Break Anotha
Encyclopedia
"Break Anotha" is the official debut single of Blake Lewis
, the runner-up on the sixth season
of American Idol
. Being the leadoff single from A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
, it was first leaked on October 29, 2007 via phone to fans who had signed up at BlakeLewisComingSoon.com. The single began to impact the radio on October 30 and was premiered on 106.1 KISS FM
in Seattle. It was released on iTunes Music Store on November 13 and officially went for adds on November 20.
, Ryan Tedder
(OneRepublic
), Sam Watters
and produced by Lewis and Tedder.
Lewis described the song as "funk
/soul
-inspired" and is influenced by certain musicians:
His friends have also involved in the production of the song:
, premiered on December 6 on Yahoo! Music
. Nonetheless, during an interview of Lewis with Jared Cotter
on The Sauce of Fuse TV
on December 5, a sneak peek of the video has been aired on the show. It was shot against a green screen and "has an interesting concept behind it", which in Lewis' words, "when you open Rorschach inkblot test
s, how they have two different sides" and like "ink and water, and different effects behind me that come in".
"Break Anotha" has garnered reviews from Seattle Post-Intelligencer
, The Detroit News
and Boston Herald
as well. While the reviewers got a vibe of Justin Timberlake from it, they all predicted that "Break Anotha" will be a successful single. The Detroit News even went further, writing that Lewis, with "one of the most exciting singles of the year", "will blow Sparks
[Jordin Sparks, winner on the sixth season
of American Idol] out of the water, if not in first week sales then in three months' time". However this prediction proved highly incorrect, since as of February 2008 (a full three months after the song's release) "Break Anotha" failed to enter the Hot 100, and failed to reach 100,000 in digital sales, while Sparks' first single "Tattoo" reached the top ten of the Hot 100 and has sold over 1,900,000 in digital sales to date.
Top 40 chart, reaching an audience of approximately 150,000. Two days after the release, it entered the top 100, reaching an audience of nearly 266,000. The song was not added to radio playlists officially until November 20, 2007 and it reached #40 as of December 19.
"Break Anotha" scored 11,000 downloads its first week, and has to date sold 85,000 in total. It debuted and peaked on Billboard
Pop 100
at #85 and Hot Digital Songs
chart at #97 in the issue of the charts on December 1, 2007. It also debuted and peaked on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 at #10 for chart week December 22, 2007. "Break Anotha" failed to reach the Hot 100.
Blake Lewis
Blake Colin Lewis is an American singer-songwriter and beatboxer who was the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. His major label debut album A.D.D. was released on December 4, 2007 through 19 Recordings/Arista Records. On October 30, 2007, his first single "Break Anotha" was released....
, the runner-up on the sixth season
American Idol (Season 6)
The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Being the leadoff single from A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
A.D.D. is the debut studio album by Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. It was released in the United States and Canada on December 4, 2007. The first single is "Break Anotha" and was released to radio on October 30...
, it was first leaked on October 29, 2007 via phone to fans who had signed up at BlakeLewisComingSoon.com. The single began to impact the radio on October 30 and was premiered on 106.1 KISS FM
KBKS-FM
KBKS-FM , better known as "106.1 KISS FM", is a radio station in the Seattle, Washington area that plays current popular music. The Clear Channel outlet broadcasts at 106.1 MHz with an ERP of 68 kW and is licensed to Tacoma, Washington.-History:KBKS signed on the air in 1959 as KLAY-FM,...
in Seattle. It was released on iTunes Music Store on November 13 and officially went for adds on November 20.
Background
The song was co-written by Lewis, Louis BiancanielloLouis Biancaniello
Louis John Biancaniello is a songwriter, record producer, and musician.-Background:Louis' skills were developed while working alongside producer Narada Michael Walden with whom he produced hits for Shanice "I Love Your Smile", Whitney Houston "I'm Every Woman" from the Grammy winning album The...
, Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
(OneRepublic
OneRepublic
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
), Sam Watters
Sam Watters
Sam Watters is a Grammy nominated American songwriter, record producer, singer, and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990’s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including “I Wanna Sex You Up”, “I Adore Mi Amor”, and “All 4 Love”...
and produced by Lewis and Tedder.
Lewis described the song as "funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
/soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
-inspired" and is influenced by certain musicians:
His friends have also involved in the production of the song:
Music video
The video of "Break Anotha", which was directed by SanjiSanji (director)
Sanji Senaka is a music video and advertising director.Sanji started his career in 1993, but it took 6 years until he made his name known. He was represented by Believe Media until 2004 and FM Rocks until the end of 2006. He is now represented by Yell Productions...
