Party for Two

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"Party for Two"
Single cover for the pop version. The maxi single uses the same artwork, but with a red background.[1]
Single by Shania Twain featuring Billy Currington or Mark McGrath
from the album Greatest Hits
B-side
ReleasedSeptember 7, 2004 (2004-09-07)
Recorded2004
Genre
Length
  • 3:32 (country mix)
  • 3:31 (pop mix)
LabelMercury Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Shania Twain singles chronology
"It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing"
(2004) 		"Party for Two"
(2004) 		"Don't!"
(2005)
Billy Currington singles chronology
"I Got a Feelin'"
(2004) 		"Party for Two"
(2004) 		"Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right"
(2005)
Music videos

"Party for Two" is a song recorded by Canadian country singer-songwriter Shania Twain. It was released as the lead single from her first Greatest Hits compilation on September 7, 2004. The song was written by Twain and her then-husband and producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, with the latter producing the song. "Party for Two" was recorded as both a pop mix with pop rock band Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath and a country version with country musician Billy Currington. The country version with Currington was released to country radio, while the pop mix with McGrath was released to pop audiences.

"Party for Two" was a commercial success for Twain, becoming her sixteenth and final top ten hit on the Hot Country Songs chart and peaking at number seven. Internationally the song cracked the top ten in six countries. In addition to the original pop and country mixes, the song would be remixed for club play, becoming one of her most remixed singles.[2] In 2005, "Party for Two" was certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 100,000 digital downloads, making it Twain's first single to be downloaded that many times.[3]

Twain performed the song at the 2004 Bambi Awards and the 2004 CMA Awards, along with performing the song on Good Morning America, GMTV, and Wetten, dass..?. Twain performed "Party for Two" on tour for the first time on her 2015 Rock This Country Tour. She has since performed the song on her Now Tour and Queen of Me Tour, as well as the Let's Go! residency.

Background[edit]

Twain spent 2003 and most of 2004 promoting her 2002 album Up! through live performances on TV shows, award shows such as the American Music Awards, CMA Awards, Echo Music Prize, and the Up! Tour, which had 113 shows and spanned from September 2003 to July 2004 and was a critical and commercial success. After the release of the final single from Up!, "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing" in February 2004 and the end of the Up! Tour, Twain took a break before deciding to release a greatest hits album. Twain included seventeen singles, including all her seven number ones at country radio, on the compilation. "Party for Two" was one of three new songs recorded for Greatest Hits, the others being "Don't!" and "I Ain't No Quitter". "Party for Two" was serviced as the lead single on September 7, 2004 to country radio. It was later released on October 25, 2004 in Australia, Germany, and US adult contemporary and hot adult contemporary radio. It was also released in Canada and the United Kingdom on November 2 and November 22.

Composition[edit]

"Party for Two" was released in two versions: a pop version featuring Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath for international audiences and a country version featuring Billy Currington for North American country radio. Twain and her then-husband, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, wrote the song, with Lange handling production. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, "Party for Two" is written in the key of B major with a tempo of 122 beats per minute. The chord progression contains open fifths: E5–B5–F♯5, and the vocals span from E3 to G♯4.[4]

Music video[edit]

An accompanying music video for "Party for Two" was shot in London, UK, in the South Kensington area on August 28 and 29, 2004, and features the Royal Albert Hall. It was directed by Marcus Raboy and was premiered on September 27, 2004. The video shows Twain walking around town handing out invitations to movers, a waiter (played by Sebastian J. Brook), and an artist, to help her get ready for her "party for two" later that night. At the party, Twain and her guest end up swinging on a chandelier and smashing plates. Two separate versions of the video exist - one with Mark McGrath and the other with Billy Currington. The country version was released to music stations such as CMT and GAC while the pop version was released to VH1, MuchMoreMusic, and other international stations.

The video proved to be successful, with the pop version winning the MuchMusic Video Award for the MuchMoreMusic Video of the Year[5] while the country version was nominated for Collaborative Video of the Year at the 2005 CMT Music Awards. Both versions of the video are available on certain European enhanced CD singles.

Chart performance[edit]

"Party for Two" debuted on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs the week of September 18, 2004 at number 39, the highest debut of the week and Twain's third highest debut of all time, behind the number 29 debut of "Love Gets Me Every Time" (1997) and number 24 debut of "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" (2002).[6] It was initially only credited as "Shania Twain featuring Billy Currington" before Billboard changed the credit to "Shania Twain featuring Billy Currington or Mark McGrath." It rose to its peak position of number seven on December 25, 2004, where it stayed for one week; it stayed 20 weeks overall on the chart. "Party for Two" is Twain's 16th and to date final top ten single at country radio. The single also peaked at number 57 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and 58 on the Radio Songs chart.

The single debuted at number 36 on the Adult Contemporary chart on November 20, 2004, becoming the highest debut of the week. It peaked at number 16 on the chart for the week of January 22, 2005, where it stayed for two non-consecutive weeks; it spent 18 weeks overall. "Party for Two" became Twain's ninth consecutive top-twenty single on the chart.

"Party for Two" proved to be successful internationally. It debuted on the UK Singles Chart for the week of 4 December 2004 at number ten, becoming Twain's ninth and final top ten single to date. It stayed in the UK charts for nine weeks.[7] In German-speaking Europe, "Party for Two" proved to be a hit, peaking at numbers six and seven in Austria and Germany and becoming Twain's final top ten hits in both regions. In Twain's home country of Canada, the single spent six weeks atop the BDS Airplay Chart and peaked at number two on the sales-only Canadian Singles Chart. "Party for Two" also cracked the top ten in Denmark, Portugal, Spain, and Scotland.

