Potential Breakup Song

"Potential Breakup Song" is a song co-written and performed by American duo Aly & AJ and is the first single from their third studio album, Insomniatic. 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.

"Potential Breakup Song"
Single by Aly & AJ
from the album Insomniatic
B-side"Careful with Words"
ReleasedJune 26, 2007[1]
Recorded2007
Genre
Length3:39
LabelHollywood
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Aly & AJ main singles chronology
"Greatest Time of Year"
(2006)		 "Potential Breakup Song"
(2007)		 "Like Whoa"
(2008)
Music video
Potential Breakup Song on YouTube (posted by Hollywood Records)

At the time of its release, it was the 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.[3][4] The song received positive reviews from other music critics as well, many praising its lyrical content and its maturity, as well as the "adventurous" synth-based production.

Song information

There are two versions of this song played 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 Disney. In the Radio Disney chorus, when Aly and AJ sing, "gettin' me," the edited version adds a to between gettin' and me. Also, in the middle-eight, when Aly sings, "without me, you're gonna die," die is replaced with cry.

A departure from the duo’s earlier guitar-based sound, "Potential Breakup Song" is primarily a three-minute-and-thirty-nine-second pop song. It makes heavy use of vocal processing effects during the verses; and its lyrical content is, as the title states, about a break-up, mentioning that "our album needs just one".

Chart performance

"Potential Breakup Song" debuted at number 77 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on July 14, 2007.[5] 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.[6] 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 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.

Critical reception

The song received critical acclaim. Digital Spy said that, "by Disney Channel standards at least, 'Potential Breakup Song' is fairly adventurous, riding its bassline and tango-inflected rhythm track to a chipper, synth-fueled chorus."[7] The Celebrity Cafe said that the song "has an electronica-like melody to it that is perfect to be played in listeners’ dance clubs."[8] Tommy2.Net says that "several tracks [on the Insomniatic album] 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."[9] BBC Music said that they "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."[10] TIME voted it the ninth best song of the year, describing it as "winking pop that doesn't skimp on the hook ... or the emotion.”[2]

Release

The single was released on Radio Disney on May 12, 2007, containing the edited lyrics rather than the official version of the single. The song was made available for sale on the US iTunes Store on June 26, 2007,[11] along with a pre-order offer for their second 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 was pulled out of stores, resulting in its only being available digitally.

Track listings
CD single and digital download[12]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Potential Breakup Song"
  • Alyson Michalka
  • Amanda Michalka
  • Antonina Armato
  • Tim James
3:39
2."Careful With Words" 2:20
Total length:5:59

Music video

The music video, directed by Chris Applebaum,[13] was shot on May 17, 2007, and was premiered on TRL on June 18, 2007.[14] It debuted at number ten on TRL on August 21, 2007, and peaked at number 6 on August 28, 2007.[15] 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’s 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.

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (2007–08)[16] Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[17] 72
European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[18] 65
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] 83
Ireland (IRMA)[20] 16
Norway (VG-lista)[21] 18
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[22] 31
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[23] 22
US Billboard Hot 100[24] 17
Venezuela Pop Rock (Record Report)[25] 3

Sales and certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[26] Gold 15,000^
United States (RIAA)[27] Platinum 1,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history
Date Country Format Label
May 12, 2007 United States Radio Disney Hollywood
June 26, 2007 Mainstream radio
Digital download
October 1, 2007 United Kingdom EMI
October 8, 2007 CD single

Uses in pop culture
  • "Potential Breakup Song" is played in the video game Thrillville: Off the Rails.
  • "Potential Breakup Song" is played in episode two of The Miley and Mandy Show.

Ami Suzuki version
"Potential Breakup Song"
Single by Ami Suzuki
from the album Dolce
ReleasedNovember 28, 2007 (Japan)
Genre
Length3:51
LabelAvex Trax
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Sugiurumn
Ami Suzuki singles chronology
"Free Free/Super Music Maker"
(2007)		 "Potential Breakup Song"
(2007)		 "One"
(2008)

"Potential Breakup Song" was covered by Japanese singer Ami Suzuki under the label Avex Trax. It was released on November 28, 2007.[28]

The song was used in the Japanese horror film 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 version.

In June 2008, it was announced that the single would be Suzuki's final "joins" single.

Track listing
  1. "Potential Breakup Song"
  2. "Feel the Beat"
  3. "Potential Breakup Song" (Sugiurumn Remix)
  4. "Potential Breakup Song" (Instrumental)

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

Release Chart Peak position First week sales Total sales Chart run
November 28, 2007 Oricon Daily Singles Chart 16
Oricon Weekly Singles Chart 34 4,151 5,315 5 weeks
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References
  1. "FMQB: Format - CHR". fmqb.com.
  2. Tyrangiel, Josh (December 9, 2007). Stengel, Richard (ed.). "Top 10 Songs". TIME. New York City: Time. ISSN 0040-781X. OCLC 1311479. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  3. Tyrangiel, Josh; "The Best Top 10 Lists of the Year"; "The 10 Best Songs"; Time magazine; December 24, 2007; Page 39.
  4. Tyrangiel, Josh (2007-12-09). "''Time'' magazine's Top 10 Songs of 2007 at". Time.com. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  5. "Potential Breakup Song" Debut Position on the Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. Retrieved on August 8, 2007.
  6. "Potential Breakup Song" chart trajectory Archived 2009-07-22 at the Wayback Machine. Aly & AJ Reaction
  7. "Aly & AJ: 'Potential Breakup Song' - Music Singles Review". Digital Spy. 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  8. Sari N. Kent (2007-08-16). "Insomniatic". TheCelebrityCafe.com. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  9. "Tommy2.Net". Tommy2.Net. 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  10. "Chart Blog: Aly & AJ - 'Potential Breakup Song'". BBC. 2007-10-04. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  11. 6/26 Mainstream. FMQB.com. Retrieved on July 31, 2007.
  12. "Aly & AJ "Potential Breakup Song" Digital download". Musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  13. "Potential Breakup Song | Aly & AJ | Music Video". MTV. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  14. "The TRL Archive - Recap: June 2007 - Classic ATRL". classic.atrl.net. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  15. "The TRL Archive - Recap: August 2007 - Classic ATRL". classic.atrl.net. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  16. "Potential Breakup Song" worldwide chart positions. aCharts. Retrieved on October 7, 2007.
  17. "Aly & AJ Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  18. "Aly & AJ – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for Aly & AJ. (subscription required)
  19. "Dutchcharts.nl – Aly & AJ – Potential Breakup Song" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  20. "Chart Track: Week 41, 2007". Irish Singles Chart.
  21. "Norwegiancharts.com – Aly & AJ – Potential Breakup Song". VG-lista.
  22. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  23. "Aly & AJ: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  24. "Aly & AJ Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  25. "Pop Rock" (in Spanish). Record Report. 2007-12-01. Archived from the original on 2007-07-02.
  26. "Danish single certifications – Aly & AJ – Potential Breakup Song". IFPI Denmark. Scroll through the page-list below until year 2011 to obtain certification.
  27. "American single certifications – Aly & AJ – Potential Breakup Song". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  28. (in Japanese) Hot News｜鈴木 亜美（すずき あみ）avex Official WebSite Archived 2008-03-17 at the Wayback Machine
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