From the Bottom of My Broken Heart
Encyclopedia
"From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears
, taken from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time
(1999). It was released on December 15, 1999, by Jive Records
as the fifth and final single from the album. After Spears recorded an unused song from Toni Braxton
and sent it through Larry Rudolph
to several labels, executives from Jive Records
commented that it was very rare to hear someone so young who can deliver emotional content and commercial appeal, appointing the singer to work with producer Eric Foster White. The teen pop
ballad
was written and produced by White, and features Spears singing about the loss of a first love and how breaking up can be hard.
"From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" received mixed reviews from music critics, who noted the song as a classic hit and competent single, despite considering it as a unremarkable song that only refers to kissing and nothing else. "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" achieved moderate success, peaking at number thirty-seven in Australia, and twenty-three in New Zealand. Through imports, the song managed to peak at number one hundred seventy-four in the United Kingdom. In the United States, "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" reached number fourteen on Billboard Hot 100
, and seventeen on Pop Songs, being later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) on March 28, 2000, for selling over 1,000,000 physical units of the single.
An accompanying music video, directed by Gregory Dark
, was released on December 17, 1999. It portrayed Spears packing her belongings as she readies herself to move away from home, and feeling upset because she knows that she is going to miss her first love. Spears has performed "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" in a few live appearances, including at the 42nd Grammy Awards, in a medley with "...Baby One More Time
", and in three of her concert tours. It was first performed on ...Baby One More Time Tour
(1999), being later added to Crazy 2K Tour
(2000), where her dancers picked a boy from the audience and invited him onstage, and on Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour
(2000), in an acoustic version of the song with her guitarist Skip.
to join female pop group Innosense
. Lynne asked family friend and entertainment lawyer Larry Rudolph
for his opinion and submitted a tape of Spears singing over a Whitney Houston
karaoke song along with some pictures. Rudolph decided he wanted to pitch her to record labels, therefore she needed a professional demo
. He sent Spears an unused song from Toni Braxton
; she rehearsed for a week and recorded her vocals in a studio with a sound engineer
. Spears traveled to New York with the demo and met with executives from four labels, returning to Kentwood the same day. Three of the labels rejected her, arguing audiences wanted pop bands such as the Backstreet Boys
and the Spice Girls
, and "there wasn't going to be another Madonna
, another Debbie Gibson, or another Tiffany
." Two weeks later, executives from Jive Records
returned calls to Rudolph. Senior vice president of A&R
Jeff Fenster stated about Spears's audition that "It's very rare to hear someone that age who can deliver emotional content and commercial appeal. [...] For any artist, the motivation—the 'eye of the tiger'— is extremely important. And Britney had that." They appointed her to work with producer Eric Foster White for a month, who reportedly shaped her voice from "lower and less poppy" delivery to "distinctively, unmistakably Britney." After hearing the recorded material, president Clive Calder
ordered a full album. "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" was written and produced
by Eric Foster White, for Spears' debut studio album
, ...Baby One More Time
(1999). Spears recorded the vocals for the song in 1997 at 4MW East Studios in New Jersey
and at Battery Studios in New York City, New York. Dan Petty played the guitar
, while the bass guitar
was done by Andy Hess. The song was later mixed by White and Chris Trevett, while background vocals were provided by Spears, Angie Simmons, Don Philip and Andrew Fromm. It was released on December 15, 1999 as the final single from ...Baby One More Time.
ballad that lasts for five minutes and ten seconds. The song is composed in the key
of G major
and is set in time signature
of common time
with a slowly tempo
of 76 beats per minute. Spears vocal range spans from B2 to D5. The song's lyrics talk about the loss of a first love and how breaking up can be hard, with Spears declaring, "'Never look back', we said/How was I to know I'd miss you so?/Loneliness up ahead, emptyness behind/Where do I go?" "Thinkin' About You" is a teen pop song that was released as a b-side to "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart". The song is composed in the key
of G major
and is set in time signature
of common time
with a moderate tempo
of 96 beats per minute. Spears vocal range spans from G3 to C5. Craig McDennis of The Hamilton Spectator
said the lyrics of "Thinkin' About You", along with "Born to Make You Happy
", "verge on the sort of boy-worshipping dreck that even Tiffany
would have sniffedat", while Jane Stevenson of Toronto Sun
noted Spears "puts some rather grownup heartfelt soul into [it]".
