Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)
Encyclopedia
"Breakaway" is a 2004 song co-written by Avril Lavigne
, Bridget Benenate
and Matthew Gerrard
and produced by John Shanks
. It was recorded by pop rock
singer Kelly Clarkson
for the soundtrack to the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
by Disney Records, where it quickly became a charting single and video from the soundtrack. Later, it was included on Clarkson's second album, Breakaway, being released again by RCA Records
as the album's first single. It was the first single
in North America, Latin America and Australia, and the fifth single in Europe from Clarkson's second album.
In February 2005, the single was certified gold by RIAA and has sold over 1,413,000 copies in all formats in the US.
, but she did not release it because she did not feel the song suited her album. It was later recorded by Clarkson for the soundtrack of the 2004 film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
.
The song was released as a single in the U.S. in July 2004. After two underperforming singles, "Low
" and "The Trouble with Love Is
", a few critics had written off Clarkson as an American Idol has-been, and neither they nor Clarkson's management team expected the song to be very successful. Clarkson stated that she recorded the song "Breakaway" to tide fans over until September of that year, when her team had been planning the release of the first single from her second album.
The situation changed in August 2004, when "Breakaway" entered the Billboard Hot 100
and slowly began to climb it. It gradually became one of the biggest hits of late 2004, peaking at number six on the Hot 100 in November, becoming Clarkson's first top ten single since "Miss Independent" in 2003. Because of the slow-burning success of "Breakaway", RCA Records pushed back the release of Clarkson's next single, moved the release of the album to November and titled it Breakaway to attract fans of the song. "Breakaway" is one of the songs with the most longevity on the Hot 100, not leaving until July 2005; this can be partly attributed to its steady digital download
sales, which have gained the single a RIAA gold certification.
"Breakaway" spent a record twenty consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song also shares the record for the longest run at number one for a female artist — twenty-one weeks — with Céline Dion
's "A New Day Has Come
". "Breakaway" is the longest running number-one on the chart from a film soundtrack.
In Australia
, "Breakaway" debuted at number fourteen, peaked at number ten on its third week and was later certified gold. The song was extremely popular in Canada
and reached number three. It was the fifth single from the album in the Netherlands
and the United Kingdom
, with a UK release date of June 26, 2006. The song became Clarkson's eighth top forty hit in the UK, peaking at number twenty-two.
, the music video
is tied in with the film. Dave Meyers was chosen to direct it. Clarkson wanted the video to be balanced between the theme of the song and the theme of the film. The video includes both themes, starting with a young actress, Lindsey Krueger, representing Clarkson as a child, who can be seen looking forlorn. Years pass, and an adult Clarkson, now a star, is seen attending the fictional premiere of The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Scenes from the film can be seen when Clarkson remembers her past, and how she "broke away". Originally the video was supposed to include more scenes of Clarkson growing up at a more gradual pace, but they had to be eliminated because of time constraints.
The music video released in the UK was filmed at the London Hammersmith Apollo
when Clarkson toured Europe.
Another video was released for the European release of the single; it is essentially the same as the U.S. video, but with the references to The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement removed. This version of the video also aired in the U.S. shortly after, as popularity of the movie faded.
Australian CD single
European CD single
UK CD single
Enhanced USA Promo CD
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
, Bridget Benenate
Bridget Benenate
Bridget Benenate is an American songwriter who first found success with the song "Permission to Shine," which was performed by the band Bachelor Girl and shot to the top of the Australian charts in 1999. The same year Bridget's song "Everything Changes" was featured on Dawson’s Creek in Episode...
and Matthew Gerrard
Matthew Gerrard
Matthew Gerrard is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. He has written hit singles by artists such as Nick Carter , Kelly Clarkson , Hilary Duff , Eden's Crush and Jesse McCartney...
and produced by John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
. It was recorded by pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
singer Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
for the soundtrack to the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement is the 2004 sequel to 2001's The Princess Diaries.Most of the cast returned from the first film, including Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Héctor Elizondo, and Heather Matarazzo...
by Disney Records, where it quickly became a charting single and video from the soundtrack. Later, it was included on Clarkson's second album, Breakaway, being released again by RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
as the album's first single. It was the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in North America, Latin America and Australia, and the fifth single in Europe from Clarkson's second album.
In February 2005, the single was certified gold by RIAA and has sold over 1,413,000 copies in all formats in the US.
History
The song was co-written by Avril Lavigne for her 2002 debut album, Let GoLet Go (Avril Lavigne album)
Let Go is the debut album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released on June 4, 2002. For a year after signing a record deal with Arista, Lavigne struggled due to conflicts in musical direction. Lavigne relocated to Los Angeles, California, and recorded there her earlier materials for...
