Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart
Encyclopedia
"Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" is a song performed by American recording artist Alicia Keys
. It was released as the second single (third in the UK) from her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom
(2009). The ballad has been hailed by many music critics as the best track from the album. It marks a departure in Keys' artistic production. This single was Keys' third consecutive top 10 hit from The Element of Freedom in the United Kingdom. It was also the 99th most successful song of the year 2010 in the Billboard Hot 100
.
song written by Keys, Patrick Reynolds and Jeff Bhasker in the key of F major
(pesante
) with a time signature
in common time
and a tempo
of 89 beats per minute and combines elements of R&B
, 1980s power ballad and Synthpop
. The vocal range spans from E3
to D5
. The basic chord progression
of the song is B♭, C, and F. Keys told The Sun
: "I just love that song. I'm excited about that song as I just love the way it's pushing things forward. It's a great representation of where I am now. I can play it with tons of music behind me or I can play it with just the piano. Either way it touches, you get it. I'm so very excited by that record."
on November 17, 2009. The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 58, the highest after "No One" and "Doesn't Mean Anything". It has spent twenty weeks on the chart, peaking at number 27. On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, the song became Keys' thirteenth top ten hit, peaking at number 2 and spending ten weeks in the top ten. The song also debuted at No. 2 on the Norwegian Charts and became her highest charting single there so far. On January 31, 2010 the single entered the UK Singles Chart
at number 71 based on downloads alone, but dropped out the following week. Upon being confirmed as the third UK single, the single re-entered the chart on April 26, 2010 at number 63. On May 23, 2010 it climbed to a new peak of number 13. Upon physical release, the single remained at its peak of number 13. The success of the song propelled the album back in the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart
, twenty-three weeks after its original release. Following a performance on Britain's Got Talent
on 1 June 2010, the single climbed into the Top 10 on 6 June 2010 at number 7, marking the third consecutive Top 10 single from The Element of Freedom as well as Keys' ninth Top 10 single overall. On March 19, 2010, the song was released as the album's second single in Germany and later peaked at number 33.
composition. Entertainment Weekly
called it "insidiously, almost obscenely hooky: a slithering riff on early-'80s Prince with a monster synth line." Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone
stated that "The superb Prince hommages, "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart" and "This Bed," are experiments that pay off big, submerging Keys' pipes in unabashed 1980s synth cheese." Andrew Burgess of MusicOMH
referred to it as a "fever dream", citing it as a "standout moment" while Clover Hopes of Vibe magazine praised the song as "instantly timeless" and described it as a "gorgeous drum-powered exercise in vocal discipline (with its whispered huffs and puffs) that deals with the loss of a man's mere presence". Dan Weiss of Popmatters
, gave the song a seven out of ten rating and thought that ""Sleeping" is proof that Keys can find the warmth inside of a song even when she pushes away from the piano and the arrangement drifts into something colder and more abstract."
Randy Lewis of the LA Times
was highly impressed with the track and wrote: "In "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart," she's crafted an intriguing refrain: "I'm gonna find a way to make it without you . . .," admitting she's still searching for a full-fledged sense of security in whatever newfound freedom she's come into. But then she extends the thought with the kicker word ". . . tonight." Is she taking the one-day-at-a-time approach of a 12-step program for romantic addiction? Is it merely the application of an emotional band-aid? Or might she be asserting that the path to true independence always begins right here, right now? It's never entirely clear, and the ambiguity makes the song that much richer.". PopJustice
said that the song is the album's "secret weapon" and called it "amazing", adding that it's "a head-explodingly brilliant, timeless 'n' modern pop ballad". Slant magazine
said that "The best moments on Freedom come early, with the clear standout being "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart." There, some retro synth work lends a funky backdrop for Keys's breathy vamping, alternating disco-diva choruses with Prince-worthy verses". Robert Copsey of Digital Spy
gave the song four out of five stars, branding it as one of the stand out tracks from the album. He also stated that the verses were good because of Keys's breathy vocals with military-style drumming in the background, he felt the chorus was full of "palpable emotion". Overall he branded the song as an "effortless and timeless power ballad".