considered the song a competent, but unremarkable single. Kyle Anderson of MTV
said the song "is another rejection ballad that references kissing but nothing else." Caryn Ganz of Rolling Stone
called "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" a "further hit" from ...Baby One More Time
, along with "Sometimes
" and "(You Drive Me) Crazy
". The song was a Track Pick from the Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
, who praised it along with the other singles from the album, saying, "...Baby One More Time has its share of well-crafted filler, but the singles, combined with Britney's burgeoning charisma, make this a pretty great piece of fluff".
. The following week, the song peaked at number fourteen, after selling seventy-eight thousand physical units of the single. The song also peaked at number two on Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales
, number twenty-four on Top 40 Tracks
, number seventeen on Pop Songs, and number fifty-three on Radio Songs
. On March 28, 2000, "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). By the end of 2000, the song peaked at number seventy-seven on Billboard Hot 100 Year-End chart. In Australia
, "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" peaked at number thirty-seven, and at number twenty-three in New Zealand
. Through imports, "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" did managed to peak at number one hundred seventy-four in the United Kingdom
, while in Canada, after staying for five weeks on the RPM
Singles Chart
, the song peaked at number twenty-five on the dated week of February 28, 2000.
and produced by FM Rocks Production Company. The video premiered on MTV's Total Request Live
on December 17, 1999. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly
, Dark revealed he was hired to tone down Spears' image at time from the naughty schoolgirl of "...Baby One More Time
", commenting, "They wanted to re-image her a bit. [...] They wanted a much more story-oriented video without dance, one that was serious and emotional. [...] I'd joke with her so that she would loosen up and feel comfortable acting, as opposed to being Britney Spears at that moment".
The music video portrays Spears packing her belongings, as she readies herself to move away from home, and feeling upset because she knows that she is going to miss her first love. Throughout the video, scenes of the couple's past are also seen, including one where they climb up onto a windmill, with Spears singing the song. Before the end of the video, Spears is waiting at a bus stop while, at the same time, her first love is driving quickly to come see her one last time. However, by the time he finally gets there, Spears already had left him behind and taken the bus, with an unknown destination.
Alec Hanley Bemis of LA Weekly
criticized the music video due to the fact that it "puts [Spears] on the fast track to adulthood. The clip finds her leaving her old boyfriend behind and taking a bus to somewhere . . . But where? Who's in bed with Britney now? While a TV tabloid recently reported that an old bayou beau in Louisiana has mother Spears’ approval, fantasizing fans want to believe Britney‘s dallying with that braided moppet from N’Sync or a member of the Backstreet Boys. But the only verifiable fact we have to work with is that Spears has started running with a darker L.A. crowd." The music video was also added to MTV
's 2000 Yearbook, a list with the "biggest, best, most memorable music videos of every year since the beginning of MTV", while Chris Ryan also of MTV considered it "a suitably soft-focus affair".
. After its release as a single, Spears performed the song in a medley with "...Baby One More Time
" at the 42nd Grammy Awards. Spears was wearing a turtleneck and a full tulle skirt at the beginning of the performance, while dancers surrounded her with enormous hand fans. After singing a shortened version of the song, she then took a few moments to shuffle into a form-fitting red rhinestone outfit (with side cutouts) and emerged onto a stage to perform "...Baby One More Time." Jocelyn Vena of MTV
included the performance on her list of Spears' Top 10 Best TV Performances. Spears also performed the song on her 2000s Crazy 2k Tour
, where her dancers picked a boy from the audience and invited him onstage, while Spears dedicated the performance of "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" to the boy. The same year, the song was performed on Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour
. Wearing glittery jeans and an orange halter top, she performed an acoustic version of the song with her guitarist Skip. Spears also performed "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" and "Born to Make You Happy" on Disney Channel in Concert in 1999. The performances were recorded and included on Spears' first home video release, Time Out with Britney Spears
.
s liner notes.