, but she did not release it because she did not feel the song suited her album. It was later recorded by Clarkson for the soundtrack of the 2004 film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement is the 2004 sequel to 2001's The Princess Diaries.Most of the cast returned from the first film, including Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Héctor Elizondo, and Heather Matarazzo...
.
The song was released as a single in the U.S. in July 2004. After two underperforming singles, "Low
Low (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Low" is the second single from pop rock singer, Kelly Clarkson's debut album, Thankful, and her third overall to date.The single was written by Jimmy Harry and produced by Clif Magness...
" and "The Trouble with Love Is
The Trouble with Love Is
"The Trouble with Love Is" is the fourth and final single from pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson's debut album, Thankful. It was co-written by Clarkson, Evan Rogers, and Carl Sturken and co-produced by Rogers and Sturken...
", a few critics had written off Clarkson as an American Idol has-been, and neither they nor Clarkson's management team expected the song to be very successful. Clarkson stated that she recorded the song "Breakaway" to tide fans over until September of that year, when her team had been planning the release of the first single from her second album.
The situation changed in August 2004, when "Breakaway" entered the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The 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...
and slowly began to climb it. It gradually became one of the biggest hits of late 2004, peaking at number six on the Hot 100 in November, becoming Clarkson's first top ten single since "Miss Independent" in 2003. Because of the slow-burning success of "Breakaway", RCA Records pushed back the release of Clarkson's next single, moved the release of the album to November and titled it Breakaway to attract fans of the song. "Breakaway" is one of the songs with the most longevity on the Hot 100, not leaving until July 2005; this can be partly attributed to its steady digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
sales, which have gained the single a RIAA gold certification.
"Breakaway" spent a record twenty consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song also shares the record for the longest run at number one for a female artist — twenty-one weeks — with Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
's "A New Day Has Come
A New Day Has Come (song)
"A New Day Has Come" is the lead single from Céline Dion's comeback album A New Day Has Come, released on March 11, 2002.The song was written by Aldo Nova and Stephan Moccio and produced by Walter Afanasieff and Nova as a piano-driven ballad in 6/8 time. However, the midtempo radio remix...
". "Breakaway" is the longest running number-one on the chart from a film soundtrack.
In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, "Breakaway" debuted at number fourteen, peaked at number ten on its third week and was later certified gold. The song was extremely popular in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and reached number three. It was the fifth single from the album in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, with a UK release date of June 26, 2006. The song became Clarkson's eighth top forty hit in the UK, peaking at number twenty-two.
Music video
Because "Breakaway" was recorded for The Princess Diaries 2: Royal EngagementThe Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement is the 2004 sequel to 2001's The Princess Diaries.Most of the cast returned from the first film, including Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Héctor Elizondo, and Heather Matarazzo...
, the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
is tied in with the film. Dave Meyers was chosen to direct it. Clarkson wanted the video to be balanced between the theme of the song and the theme of the film. The video includes both themes, starting with a young actress, Lindsey Krueger, representing Clarkson as a child, who can be seen looking forlorn. Years pass, and an adult Clarkson, now a star, is seen attending the fictional premiere of The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Scenes from the film can be seen when Clarkson remembers her past, and how she "broke away". Originally the video was supposed to include more scenes of Clarkson growing up at a more gradual pace, but they had to be eliminated because of time constraints.
The music video released in the UK was filmed at the London Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
when Clarkson toured Europe.
Another video was released for the European release of the single; it is essentially the same as the U.S. video, but with the references to The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement removed. This version of the video also aired in the U.S. shortly after, as popularity of the movie faded.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single-releases of "Breakaway".Australian CD single
- "Breakaway" - 3:58
- "Because of You" (Performed by Jesse McCartneyJesse McCartneyJesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...
) - 3:36
European CD single
- "Breakaway" - 3:58
- "Breakaway" (NapsterLive) - 4:19
UK CD single
- "Breakaway" - 3:58
- "Breakaway" (NapsterLive) - 4:19
Enhanced USA Promo CD
- "Breakaway" - 3:58
- "Breakaway" (Video) - 4:00
Charts
| Chart (2004-06) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
3 |
| German Singles Chart | 13 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
12 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... Singles Chart |
12 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
22 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The 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... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
1 |
Sales and certifications
| Country | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Gold | 1,413,000 |
Cover versions
- Katie StevensKatie StevensKatherine Mari "Katie" Stevens is an American singer from Middlebury, Connecticut who finished in eighth place on the ninth season of American Idol.-Biography:...
sang "Breakaway" on the ninth seasonAmerican Idol (season 9)The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
of 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...
. - Belle Amie sang "Breakaway" on seventh seasonThe X Factor (UK series 7)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
of The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
during the bottom two and were eliminated.