, premiered on December 6 on Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
. Nonetheless, during an interview of Lewis with Jared Cotter
Jared Cotter
Jared Lincoln Cotter is an American pop/R&B singer, songwriter and model. He has hosted a number of TV shows, and he co-wrote the number 1 song "Down" by Jay Sean.-Biography:...
on The Sauce of Fuse TV
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
on December 5, a sneak peek of the video has been aired on the show. It was shot against a green screen and "has an interesting concept behind it", which in Lewis' words, "when you open Rorschach inkblot test
Rorschach inkblot test
The Rorschach test is a psychological test in which subjects' perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to examine a person's personality characteristics and emotional functioning...
s, how they have two different sides" and like "ink and water, and different effects behind me that come in".
Responses
The single received generally favorable reviews from fans and critics.- Chuck TaylorChuck Taylor (Billboard writer and editor)Chuck Taylor is an American music journalist. He was a writer and senior editor at Billboard magazine from 1995 to 2009...
of Billboard MagazineBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
depicted "Break Anotha", which has drawn 76,000 streams on the day it premiered on "AOLAOLAOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
First Listen", as "a lightning rod of rock'n'funk, meshing busy, skittish production and enough tempo stops and starts to build one clever three-minute jam", as well as channeling Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
"with fluffed harmonic layers and falsettoFalsettoFalsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
as he sings a rapid-fire lyric about a playa". He felt that "this runner-up is poised to win the big prize: song is a bull's-eye, the stylish 26-year-old has the looks of a teen idol, and clearly, AI [American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
] fever has never been more prominent" and "the future looks mighty bright for full-length Audio Day Dream". - Ken Barnes of USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
commented that the song "sounds like a clever maximizing of Blake's musical inclinations in a contemporary pop context" and "seems to be aimed straight at the Justin Timberlake market, and - with a properly warm radio reception - it could hit the jackpot". - Michael Slezak of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the single rave review, thought that it "sounds like it could easily hold its own on BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
", "not just a 'good for an Idol graduate' kind of single, but instead the kind of track I'd spend money to download" and predicted that it will be a "big hit". - Blender MagazineBlender (magazine)Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
believed that the single "lives up to the singer's daring reality TV persona" and "is semi-ridiculous, hyperactive and totally different from your typical Idol fare", giving a rating of 3/5. - Bill LambBill LambThe Hon. William Henry Lamb was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1938 until 1962 and, variously, a member of the Australian Labor Party and the Lang Labor Party...
from About.comAbout.comAbout.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
thought that while "beatboxingBeatboxingBeatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, and the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
is part of the mix", "Blake's vocals are front and center in the instantly funky mix" and he has "really enjoyed listening to 'Break Anotha'", although he was disappointed by the Audio Day Dream cover design.
"Break Anotha" has garnered reviews from Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
, The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
and Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
as well. While the reviewers got a vibe of Justin Timberlake from it, they all predicted that "Break Anotha" will be a successful single. The Detroit News even went further, writing that Lewis, with "one of the most exciting singles of the year", "will blow Sparks
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
[Jordin Sparks, winner on the sixth season
American Idol (Season 6)
The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...
of American Idol] out of the water, if not in first week sales then in three months' time". However this prediction proved highly incorrect, since as of February 2008 (a full three months after the song's release) "Break Anotha" failed to enter the Hot 100, and failed to reach 100,000 in digital sales, while Sparks' first single "Tattoo" reached the top ten of the Hot 100 and has sold over 1,900,000 in digital sales to date.
Chart performance
"Break Anotha" was released to radio stations on October 30, 2007 and debuted at #197 on the MediabaseMediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals...
Top 40 chart, reaching an audience of approximately 150,000. Two days after the release, it entered the top 100, reaching an audience of nearly 266,000. The song was not added to radio playlists officially until November 20, 2007 and it reached #40 as of December 19.
"Break Anotha" scored 11,000 downloads its first week, and has to date sold 85,000 in total. It debuted and peaked on Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
at #85 and Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart at #97 in the issue of the charts on December 1, 2007. It also debuted and peaked on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 at #10 for chart week December 22, 2007. "Break Anotha" failed to reach the Hot 100.
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 10 |
External links
- Official website
- "Break Anotha" on SayNow
- "Break Anotha" premiere on AOL.com
- Drummer KJ Sawka KJ Sawka Official Website