premiered on November 16, 2009. The video begins with the words, "There are those among us who are blessed with the power to save what is loved by another. But powerless to use this blessing for love themselves". The beat of the music then starts, showing what appears to be a purple sea at first, however is then shown to be Alicia's bed sheets. Alicia is seen to be leaning on her bed, and then starts to sing. On the bed, there is a photo frame, which is turned down. Keys is seen to have a coloured tattoo on her back, representing the theme of the album, "The Element of Freedom". Keys is then seen to exit her building, wearing a studded leather jacket and sunglasses. Scenes are also shown of Keys singing the song at the bottom of the stairway. As she is walking down the road, various shots of the city are shown, including buildings with graffiti, and a basketball hoop etc. She then spots a dog having just collided with a car in the road, with a young girl crouching down by its side crying. Keys walks over and touches the dog, using her superpowers to bring life back to the dog and save it, bringing happiness to the young girl. Throughout this part of the video, a hooded figure is seen to be watching Keys, which she is aware of. Scenes are then shown of her driving her BMW motorcycle with a purple laser beam increasing the speed of the bike. She then parks her bike in a warehouse, and uses her superpowers to fly up to some skylights, where she carries on to sing the song. Another scene is also shown of Keys playing the piano in the warehouse. Keys is then seen to appear back in the alley way, returning to her bike, however is stopped by the hooded figure, who turns out to be her lover. She smiles at him, and reaches her hand out towards his face. However, she is seen draining his face of energy and life with her power, and so has to pull her hand back, showing she is unable to touch her lover without draining him of his life. She then gets on her bike, leaving him in the warehouse alone. The video then moves back to the original scene of Keys sitting on her bed, looking at the photograph of her lover, with a teardrop falling down the face onto the picture, turning it black. The video ends with Alicia leaning back onto her bed, showing her purple bedsheets rippling like at the start of the video.. The video was directed by Syndrome
.
" on November 17, 2009. She also performed the song at the 2009 American Music Awards. On the 22nd of January Keys also performed "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
. She also performed it at the 2010 NBA All-Star Game
at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on February 14, 2010. On March 5, 2010, Keys performed the song on The Oprah Winfrey Show
. Keys also performed the song on the second semi-final night of "Britain's Got Talent
" on June 1, 2010.
performed a minimalist electro version of the song for iheartradio
.
iTunes Digital EP
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
. It was released as the second single (third in the UK) from her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom
The Element of Freedom
Keys began working on the album in May 2009. During this time, Keys and her audio engineer bought several vintage keyboards, describing the Moog as her "special best friend". Recording took place in The Oven Studios in Long Island, New York. Keys expressed that she "didn't know what to do" when she...
(2009). The ballad has been hailed by many music critics as the best track from the album. It marks a departure in Keys' artistic production. This single was Keys' third consecutive top 10 hit from The Element of Freedom in the United Kingdom. It was also the 99th most successful song of the year 2010 in 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...
.
Composition and style
"Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" is a downtempoDowntempo
Downtempo is a laid-back electronic music style similar to ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. The beat is sometimes made from loops that have a hypnotic feeling...
song written by Keys, Patrick Reynolds and Jeff Bhasker in the key of F major
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
(pesante
Pesante
Pesante is a musical term, meaning "heavy and ponderous." It is often used in Latin languages, such as Spanish or Portuguese, with the word pesado meaning heavy in both of these languages. The French equivalent is lourd....
