Brokenhearted
Encyclopedia
"Brokenhearted" is an R&B
ballad
performed by singer Brandy
. It was written and produced by Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones for the singer's self-titled debut studio album, Brandy
(1995). A remix version
of the song, produced by duo Soulshock & Karlin
, including vocals by Boyz II Men
lead singer Wanya Morris
, was released as the album's fourth and final single in August 1995 (see 1995 in music
). In the United States
, the song peaked at number 9 on the Billboard
Hot 100
, becoming Brandy's third domestic top ten hit. Fabolous
' "Makin Love" featuring Ne-Yo
sampled her song on Loso's Way
(2009).
in 2005: "There's a funny story behind the recording of that song! I really wanted to go to Six Flags
but the producers kept saying, ‘only after you finish recording!' I sang my heart out...I wanted to go to Six Flags so bad! You can hear the passion in my voice!"
The idea for a duet version of the album original came up, while Brandy was on a two-month stint as the opening act
on Boyz II Men's national tour in early 1995. Both artists were on the airplane on the way to another city, when Morris got his hand's on a copy of Brandy's debut album
: "I was listening to her album on the plane and I was like, 'Yo, we should do a duet of 'Brokenhearted'," Wanya told MTV News
the following year.
for the single was directed by Hype Williams
and filmed inside the Oheka Castle
in Spring Hills, New York
. Williams picked the castle because the owner was willing to let them ruin the floors and the walls with water and paint to out the video treatment into practice. "It's basically a dream, because of course this is not reality," Brandy told MTV
during the shooting. "I can't afford a mansion right now, so it's like I fall asleep and I dream about doing a duet with Wanya and I'm in this big mansion wearing these grown clothes, big beautiful Whitney Houston
-type clothes." Since the water was on the floor, the crew had to wear boots during filming. Actor Donald Faison
makes a cameo appearance
in the video.
CD maxi single
CD single (85551-2)
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
performed by singer Brandy
Brandy (entertainer)
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
. It was written and produced by Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones for the singer's self-titled debut studio album, Brandy
Brandy (album)
Brandy is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer Brandy, released by Atlantic Records on September 27, 1994 in North America, December 5 in the United Kingdom and on several dates in Europe, starting on February 3, 1995....
(1995). A remix version
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of the song, produced by duo Soulshock & Karlin
Soulshock & Karlin
Soulshock & Karlin is a duo of Danish record producers and songwriters, Carsten Schack and Kenneth Karlin. They have produced a large number of successful songs, including Monica's "Before You Walk out of My Life", Whitney Houston's "Heartbreak Hotel", JoJo's "Leave ", and Fantasia's "Truth Is"...
, including vocals by Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
lead singer Wanya Morris
Wanya Morris
Wanyá Jermaine Morris is an American R&B singer, best known as a member of the R&B group Boyz II Men.Aside from Boyz II Men, Wanyá has his own record label, "The Company Entertainment"....
, was released as the album's fourth and final single in August 1995 (see 1995 in music
1995 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- January–February :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident....
). In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the song peaked at number 9 on the Billboard
Billboard (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 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...
, becoming Brandy's third domestic top ten hit. Fabolous
Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...
' "Makin Love" featuring Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
sampled her song on Loso's Way
Loso's Way
Loso's Way is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Fabolous, released on July 28, 2009.-Background:Fabolous planned on not having many guests on the album. The album was originally called Work Hard, Play Harder...
(2009).
Recording
The album version of "Brokenhearted" was recorded in a single take, Brandy remembered during the release of The Best of BrandyThe Best of Brandy
The Best of Brandy is the first compilation album by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. Completing her contract with Atlantic Records after eleven years with the company, it was released in March and April 2005 on most international music markets....
in 2005: "There's a funny story behind the recording of that song! I really wanted to go to Six Flags
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
but the producers kept saying, ‘only after you finish recording!' I sang my heart out...I wanted to go to Six Flags so bad! You can hear the passion in my voice!"
The idea for a duet version of the album original came up, while Brandy was on a two-month stint as the opening act
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
on Boyz II Men's national tour in early 1995. Both artists were on the airplane on the way to another city, when Morris got his hand's on a copy of Brandy's debut album
Brandy (album)
Brandy is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer Brandy, released by Atlantic Records on September 27, 1994 in North America, December 5 in the United Kingdom and on several dates in Europe, starting on February 3, 1995....
: "I was listening to her album on the plane and I was like, 'Yo, we should do a duet of 'Brokenhearted'," Wanya told MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
the following year.
Music video
The music videoMusic 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...
for the single was directed by Hype Williams
Hype Williams
Harold "Hype" Williams , previously known as HYPE, is an American music video and film director of African-American and Honduran descent. His nickname "Hype" comes from his hyperactive nature as a child....
and filmed inside the Oheka Castle
Oheka Castle
Oheka Castle, also known as the Otto Kahn Estate, is located on the Gold Coast of Long Island, in Huntington, New York. It was the country home of financier and philanthropist Otto Kahn. Built by Kahn between 1914 and 1919, it was and remains the second largest private home in the United States,...
in Spring Hills, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Williams picked the castle because the owner was willing to let them ruin the floors and the walls with water and paint to out the video treatment into practice. "It's basically a dream, because of course this is not reality," Brandy told MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
during the shooting. "I can't afford a mansion right now, so it's like I fall asleep and I dream about doing a duet with Wanya and I'm in this big mansion wearing these grown clothes, big beautiful Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
-type clothes." Since the water was on the floor, the crew had to wear boots during filming. Actor Donald Faison
Donald Faison
Donald Adeosun Faison is an American actor, comedian, and voice actor best known for his role as Dr. Chris Turk in the ABC comedy-drama Scrubs and as Murray in the film Clueless and the subsequent television series of the same name.Faison has also co-starred in the films Remember the Titans ,...
makes a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the video.
Formats and tracklistings
These are the formats and track listings of major single-releases of "Brokenhearted".CD maxi single
- "Brokenhearted" (LP Mix)
- "Brokenhearted" (Soul Power Groove Mix)
- "Brokenhearted" (UniFied Remix)
- "Brokenhearted" (Tumble Bumble Mix)
CD single (85551-2)
- "Brokenhearted" (Soulpower Mix) – 4:49
- "Brokenhearted" (Soulpower Groove Mix) – 4:47
- "Brokenhearted" (Acoustic Mix) – 5:18
- "Brokenhearted" (LP Version) – 5:52
Peak positions
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... (Billboard Billboard (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... ) |
11 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 77 |
External links
- ForeverBrandy.com — official site