Potential Breakup Song
Encyclopedia
"Potential Breakup Song" is a electropop song
written by American teen pop
duo Aly & AJ, and is the first single
from their second studio album
, Insomniatic
(see 2007 in music
). It was a very successful single in the summer and early fall of 2007, topping many video countdowns, and becoming Aly & AJ's most successful single to date. At the time, was highest selling single by a Hollywood Records
artist, as it was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales over 1,000,000 copies.
Time
magazine ranked "Potential Breakup Song" the ninth best song of 2007.
. In the chorus, in "gettin' me", the edited version adds a "to" between "gettin'" and "me". In the middle-eight, in "without me you're gonna die", "die" is replaced with "cry." This song is their first single of the electropop-dance
genre.
on May 12, 2007, containing the edited lyrics than the official version of the single. The song was made available for sale on the U.S. iTunes Store
on June 26, 2007, along with a pre-order offer for their third studio album, Insomniatic.
The single was released digitally in the UK on October 1, 2007, followed by a physical CD single
release on October 8. The album followed two weeks later on October 22. The song served as the group's second UK single when it was released in October, after their debut UK single, "Chemicals React
", failed to chart in the UK in May 2007. Also, the bonus track for the United States Wal-Mart collector's edition "Careful With Words" serves as the B-side
of the CD single in the United Kingdom.
The UK CD single has been pulled out of stores, resulting in it only being available digitally.
, directed by Chris Applebaum
, was shot on May 17, 2007 and was premiered on TRL
on June 18, 2007. It debuted at number ten on TRL on August 21, 2007, and peaked at number 6 on August 29, 2007. On July 18, 2007, the video for the single reached number one on AOL Music's Top 10 Video Countdown.
The video shows Amanda Michalka
and older sister Alyson Michalka
singing "Potential Breakup Song" on a grey set dressed in black. At the end of the video, the black ink floating on the air stains a blank paper forming the group's new logo, as well as the sequence of letters XOXO
. It also includes the web address to PotentialBreakup.com.
In the Disney Channel version, the Radio Disney
lyrics are used. The version also does not include the web address at the end. The music video is sometimes shown on Nickelodeon Asia.
As of March 10th, 2010, the music video picked up 33,417,707 views, asserting that it is Hollywood Records, Inc., 8th highest viewed Music Video of all time from their Official Youtube site. The music videos ahead of Hollywood Records' Aly & AJ is Demi Lovato's La La Land; Miley Cyrus' Start All Over; Miley Cyrus' Fly On The Wall; Vanessa Hudgens' Sneakernight; Miley Cyrus' The Climb; Vanessa Hudgens' Say OK and Miley Cyrus' Party In The U.S.A. (listed from fewest to highest views).
on July 5, 2007. The song peaked at number 17, becoming the group's best single performance on the Hot 100. As the song began to fall down the chart, dropping to number 50 about a month after its peak, the song recovered bounced back up to number 41 after Aly and AJ co-hosted MTV
's TRL
for one week. As of March 2009, the song has logged over 1,000,000 digital downloads in the United States, enabling it to be certified Platinum by the RIAA.
In the United Kingdom, the single was released to download on the October 1, 2007, and debuted at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart
. Following the release of the physical CD, the song later peaked at number 22 in Britain.
under the label Avex Trax
. It was released on 28 November 2007.
The song was used in the Japanese horror flick X-Cross, in which Suzuki had a lead role, alongside the original Aly & AJ version. The single is produced by Japanese DJ Sugiurumn and has a stronger club feel than Aly & AJ's versions.
In June 2008, it was announced that this single would be Suzuki's final "joins" single.
Sales Chart (Japan)
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written by American 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....
duo Aly & AJ, and is 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...
from their second 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...
, Insomniatic
Insomniatic
Insomniatic is the second studio album by American teen pop duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on July 10, 2007 in the United States, and was later released in the UK and Italy on October 22, 2007 with new cover art...
(see 2007 in music
2007 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...
). It was a very successful single in the summer and early fall of 2007, topping many video countdowns, and becoming Aly & AJ's most successful single to date. At the time, was highest selling single by a Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
artist, as it was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales over 1,000,000 copies.
Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine ranked "Potential Breakup Song" the ninth best song of 2007.
Song information
There are two versions of this song that are on the radio. One is the official album version, which is played on mainstream radio, while a version with all of the violence and sexual innuendo removed is played on Radio DisneyRadio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
. In the chorus, in "gettin' me", the edited version adds a "to" between "gettin'" and "me". In the middle-eight, in "without me you're gonna die", "die" is replaced with "cry." This song is their first single of the electropop-dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
genre.
Critical reception
- Digital SpyDigital SpyDigital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
: But, by Disney Channel standards at least, 'Potential Breakup Song' is fairly adventurous, riding its bassline and tango-inflected rhythm track to a chipper, synth-fuelled chorus. . - The Celebrity Cafe: Potential Breakup Song” has an electronica-like melody to it that is perfect to be played in listeners’ dance clubs. The duo harmonizes about how the romantic tides have turned, resulting in the end of a union. “It took too long. It took too long. It took too long for you to call back, and normally I would just forget that except for the fact it was my birthday, my stupid birthday…But obviously my armor was cracked…Don’t let me go…So you will know.”
- Tommy2.Net: Several tracks point toward synth rock by the use of samples, loops and vocal processing including the lead single, Potential BreakUp Song which proves to be a good barometer for the direction they're heading.
- BBC Music: We already introduced 'Potential Breakup Song' on Back Of The Sofa Tunes pt.2, after I bullied Steve P into listening to it until the poor lad was quite overcome by its brilliance and subsequently forced to bully Fraser into covering it.