Live performances[edit]

Twain first performed the country version of "Party for Two" on Good Morning America with Billy Currington in November 2004. She also performed the country version with him on the German music show Wetten, dass..?.[8] Twain performed the pop version featuring Mark McGrath for the first time on Dutch TV.[9] She also performed the version featuring him at the 2004 Bambi Awards.[10] Twain also performed the pop version with Mark on the British morning show GMTV.[11]

Twain performed "Party for Two" on tour for the first time, during her 2015 Rock This Country Tour. She performed the song as a duet with Nick Jonas at the Stagecoach Festival in 2017 and has most recently performed the song during her 2023 Queen of Me Tour on April 29.

Track listings[edit]

These are the formats of major releases.

Official versions[edit]

"Party for Two" has become one of Twain's most professionally remixed songs. Almighty Records, which previously remixed "Thank You Baby!", provided six different versions of the song.[12]

  • Country Album Version (3:32)
  • Pop Album Version (3:32)
  • Country Version Radio Edit (3:26)
  • Pop Version Radio Edit (3:25)
  • LMC Remix (6:37)
  • LMC Remix Edit (6:19)
  • Kenny Hayes Mix (5:46)
  • Almighty Downtown Mix (6:46)
  • Almighty Downtown Dub (6:46)
  • Almighty Downtown Radio Edit (3:37)
  • Almighty Uptown Mix (7:49)
  • Almighty Uptown Dub (8:02)
  • Almighty Uptown Radio Edit (3:30)

Cover versions[edit]

The song was covered by the South African singer Ray Dylan on his album Goeie Ou Country vol 3.[13]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[3] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release dates and formats for "Party for Two"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Australia October 25, 2004 CD single Universal [36]
Germany [37]
United States
Mercury [38]
Canada November 2, 2004 CD single [39]
United States November 8, 2004 Contemporary hit radio [40]
United Kingdom November 22, 2004 CD single Universal [41][42]
Russia November 24, 2004 Contemporary hit radio Universal [43]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Shania Twain with Mark McGrath – Party for Two". Tracklisten. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  2. ^ "MP3Search.Ru » Shania Twain » Party For Two (The Remixes)". February 12, 2006. Archived from the original on February 12, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "American single certifications – Shania Twain – Party for Two". Recording Industry Association of America.
  4. ^ "Party for Two". Musicnotes.com. December 20, 2004. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  5. ^ "Shania Twain awards". Archived from the original on June 4, 2007. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  6. ^ [1] [dead link]
  7. ^ "The Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
  8. ^ Shania Twain - Party For Two - Wetten Dass - 2004 - XviD AVI, retrieved June 27, 2023
  9. ^ Shania Twain - Party For Two with Mark McGrath on Dutch TV 2004, retrieved June 27, 2023
  10. ^ Shania Twain - Party For Two Feat Mark McGrath (Live From Bambi Awards/2004), retrieved June 27, 2023
  11. ^ Shania Twain & Mark Mcgrath Party For Two, retrieved June 27, 2023
  12. ^ "Almighty Remixes". Almightyrecords.com. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
  13. ^ "Ray Dylan, Goeie Ou Country - Vol.3, CDS, Musica a World awaits - 6005298031754". Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014
  14. ^ "Shania Twain with Mark McGrath – Party for Two" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  15. ^ "Shania Twain with Mark McGrath – Party for Two" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  16. ^ "Shania Twain with Mark McGrath – Party for Two" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  17. ^ "Hot Canadian Digital Songs Sales". Billboard. November 20, 2004. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  18. ^ "R&R Canada AC Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. December 10, 2004. p. 67. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  19. ^ "R&R Canada Country Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. November 26, 2004. p. 42. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  20. ^ "R&R Canada Hot AC Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. December 10, 2004. p. 69. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  21. ^ "Shania Twain – Party for Two" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  22. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  23. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Party for Two". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  24. ^ "Shania Twain with Mark McGrath – Party for Two" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  25. ^ "Shania Twain with Mark McGrath – Party for Two". VG-lista. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  26. ^ "Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 5, saptamina 7.02 – 13.02, 2005" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on May 14, 2005. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  27. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  28. ^ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  29. ^ "Shania Twain with Mark McGrath – Party for Two". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  30. ^ "Shania Twain with Mark McGrath – Party for Two". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  31. ^ "Shania Twain: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  32. ^ "Shania Twain Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  33. ^ "Shania Twain Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  34. ^ "Shania Twain Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  35. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 2004" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  36. ^ "The ARIA Report: Issue 765" (PDF). Webarchive.nla.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008.
  37. ^ "Party for Two". Amazon.de.
  38. ^ "Radio & Records" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. October 22, 2004. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  39. ^ ""Party for Two" (3 Mixes) (5 Tracks)". CDPlus.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2005.
  40. ^ "Going for Adds - CHR/Pop" (PDF). Radio & Records. November 5, 2004. p. 20.
  41. ^ "Party for Two". Amazon.co.uk.
  42. ^ "Party for Two". Amazon.co.uk.
  43. ^ "Shania Twain — Party for Two". Tophit.ru.
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