) with a 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....
in 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...
and a 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 89 beats per minute and combines elements of R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, 1980s power ballad and Synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
. The vocal range spans from E3
F (musical note)
F is a musical note, the fourth above C. It is also known as fa in fixed-do solfège.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle F is approximately 349.228 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
to D5
D (musical note)
D is a musical note a whole tone above C, and is known as Re within the solfege system.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of middle D is approximately 293.665 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
. The basic chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
of the song is B♭, C, and F. Keys told The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
: "I just love that song. I'm excited about that song as I just love the way it's pushing things forward. It's a great representation of where I am now. I can play it with tons of music behind me or I can play it with just the piano. Either way it touches, you get it. I'm so very excited by that record."
Chart performance
The song premiered on October 29, 2009, and was released to the iTunes StoreITunes 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 November 17, 2009. The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 58, the highest after "No One" and "Doesn't Mean Anything". It has spent twenty weeks on the chart, peaking at number 27. On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, the song became Keys' thirteenth top ten hit, peaking at number 2 and spending ten weeks in the top ten. The song also debuted at No. 2 on the Norwegian Charts and became her highest charting single there so far. On January 31, 2010 the single entered 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 ...
at number 71 based on downloads alone, but dropped out the following week. Upon being confirmed as the third UK single, the single re-entered the chart on April 26, 2010 at number 63. On May 23, 2010 it climbed to a new peak of number 13. Upon physical release, the single remained at its peak of number 13. The success of the song propelled the album back in the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, twenty-three weeks after its original release. Following a performance on Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent (series 4)
The fourth series of Britain's Got Talent was broadcast on ITV from 17 April 2010 to 5 June 2010. It was presented by Ant & Dec and won by gymnastic troupe Spelbound. Judges Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden returned for the televised auditions on 18 January at the Clyde Auditorium in...
on 1 June 2010, the single climbed into the Top 10 on 6 June 2010 at number 7, marking the third consecutive Top 10 single from The Element of Freedom as well as Keys' ninth Top 10 single overall. On March 19, 2010, the song was released as the album's second single in Germany and later peaked at number 33.
Critical reception
The song received widespread critical acclaim from music critics; many compared it to a PrincePrince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
composition. 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...
called it "insidiously, almost obscenely hooky: a slithering riff on early-'80s Prince with a monster synth line." Rob Sheffield 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...
stated that "The superb Prince hommages, "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart" and "This Bed," are experiments that pay off big, submerging Keys' pipes in unabashed 1980s synth cheese." Andrew Burgess of MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
referred to it as a "fever dream", citing it as a "standout moment" while Clover Hopes of Vibe magazine praised the song as "instantly timeless" and described it as a "gorgeous drum-powered exercise in vocal discipline (with its whispered huffs and puffs) that deals with the loss of a man's mere presence". Dan Weiss of Popmatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, gave the song a seven out of ten rating and thought that ""Sleeping" is proof that Keys can find the warmth inside of a song even when she pushes away from the piano and the arrangement drifts into something colder and more abstract."
Randy Lewis of the LA Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
was highly impressed with the track and wrote: "In "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart," she's crafted an intriguing refrain: "I'm gonna find a way to make it without you . . .," admitting she's still searching for a full-fledged sense of security in whatever newfound freedom she's come into. But then she extends the thought with the kicker word ". . . tonight." Is she taking the one-day-at-a-time approach of a 12-step program for romantic addiction? Is it merely the application of an emotional band-aid? Or might she be asserting that the path to true independence always begins right here, right now? It's never entirely clear, and the ambiguity makes the song that much richer.". PopJustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
said that the song is the album's "secret weapon" and called it "amazing", adding that it's "a head-explodingly brilliant, timeless 'n' modern pop ballad". Slant magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
said that "The best moments on Freedom come early, with the clear standout being "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart." There, some retro synth work lends a funky backdrop for Keys's breathy vamping, alternating disco-diva choruses with Prince-worthy verses". Robert Copsey of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital 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....
gave the song four out of five stars, branding it as one of the stand out tracks from the album. He also stated that the verses were good because of Keys's breathy vocals with military-style drumming in the background, he felt the chorus was full of "palpable emotion". Overall he branded the song as an "effortless and timeless power ballad".