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, taken from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album of American recording artist Britney Spears, released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. In June 1997, while Spears was in a negotiation with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense, her mother asked family friend and entertainment...
(1999). It was released on December 15, 1999, by Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
as the fifth and final single from the album. After Spears recorded an unused song from Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton
Toni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide...
and sent it through Larry Rudolph
Larry Rudolph
Larry Rudolph is a personal manager. He is best known as the manager of Britney Spears from 1999–2004, briefly in 2007, and 2008-present.-Career:...
to several labels, executives from Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
commented that it was very rare to hear someone so young who can deliver emotional content and commercial appeal, appointing the singer to work with producer Eric Foster White. The teen pop
Teen pop
Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards teenagers. Teen pop copies genres and styles such as pop, dance, R&B, hip hop, country and rock....
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...
was written and produced by White, and features Spears singing about the loss of a first love and how breaking up can be hard.
"From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" received mixed reviews from music critics, who noted the song as a classic hit and competent single, despite considering it as a unremarkable song that only refers to kissing and nothing else. "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" achieved moderate success, peaking at number thirty-seven in Australia, and twenty-three in New Zealand. Through imports, the song managed to peak at number one hundred seventy-four in the United Kingdom. In the United States, "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" reached number fourteen on 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 seventeen on Pop Songs, being later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) on March 28, 2000, for selling over 1,000,000 physical units of the single.
An accompanying music video, directed by Gregory Dark
Gregory Dark
Gregory Dark is an American film director, film producer, music video director, and screenwriter. Dark is one of the few adult film-makers to successfully transition into mainstream Hollywood film-making...
, was released on December 17, 1999. It portrayed Spears packing her belongings as she readies herself to move away from home, and feeling upset because she knows that she is going to miss her first love. Spears has performed "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" in a few live appearances, including at the 42nd Grammy Awards, in a medley with "...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time (song)
"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
", and in three of her concert tours. It was first performed on ...Baby One More Time Tour
...Baby One More Time Tour
The ...Baby One More Time Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It supported her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time and visited United States and Canada. The tour was announced in March 1999, with dates released a month later. Tommy Hilfiger was chosen...
(1999), being later added to Crazy 2K Tour
...Baby One More Time Tour
The ...Baby One More Time Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It supported her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time and visited United States and Canada. The tour was announced in March 1999, with dates released a month later. Tommy Hilfiger was chosen...
(2000), where her dancers picked a boy from the audience and invited him onstage, and on Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour
Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour
The Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour was the second concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It supported her second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again and visited North America, Europe and Brazil. It marked the first time Spears toured outside North America...
(2000), in an acoustic version of the song with her guitarist Skip.
Background
In June 1997, Spears was in talks with manager Lou PearlmanLou Pearlman
Louis Jay "Lou" Pearlman is a former impresario of the successful 1990s boy bands such as The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Take 5, O-Town and US5. In 2006, it was discovered that Pearlman had perpetrated one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in American history, leaving more than $300...
to join female pop group Innosense
Innosense
Innosense was an all-female American group. The band were together from 1997 to 2003.-History:The band was managed by Lou Pearlman and Lynn Harless. The original members were Danay Ferrer, Mandy Ashford, Nikki DeLoach, Amanda Latona, and Britney Spears and formed in 1997...
. Lynne asked family friend and entertainment lawyer Larry Rudolph
Larry Rudolph
Larry Rudolph is a personal manager. He is best known as the manager of Britney Spears from 1999–2004, briefly in 2007, and 2008-present.-Career:...
for his opinion and submitted a tape of Spears singing over a 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...
karaoke song along with some pictures. Rudolph decided he wanted to pitch her to record labels, therefore she needed a professional demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
. He sent Spears an unused song from Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton
Toni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide...
