates both nostalgia for teenage life in the South and disillusionment with the American Dream.

"American Teenager"
A young woman standing on football bleachers in front of a blue sky
Cover art for the digital single
Single by Ethel Cain
from the album Preacher's Daughter
ReleasedApril 21, 2022 (2022-04-21)
Genre
Length4:18
LabelDaughters of Cain
Songwriter(s)
  • Hayden Silas Anhedönia
  • Steven Mark Colyer
Producer(s)
  • Ethel Cain
Ethel Cain singles chronology
"Strangers"
(2022)		 "American Teenager"
(2022)		 "Morning Elvis"
(2022)
Audio video
"American Teenager" on YouTube

Background

The sound of "American Teenager" has been compared by The Guardian to the works of Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen.[2] The song's lyrics contains references to American military interventions ("the neighbor’s brother came home in a box / but he wanted to go so maybe it was his fault"),[3] alcoholism, ("head full of whiskey but I always deliver")[4] and inter-generational trauma.[5][6]

On making a song with a more mainstream sound than the rest of her discography, Cain described herself as "scared that if I made pop music, I wouldn’t be taken seriously for the non-pop songs," but later felt as if she was "getting to the point where I don’t care."[7] She explained the song as being critical of expectations placed on American youth, writing that "what they don’t tell you is that you need your neighbour more than your country needs you."[8]

Music video

The music video for "American Teenager" was shot in Cain's hometown of Perry, Florida.[9][10] Cain wore her mother's cheerleading uniform to the town's high school football field, shooting the video on the same camera used for the "God's Country" music video.[11] The video pays homage to the midwest emo band American Football, and contains footage of the September 11 attacks.[12]

Critical reception

"American Teenager" has been listed by Insider, Atwood Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Pitchfork as one of the best songs of 2022.[13][14][15][16] The song was listed as one of former President Barack Obama's favorite songs of 2022, which prompted surprise from Cain and the media due to the song's anti-war message.[17]

Credits

As per Tidal:[18]

References
  1. Rolling Stone Staff (June 28, 2023). "The 50 Most Inspirational LGBTQ Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 1, 2023. ...the breakout song from the record was "American Teenager," a nostalgic indie-folk anthem...
  2. D'Souza, Shaad (July 7, 2023). "'I felt like a performing monkey': Ethel Cain on fans, fainting and being 'Miss Alt-Pop Star'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  3. "Ethel Cain responds after Obama includes her song on his end-of-year playlist". The Independent. December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  4. "Ethel Cain's Debut Record Exposes the Cult of the U.S.A." Them. May 12, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  5. James, Emily St (June 17, 2022). "One Good Thing: Musician Ethel Cain nurses Gen-Z America's broken heart". Vox. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  6. Wheeler, André-Naquian (April 17, 2023). "For Her First-Ever Coachella Performance, Ethel Cain Went Full Cheerleader in Givenchy". Vogue. In many ways, the look is a sophisticated continuation and elevation of the cheerleading uniform Cain wore in the suburbia-centric lo-fi visual for "American Teenager." That look was deeply personal.
  7. Schartz, Emma (June 21, 2023). "Ethel Cain and Kiernan Shipka on Nihilism and Nightmares". Interview Magazine. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  8. Geraghty, Hollie; holliegeraghty21 (April 22, 2022). "Ethel Cain shares dreamy new single 'American Teenager'". Rolling Stone UK. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  9. "Your Teenager at School", Caring for Your Teenager, American Academy of Pediatrics, pp. 122–146, June 25, 2005, retrieved September 2, 2023
  10. Fisher-Quann, Rayne. "Ethel Cain is subverting the idealised American Dream". i-d.vice.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  11. "Watch Ethel Cain's "American Teenager" Music Video". Paste Magazine. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  12. Pappis, Konstantinos (July 22, 2022). "Ethel Cain Shares New Video for 'American Teenagers', Announces Debut UK Show". Our Culture. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  13. "The 100 Best Songs of 2022". Pitchfork. December 5, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  14. Staff (December 19, 2022). "The Best Songs of 2022". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  15. Ahlgrim, Callie. "The 5 best and 5 worst songs of 2022". Insider. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  16. "The 100 Best Songs of 2022". Rolling Stone. December 5, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  17. Dao, Dan Q. (December 24, 2022). "Barack Obama Listens to Ethel Cain". Paper Mag. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  18. Cain, Ethel (April 21, 2022). "American Teenager". Tidal. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
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