Jessie J Wrote Miley Cyrus Hit Song 'Party in the USA' and Shared That It Payed Her Rent for 3 Years

Jessie J opened up recently that songwriting is really where the money is at. She shared that co-writing Miley Cyrus' big hit "Party In The USA," she was able to pay her rent for over three years.

"You've got to write songs, that's where the money is, being an artist. 'Party In The USA' paid my rent for, like, three years," the 26-year-old singer told Glamour. "Actually it was way longer than that. That's where I get most of my money. I write songs. I'm a singer. I love endorsements and stuff, but that's all added on."

"All women are saying, singing and speaking about the same thing, but in their own way - love, heartbreak, reassurance, sexiness, belief, how we look, how we feel. We're all singing about it and doing it," Jessie J continued.

"Party in the U.S.A." was on Miley Cyrus first album The Time of Our Lives (2009). It was released on August 11, 2009, by Hollywood Records as the lead single from the project. The song was written and produced by Dr. Luke, with additional songwriting provided by Jessie J and Claude Kelly. 

The song was originally intended for Jessie J, but after deciding it was not edgy enough for her, they passed it to Cyrus and adjusted the lyrics to fit her persona. Not completely identifying with "Party in the U.S.A.", Cyrus chose it for The Time of Our Lives partially due to a need for tracks. 

This is one of three collaborations between Cyrus and Dr. Luke, with EP title track "The Time of Our Lives" and "Wrecking Ball" following in 2013.

"Party in the U.S.A." was a critical and commercial success, reaching the top ten of charts in eight countries. In the United States, the song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was the sixth-best-selling digital single of 2009 and was also deemed as one of the best-selling singles in history. It remains Hollywood Records' fastest and best-selling single to date, selling 6 million copies worldwide as of October 2012. The single was certified seven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and quadruple platinum by Music Canada.

Jessie J has garnered various awards and nominations for contributions to the music industry, including the 2011 Critics' Choice BRIT Award and the BBC's Sound of 2011. As of April 2012, Jessie J had sold over 11 million singles and 2.5 million albums, worldwide.