| "American Teenager" | ||||
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| Single by Ethel Cain | ||||
| from the album Preacher's Daughter | ||||
| Released | April 21, 2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:18 | |||
| Label | Daughters of Cain | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Ethel Cain | |||
| Ethel Cain singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "American Teenager" on YouTube | ||||
"American Teenager" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Ethel Cain from her debut studio album, Preacher's Daughter (2022). It was released through her record label, Daughters of Cain, on April 21, 2022, as the third and final single from the album. Cain produced the song and wrote it with Steven Mark Colyer. Inspired by photographs of her mother's time as a high school cheerleader, she wrote the song to criticize the unrealistic expectations of being a teenager in the United States. She was initially concerned that making pop music would undermine her non-pop songs, but later decided to not let this affect her. It is a heartland rock and pop song driven by synthesizers, guitar, and drums. A song about intergenerational trauma, its lyricism offers cultural commentary criticizing gun culture in the United States, unraveling the concept of the "American Dream", and expresses anti-war themes. Numerous reviewers compared the track's sound to other musicians, especially Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen; Cain has cited the latter as a longtime inspiration.
Upon its release, "American Teenager" received positive reception from music critics, several of whom deemed it a standout from Preacher's Daughter. Critics enjoyed the emotional contrast between the upbeat production and the melancholic lyrics, the song's lyrical complexity, emotional depth and imagery, the song's blend of genres, and Cain's ability to make an accessible track while maintaining a distinct sound. Several publications deemed it one of the best songs of 2022, and it also made select mid-decade lists. It also appeared in Rolling Stone's 2023 list of the most inspirational LGBTQ songs of all time and Billboard's 2024 list of the best LGBTQ anthems of all time. Former President of the United States Barack Obama named it one of his favorite songs of 2022, Swift included it in the pre-show playlist for the Eras Tour, and the American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams recorded a cover version of the song in February 2024.
Cain directed and edited the music video for "American Teenager", which was filmed by Silken Weinberg in Cain's hometown of Perry, Florida. She wore her mother's cheerleading uniform to the city's high school football field to take after her. The video pays homage to the emo band American Football and contains footage of the September 11 attacks. Cain performed "American Teenager" live at several festivals and included it in the setlists of the Freezer Bride Tour in 2022, and the Blood Stained Blonde Tour in 2023.