Music video
Keys filmed the video on October 30 and October 31, 2009, in Brooklyn. 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...
premiered on November 16, 2009. The video begins with the words, "There are those among us who are blessed with the power to save what is loved by another. But powerless to use this blessing for love themselves". The beat of the music then starts, showing what appears to be a purple sea at first, however is then shown to be Alicia's bed sheets. Alicia is seen to be leaning on her bed, and then starts to sing. On the bed, there is a photo frame, which is turned down. Keys is seen to have a coloured tattoo on her back, representing the theme of the album, "The Element of Freedom". Keys is then seen to exit her building, wearing a studded leather jacket and sunglasses. Scenes are also shown of Keys singing the song at the bottom of the stairway. As she is walking down the road, various shots of the city are shown, including buildings with graffiti, and a basketball hoop etc. She then spots a dog having just collided with a car in the road, with a young girl crouching down by its side crying. Keys walks over and touches the dog, using her superpowers to bring life back to the dog and save it, bringing happiness to the young girl. Throughout this part of the video, a hooded figure is seen to be watching Keys, which she is aware of. Scenes are then shown of her driving her BMW motorcycle with a purple laser beam increasing the speed of the bike. She then parks her bike in a warehouse, and uses her superpowers to fly up to some skylights, where she carries on to sing the song. Another scene is also shown of Keys playing the piano in the warehouse. Keys is then seen to appear back in the alley way, returning to her bike, however is stopped by the hooded figure, who turns out to be her lover. She smiles at him, and reaches her hand out towards his face. However, she is seen draining his face of energy and life with her power, and so has to pull her hand back, showing she is unable to touch her lover without draining him of his life. She then gets on her bike, leaving him in the warehouse alone. The video then moves back to the original scene of Keys sitting on her bed, looking at the photograph of her lover, with a teardrop falling down the face onto the picture, turning it black. The video ends with Alicia leaning back onto her bed, showing her purple bedsheets rippling like at the start of the video.. The video was directed by Syndrome
Syndrome
In medicine and psychology, a syndrome is the association of several clinically recognizable features, signs , symptoms , phenomena or characteristics that often occur together, so that the presence of one or more features alerts the physician to the possible presence of the others...
.
Live Performances
Keys performed the song at New York University’s Skirball Center for Pepsi Music. Keys also performed it on "Dancing With The StarsDancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
" on November 17, 2009. She also performed the song at the 2009 American Music Awards. On the 22nd of January Keys also performed "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
. She also performed it at the 2010 NBA All-Star Game
2010 NBA All-Star Game
The 2010 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game between players selected from the National Basketball Association 's Western Conference and the Eastern Conference that was played on February 14, 2010 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. This game was the 59th edition...
at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on February 14, 2010. On March 5, 2010, Keys performed the song on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. Keys also performed the song on the second semi-final night of "Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
" on June 1, 2010.
Covers
In July 2010 Swedish pop singer RobynRobyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
performed a minimalist electro version of the song for iheartradio
Iheartradio
iHeartRadio is a Clear Channel Radio network to aggregate local radio brands, personalities and on-demand content. It is best known as a mobile application...
.
Track listings
German CD & UK digital download- "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" - 4:08
- "Lover Man" - 3:16
iTunes Digital EP
- "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" - 4:08
- "Lover Man" - 3:16
- "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" (Music Video) - 4:39
Chart positions
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Danish Singles Chart | 38 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 64 |
| U.K Singles Chart | 63 |
| U.S Billboard Hot 100 | 99 |
| U.S Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 20 |
Certifications
| Country (Provider) | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada (CRIA) | Gold |
| Denmark (IFPI) | Gold |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | November 17, 2009 | 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... |
J Records J Records J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:... |
| Rhythmic Radio | |||
| Germany | March 19, 2010 | 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... |
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation.... |
| United Kingdom | May 24, 2010 | Digital download | 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... |