; she rehearsed for a week and recorded her vocals in a studio with a sound engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
. Spears traveled to New York with the demo and met with executives from four labels, returning to Kentwood the same day. Three of the labels rejected her, arguing audiences wanted pop bands such as the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
and the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
, and "there wasn't going to be another Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, another Debbie Gibson, or another Tiffany
Tiffany (singer)
Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
." Two weeks later, executives from Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
returned calls to Rudolph. Senior vice president of A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
Jeff Fenster stated about Spears's audition that "It's very rare to hear someone that age who can deliver emotional content and commercial appeal. [...] For any artist, the motivation—the 'eye of the tiger'— is extremely important. And Britney had that." They appointed her to work with producer Eric Foster White for a month, who reportedly shaped her voice from "lower and less poppy" delivery to "distinctively, unmistakably Britney." After hearing the recorded material, president Clive Calder
Clive Calder
Clive Calder is a South African-born and UK based record executive and businessman primarily known for co-founding the Zomba Group and its subsidiary Jive Records. The relocation of Warner Music Group Chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr...
ordered a full album. "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" was written and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Eric Foster White, for Spears' debut studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, ...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album of American recording artist Britney Spears, released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. In June 1997, while Spears was in a negotiation with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense, her mother asked family friend and entertainment...
(1999). Spears recorded the vocals for the song in 1997 at 4MW East Studios in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and at Battery Studios in New York City, New York. Dan Petty played the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, while the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
was done by Andy Hess. The song was later mixed by White and Chris Trevett, while background vocals were provided by Spears, Angie Simmons, Don Philip and Andrew Fromm. It was released on December 15, 1999 as the final single from ...Baby One More Time.
Composition
"From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" is a sentimental teen popTeen pop
Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards teenagers. Teen pop copies genres and styles such as pop, dance, R&B, hip hop, country and rock....
ballad that lasts for five minutes and ten seconds. The song is composed in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
and is set in time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
of common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a slowly tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 76 beats per minute. Spears vocal range spans from B2 to D5. The song's lyrics talk about the loss of a first love and how breaking up can be hard, with Spears declaring, "'Never look back', we said/How was I to know I'd miss you so?/Loneliness up ahead, emptyness behind/Where do I go?" "Thinkin' About You" is a teen pop song that was released as a b-side to "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart". The song is composed in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
and is set in time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
of common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 96 beats per minute. Spears vocal range spans from G3 to C5. Craig McDennis of The Hamilton Spectator
The Hamilton Spectator
The Hamilton Spectator, founded in 1846, is a newspaper published every day but Sunday in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The paper has a daily circulation of 105,000 and a daily readership of nearly 260,000.-History:...
said the lyrics of "Thinkin' About You", along with "Born to Make You Happy
Born to Make You Happy
"Born to Make You Happy" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . It was released on December 6, 1999, by Jive Records, as the fourth single from the album. Before recording the song, Spears had to ask the writers of the song,...
", "verge on the sort of boy-worshipping dreck that even Tiffany
Tiffany
-People:* Tiffany * Tiffany * Tiffany , an American pop artist* Tiffany , a K-pop artist* Charles Comfort Tiffany, American Episcopal clergyman* Charles Lewis Tiffany, a founder of Tiffany & Co....
would have sniffedat", while Jane Stevenson of Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
noted Spears "puts some rather grownup heartfelt soul into [it]".
Reception
Critical response
"From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" received mixed reviews from music critics. Amanda Murray of SputnikmusicSputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
considered the song a competent, but unremarkable single. Kyle Anderson of 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....
said the song "is another rejection ballad that references kissing but nothing else." Caryn Ganz of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" a "further hit" from ...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album of American recording artist Britney Spears, released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. In June 1997, while Spears was in a negotiation with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense, her mother asked family friend and entertainment...