Single release
The single was released on Radio DisneyRadio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
on May 12, 2007, containing the edited lyrics than the official version of the single. The song was made available for sale on the U.S. iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on June 26, 2007, along with a pre-order offer for their third studio album, Insomniatic.
The single was released digitally in the UK on October 1, 2007, followed by a physical CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
release on October 8. The album followed two weeks later on October 22. The song served as the group's second UK single when it was released in October, after their debut UK single, "Chemicals React
Chemicals React
"Chemicals React" is a pop rock song written and recorded by American pop rock duo Aly & AJ, for the re-release of their debut album Into the Rush...
", failed to chart in the UK in May 2007. Also, the bonus track for the United States Wal-Mart collector's edition "Careful With Words" serves as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the CD single in the United Kingdom.
The UK CD single has been pulled out of stores, resulting in it only being available digitally.
Release history
| Date | Country | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 2007 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Radio Disney | Hollywood Records Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote... |
| June 26, 2007 | Mainstream radio | ||
| Digital download | |||
| October 1, 2007 | 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... |
Digital download | EMI EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... |
| October 8, 2007 | CD single |
Track listings and formats
- The Radio Disney version of the song contains different lyrics and is slightly shorter in length.
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...
, directed by Chris Applebaum
Chris Applebaum
Chris Applebaum is an American music video director, who has worked with a diverse range of artists, among them Rihanna, Hilary Duff, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mandy Moore, Natasha Bedingfield, Fountains of Wayne and Britney Spears...
, was shot on May 17, 2007 and was premiered on TRL
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 June 18, 2007. It debuted at number ten on TRL on August 21, 2007, and peaked at number 6 on August 29, 2007. On July 18, 2007, the video for the single reached number one on AOL Music's Top 10 Video Countdown.
The video shows Amanda Michalka
Amanda Michalka
Amanda Joy "AJ" Michalka , often credited as AJ, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. She used to be a model prior to becoming an actress, and was best known as one-half of the duo 78violet with her sister, Alyson Michalka. AJ recently recorded the theme song for the film...
and older sister Alyson Michalka
Alyson Michalka
Alyson Renae "Aly" Michalka , often credited as Aly, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. Michalka gained fame for playing the role of Marti Perkins in the CW television drama Hellcats...
singing "Potential Breakup Song" on a grey set dressed in black. At the end of the video, the black ink floating on the air stains a blank paper forming the group's new logo, as well as the sequence of letters XOXO
Hugs and Kisses
Hugs and kisses or xoxo is a term used for expressing affection or good friendship at the end of a written letter, email or SMS text message. Some sources discuss the possibility of "x" referring to hugs and "o" referring to kisses. However, other sources indicate that "x" is used to signify a...
. It also includes the web address to PotentialBreakup.com.
In the Disney Channel version, the Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
lyrics are used. The version also does not include the web address at the end. The music video is sometimes shown on Nickelodeon Asia.
As of March 10th, 2010, the music video picked up 33,417,707 views, asserting that it is Hollywood Records, Inc., 8th highest viewed Music Video of all time from their Official Youtube site. The music videos ahead of Hollywood Records' Aly & AJ is Demi Lovato's La La Land; Miley Cyrus' Start All Over; Miley Cyrus' Fly On The Wall; Vanessa Hudgens' Sneakernight; Miley Cyrus' The Climb; Vanessa Hudgens' Say OK and Miley Cyrus' Party In The U.S.A. (listed from fewest to highest views).
Chart performance
"Potential Breakup Song" debuted at number 77 on the U.S. 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...
on July 5, 2007. The song peaked at number 17, becoming the group's best single performance on the Hot 100. As the song began to fall down the chart, dropping to number 50 about a month after its peak, the song recovered bounced back up to number 41 after Aly and AJ co-hosted 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 TRL
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...
for one week. As of March 2009, the song has logged over 1,000,000 digital downloads in the United States, enabling it to be certified Platinum by the RIAA.
In the United Kingdom, the single was released to download on the October 1, 2007, and debuted at number 33 on the 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 ...
. Following the release of the physical CD, the song later peaked at number 22 in Britain.
Charts
| Chart (2007-2008) | Peak position |
|---|
Uses in pop culture
- "Potential Breakup Song" is played in the video game Thrillville: Off the RailsThrillville: Off the RailsThrillville: Off the Rails is a theme park simulation video game developed by Frontier Developments. The sequel to the 2006 game Thrillville, it is again published by LucasArts...
. - "Potential Breakup Song" is played in episode 2 of The MileyMiley CyrusMiley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
and Mandy Show.
Ami Suzuki version
"Potential Breakup Song" was covered by Japanese singer Ami SuzukiAmi Suzuki
is a female singer, songwriter, actress and DJ from Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.Having been discovered at the talent TV show Asayan, Suzuki was one of the most popular female singers as an idol in the late 1990s....
under the label Avex Trax
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
. It was released on 28 November 2007.
The song was used in the Japanese horror flick X-Cross, in which Suzuki had a lead role, alongside the original Aly & AJ version. The single is produced by Japanese DJ Sugiurumn and has a stronger club feel than Aly & AJ's versions.
In June 2008, it was announced that this single would be Suzuki's final "joins" single.
Track listing
- "Potential Breakup Song"
- "Feel the Beat"
- "Potential Breakup Song" （Sugiurumn Remix）
- "Potential Breakup Song" （Instrumental）
Charts
OriconOricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
Sales Chart (Japan)
| Release | Chart | Peak position | First week sales | Total sales | Chart run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 November 2007 | Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Daily Singles Chart |
16 | |||
| Oricon Weekly Singles Chart | 34 | 4,151 | 5,315 | 5 weeks |