American Teenager

After leaving her family's home in Florida when she was age 18, Cain began her gender transition process and began working on her debut album, ''Preacher's Daughter'' (2022). She had been working on the album's story throughout the majority of her life; She announced the album alongside the release of its lead single, "Gibson Girl", on March 17, 2022. It was followed by the second single, "Strangers", on April 7. "American Teenager" was released as the third and final single from the album on April 21, through her record label, Daughters of Cain. It was released alongside a visualizer, which depicts Cain sitting on a picnic table, drinking cans of Budweiser, and appearing tired on a sunny day. Alongside the release of the single, she also announced the Freezer Bride Tour and revealed its North American dates for July 2022. Cain was inspired to write "American Teenager" after looking at old photographs of her mother's time as a cheerleader in high school. She wrote the song to criticize the unrealistic expectations of being a teenager in the United States. She stated that she was surrounded by "visions of NASCAR, rock'n'roll, and being the one who would change everything" when growing up. She also commented on how the people around her growing up made her believe that everything is achievable, though did not tell her that "you need your neighbor more than your country needs you". Commenting on making a song with a more mainstream sound than the rest of her discography, Cain stated she was "scared that if [she] made pop music, [she] wouldn't be taken seriously for the non-pop songs", but later felt as if she was "getting to the point where [she] [does not] care". Cain produced the song herself and wrote it with Steven Mark Colyer. == Music and lyrics ==

"American Teenager" is 4 minutes and 18 seconds long. It is a heartland rock and pop song with elements of country rock It has also been described as an ambient pop, indie folk, pop rock, and arena rock track by select music publications. It is driven by synthesizers, guitar, and drums with a hook reminiscent of rock music from the 1980s. Cain's vocals, and the track itself, contain considerable amounts of reverb. Its guitar riff is a sample of the song "Don't Stop Believin' (1981) by the American rock band Journey. "American Teenager" is the most upbeat song on ''Preacher's Daughter Pitchfork Olivia Horn deemed it Cain's "closest brush with pop's mainstream". "American Teenager" is about intergenerational trauma, unraveling the concept of the "American Dream", as well as expressing anti-war themes. The lyric "The neighbor's brother came home in a box" challenges the idea of a person serving their country, while "Jesus, if you're there, why do I feel alone in this room with you?" questions the idea of a person loving their god. The song evokes imagery of a high school football team, Its isolation-influenced lyrics about crying on a set of bleachers and witnessing caskets come back from war are used in a way to promote her sense of self-determination. Cain references the American racing driver Dale Earnhardt in the lyric "I do it for my daddy and I do it for Dale", and the song ends with the line "I'm doing what I want / And damn, I'm doing it well / For me", showing that the one thing Cain believes in is herself. and jokingly called it "the year's best Taylor Swift song". Similarly, Michelle Hyun Kim of Rolling Stone said it is reminiscent of Springsteen, Swift, and the emo band American Football. Steve Erickson from Slant Magazine wrote that the song's "huge drums and vocals drowned in reverb" could be played next to Swift's songs on Top 40 radio, A writer for Billboard felt the "ethereal regions of [Cain's] voice" were reminiscent of the Irish rock band the Cranberries. In an interview with Paper, Cain cited Springsteen as a longtime inspiration. == Reception ==

Critical response Upon its release, "American Teenager" received positive reviews from music publications. Several critics considered it a standout track from ''Preacher's Daughter''. Some reviewers highlighted the emotional contrast between the upbeat production and the melancholic lyrics. Rytlewski commended the song's ability to effectively establish the album's recurring themes. Rankings Several publications deemed "American Teenager" one of the best songs of 2022. It appeared in the top 25 spots in lists from Business Insider, The Line of Best Fit, Vulture, The Guardian, The New York Times, DIY, and Rolling Stone, Nylon, Uproxx, and British GQ. It was included in Rolling Stone's 2023 list of the most inspirational LGBTQ songs of all time; Ilana Kaplan called it ''Preacher's Daughter breakout song. Similarly, Billboard named it as one of the best LGBTQ anthems of all time in 2024, describing it as "earnest yet jaded, familiar yet fresh". In 2024, American Songwriter'' named it the best rock song of the decade so far; Em Casalena lauded the song's folk elements, saying they made the song sound "addicting". She also commented, "It's wild how a song about intergenerational trauma can be such a delightful little slice of music". Celebrity response "American Teenager" was listed as one of former President of the United States Barack Obama's favorite songs of 2022, which prompted surprise from Cain and the media due to the song's anti-war message. The song was included on the pre-show playlist for Swift's the Eras Tour (2023–2024). American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams covered "American Teenager" at the Sydney concert of her Good Riddance Tour in January 2024. The following month, she recorded a cover version of the song for the Australian radio station Triple J. Following its release, Abrams showed admiration for Cain; she described the song as "amazing" and stated that she enjoys Cain's songwriting and listens to her music often. Influence Nico Lang named their nonfiction book, American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era, after "American Teenager". They decided on the name when they heard Cain's song playing on the radio, later saying that they hoped the song would influence how readers approached their book. == Music video and live performances ==

.|200x200px|alt=A photograph of a street in Perry, Florida's downtown. Cain directed and edited the music video for "American Teenager", which was filmed by Silken Weinberg in Cain's hometown of Perry, Florida. She stated that she felt it correct to follow in her mother's "footsteps" for the music video after looking at old pictures of her mother. Cain performed "American Teenager" live at several festivals, including the Pitchfork Music Festival, and Primavera Sound. She also included it in the set list of her first two concerts tours, the Freezer Bride Tour in 2022, and the Blood Stained Blonde Tour in 2023. == References ==