, along with "Sometimes
Sometimes (Britney Spears song)
"Sometimes" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her debut studio album ...Baby One More Time . Written by Jörgen Elofsson and produced by Per Magnusson and David Krueger, the song was released as Spears' second single on April 30, 1999 by Jive Records...
" and "(You Drive Me) Crazy
(You Drive Me) Crazy
" Crazy" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by Max Martin, Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger for Spears' debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . It was released on August 23, 1999 by Jive Records, as the third single from the...
". The song was a Track Pick from the Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
, who praised it along with the other singles from the album, saying, "...Baby One More Time has its share of well-crafted filler, but the singles, combined with Britney's burgeoning charisma, make this a pretty great piece of fluff".
Chart performance
On the dated week of February 19, 2000, "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" debuted at number fifty-two on United States' Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
. The following week, the song peaked at number fourteen, after selling seventy-eight thousand physical units of the single. The song also peaked at number two on Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales
Hot 100 Singles Sales
The Hot Singles Sales chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures sales of commercial singles and is one of three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot Digital Songs, that determine the chart positions of singles on the...
, number twenty-four on Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks is a defunct airplay chart from Billboard Magazine. It was created in 1998, when Billboard Magazine changed the airplay profile of The Hot 100 Airplay to include more R&B, Country, and Rock stations to its profile . To preserve the notion of the former chart, Top 40 Tracks was...
, number seventeen on Pop Songs, and number fifty-three on Radio Songs
Radio Songs
Radio Songs is an album of duo Robin and Linda Williams on the Red House Records label, released in 2007.Radio Songs consists of recordings made when performing on Garrison Keillor's NPR radio program A Prairie Home Companion. Although Robin and Linda first appeared on the show regularly in 1976,...
. On March 28, 2000, "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). By the end of 2000, the song peaked at number seventy-seven on Billboard Hot 100 Year-End chart. In Australia
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" peaked at number thirty-seven, and at number twenty-three in New Zealand
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...
. Through imports, "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" did managed to peak at number one hundred seventy-four in the United Kingdom
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 ...
, while in Canada, after staying for five weeks on the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
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....
, the song peaked at number twenty-five on the dated week of February 28, 2000.
Music video
The music video for "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" was directed by Gregory DarkGregory Dark
Gregory Dark is an American film director, film producer, music video director, and screenwriter. Dark is one of the few adult film-makers to successfully transition into mainstream Hollywood film-making...
and produced by FM Rocks Production Company. The video premiered on MTV's Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
on December 17, 1999. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, Dark revealed he was hired to tone down Spears' image at time from the naughty schoolgirl of "...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time (song)
"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
", commenting, "They wanted to re-image her a bit. [...] They wanted a much more story-oriented video without dance, one that was serious and emotional. [...] I'd joke with her so that she would loosen up and feel comfortable acting, as opposed to being Britney Spears at that moment".
The music video portrays Spears packing her belongings, as she readies herself to move away from home, and feeling upset because she knows that she is going to miss her first love. Throughout the video, scenes of the couple's past are also seen, including one where they climb up onto a windmill, with Spears singing the song. Before the end of the video, Spears is waiting at a bus stop while, at the same time, her first love is driving quickly to come see her one last time. However, by the time he finally gets there, Spears already had left him behind and taken the bus, with an unknown destination.
Alec Hanley Bemis of LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
criticized the music video due to the fact that it "puts [Spears] on the fast track to adulthood. The clip finds her leaving her old boyfriend behind and taking a bus to somewhere . . . But where? Who's in bed with Britney now? While a TV tabloid recently reported that an old bayou beau in Louisiana has mother Spears’ approval, fantasizing fans want to believe Britney‘s dallying with that braided moppet from N’Sync or a member of the Backstreet Boys. But the only verifiable fact we have to work with is that Spears has started running with a darker L.A. crowd." The music video was also added to 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....
