Leave It All to Me

"Leave It All to Me"
Single by Miranda Cosgrove featuring Drake Bell
from the album iCarly
ReleasedDecember 18, 2007
Genre
Length2:42
Label
SongwriterMichael Corcoran
Miranda Cosgrove singles chronology
"Leave It All to Me"
(2007) 		"About You Now"
(2009)
Drake Bell singles chronology
"Makes Me Happy"
(2007) 		"Leave It All to Me"
(2007) 		"Terrific"
(2011)
Music video
"Leave It All to Me" on YouTube

"Leave It All to Me" is the debut single by American actress and singer Miranda Cosgrove featuring Drake Bell. The song served as the theme song for the Nickelodeon show iCarly and its 2021 revival. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack album iCarly (2008) on December 18, 2007, by Nickelodeon Records and distributed by Columbia. A remix by Billboard was released on the soundtrack album iCarly: iSoundtrack II on January 24, 2012.

The song was written by Michael Corcoran. An upbeat pop and pop-punk song, it has been described by critics as promoting optimism. It peaked at number 100 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 83 on the US Pop 100 chart. A music video for the song was released in 2008 and was later uploaded to Cosgrove's YouTube channel on September 28, 2010. Cosgrove performed "Leave It All to Me" during her debut solo tour, the Dancing Crazy Tour in 2011.

Background and release

American actress Miranda Cosgrove, who starred as Carly Shay on the Nickelodeon television show iCarly,[1][2] was asked by the show's producers to record a theme song for the series at age thirteen.[3][4] Although she had not previously recorded a song, she agreed to perform the track.[3] She later expressed interest in performing additional music.[5][6] The song was written by Michael Corcoran.[7][8] It was subsequently selected as the series' theme song.[9][10]

"Leave It All to Me" was released on December 18, 2007, as the lead single on the soundtrack album iCarly, through Nickelodeon Records and Columbia Records.[5][11] A remix by Canadian music producer Billboard later appeared on the soundtrack album iCarly: iSoundtrack II on January 24, 2012.[12][13] In June 2021, Cosgrove told Seventeen that "Leave It All to Me" would serve as the theme song for the 2021 iCarly revival.[14][15] Cosgrove said that although a rerecording had initially been considered for the revival, the original was ultimately retained after she advocated for keeping the theme song unchanged.[16][17]

Music and lyrics

"Leave It All to Me" features Cosgrove on lead vocals and Drake Bell—her co-star from Drake & Josh—on background vocals and lead guitar.[20][21] Heidi Kotansky of Common Sense Media described Bell's vocals on the track as "muted backup accompaniment that can't really be heard throughout most of the song".[18] She added that Cosgrove's vocals were "surprisingly decent and mature, perhaps a bit altered".[18]

The track is an upbeat pop and pop-punk song.[18][22] "Leave It All to Me" is driven by a steady drumbeat, with its bridge featuring an electric guitar riff and bells that transition into the chorus.[18][22][23] The track concludes with Cosgrove repeatedly singing, "Leave it all to me, just leave it all to me."[18][22] Critics described the lyrics as promoting confidence and optimism, citing lines such as: "Live life, breathe air/I know somehow we're gonna get there, and feel so wonderful."[18][22]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Common Sense Media[18]
The Ringer6/10[22]

"Leave It All to Me" received generally positive reviews from critics. Kotansky classified the song as "positive" and "peppy", stating that it is "very easy to get stuck in your head", though she added that it was "not the most innovative or talented pop single".[18] Shelley Emling of Patch opined that "Leave It All to Me" is a "song everyone is familiar with".[24] Nakeisha Campbell of PureWow commended its optimistic message, opining that Corcoran "hit the nail on the head" when he wrote the track.[8]

Several publications emphasized the song's lasting impression. Jake Viswanath of Bustle wrote that it "still knocks to this day", noting that Bell's background vocals served as a nostalgic reference to Drake & Josh.[25] P. Claire Dodson of Teen Vogue described it as "instantly catchy", saying it has continued memorability more than a decade after its release,[15] while Nick Fenley of Blavity characterized it as resonant with Generation Z and Millennials, calling it "full of energy-filled fun".[26] In retrospective reviews, Tamara Fuentes of Seventeen,[14] Fletcher Peters of Paste,[27] Samantha Olson of Cosmopolitan,[28] Katie Louise Smith of Capital,[29] and Sophie Thompson of Indy100 identified the theme song as iconic and widely recognized.[30]

The song has also appeared on retrospective rankings of television theme songs. Writing for The Ringer, Aric Jenkins ranked it nineteenth on his "Definitive Nickelodeon Theme Song Ranking". He described the track as "deceptively catchy" and initially said he "detested" its opening seconds, but then praised its "Beach Boys–esque harmonizing", which he felt helped balance the song.[22] Crystal Bell of MTV News ranked it twelfth on her list of the "17 Best Nickelodeon Theme Songs", mentioning that Bell's background vocals strengthened the track.[31] Jacquez Printup for Yardbarker placed it sixth on his list of "20 catchy TV show theme songs that stay in your brain forever", describing it as "catchy, motivational, and a bit encouraging".[32]

Commercial performance

"Leave It All to Me" debuted and peaked at number 100 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart dated January 12, 2008.[33][34][35] It gave Cosgrove and Bell their first Hot 100 hit in the United States.[33][36] The song lasted for one week on the chart.[33][36] The single also charted at number 83 on the US Pop 100 chart.[37]

Promotion and impact

The official music video for "Leave It All to Me" was released in 2008 and was later uploaded to Cosgrove's YouTube channel on September 28, 2010.[38][39] Cosgrove performed the track during her first headlining tour, the Dancing Crazy Tour, in 2011,[40][41] with Bell joining her onstage at Club Nokia, where his appearance drew cheers from the audience.[42] In January 2017, Bell shared a throwback video of himself and Cosgrove dancing to the song and said he hoped she would return to recording music following her hiatus to attend the University of Southern California.[42]

The song resurfaced In April 2017 when American singer Noah Cyrus shared a video of herself lip-syncing the theme song on Instagram, describing herself as a fan of iCarly.[43] It regained attention in June 2021 when American rapper DDG released a freestyle sampling the track, using its introduction and part of Cosgrove's opening verse.[23] Throughout 2022, American actor and DJ Matt Bennett performed the track during several of his DJ sets.[44] By July 2023, it had again drawn coverage during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike when Jaidyn Triplett posted a video on Twitter of herself singing the song, with Cosgrove, Nathan Kress, and Jerry Trainor dancing in the background.[30][45]

Credits and personnel

Credits were adapted from Tidal.[7]

Charts

Weekly chart performance
Chart (2008) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 (Billboard)[33] 100
US Pop 100 (Billboard)[37] 83

References

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  2. ^ Daysia, Tolentino (September 20, 2025). "Miranda Cosgrove says she struggled going from evil on Drake & Josh to nice on iCarly: 'I was really nervous'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 23, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Kinon, Christina (June 6, 2008). "Miranda Cosgrove's career heats up with new CD". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
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