's 2000 Yearbook, a list with the "biggest, best, most memorable music videos of every year since the beginning of MTV", while Chris Ryan also of MTV considered it "a suitably soft-focus affair".
Live performances
"From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart" was performed for the first time on Spears first tour, ...Baby One More Time Tour...Baby One More Time Tour
The ...Baby One More Time Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It supported her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time and visited United States and Canada. The tour was announced in March 1999, with dates released a month later. Tommy Hilfiger was chosen...
. After its release as a single, Spears performed the song in a medley with "...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time (song)
"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
" at the 42nd Grammy Awards. Spears was wearing a turtleneck and a full tulle skirt at the beginning of the performance, while dancers surrounded her with enormous hand fans. After singing a shortened version of the song, she then took a few moments to shuffle into a form-fitting red rhinestone outfit (with side cutouts) and emerged onto a stage to perform "...Baby One More Time." Jocelyn Vena of 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....
included the performance on her list of Spears' Top 10 Best TV Performances. Spears also performed the song on her 2000s Crazy 2k Tour
...Baby One More Time Tour
The ...Baby One More Time Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It supported her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time and visited United States and Canada. The tour was announced in March 1999, with dates released a month later. Tommy Hilfiger was chosen...
, where her dancers picked a boy from the audience and invited him onstage, while Spears dedicated the performance of "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" to the boy. The same year, the song was performed on Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour
Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour
The Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour was the second concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It supported her second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again and visited North America, Europe and Brazil. It marked the first time Spears toured outside North America...
. Wearing glittery jeans and an orange halter top, she performed an acoustic version of the song with her guitarist Skip. Spears also performed "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" and "Born to Make You Happy" on Disney Channel in Concert in 1999. The performances were recorded and included on Spears' first home video release, Time Out with Britney Spears
Time Out with Britney Spears
Time Out with Britney Spears is the first home video release from the pop singer Britney Spears, shot and released on VHS in 1999 and later re-issued on DVD alongside Spears' second home video release Live and More! on February 13, 2001....
.
Track listings
- AUS CD single
- "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" (Radio Version) – 4:34
- "(You Drive Me) Crazy" (Jazzy Jim's Hip-Hop Mix) – 3:40
- "Thinkin' About You" – 3:35
- "Sometimes" (Answering Machine Message) – 0:25
- Enhanced CD single
- "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" (Radio Version) – 4:34
- "(You Drive Me) Crazy" (Jazzy Jim's Hip-Hop Mix) – 3:40
- "Born To Make You Happy" (Music Video) – 3:35
- "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" (Music Video) – 4:34
- 12" Vinyl
- "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" (Ospina's Millennium Funk Mix) – 3:29
- "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" (Ospina's Millennium Funk Mix Instrumental) – 3:29
- "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" (Radio Version) – 4:34
- The Singles CollectionThe Singles Collection (Britney Spears album)The Singles Collection is the second greatest hits album from American singer Britney Spears, released in commemoration of her ten year anniversary with her record company Jive Records...
Boxset Single
- "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" (Radio Version) – 4:34
- "Thinkin' About You" – 3:35
Credits and personnel
Credits for "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" are adapted from ...Baby One More Time...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album of American recording artist Britney Spears, released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. In June 1997, while Spears was in a negotiation with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense, her mother asked family friend and entertainment...
s liner notes.
- Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
– lead vocals, background vocals - Eric Foster White – audio mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, songwriting - Chris Trevett – audio mixing
- Dan Petty – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Andy Hess – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Angie Simmons – background vocals
- Don Philip – background vocals
- Andrew Fromm – background vocals
Weekly charts
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... 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.... |
25 |
| UK (The Official Charts Company) | 174 |
| US 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... |
14 |
| US Pop Songs (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... ) |
17 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2000) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 77 |
Certifications
External links
- Official music video on "Vevo" — VevoVevoVevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
.