Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson album)
Breakaway is the second studio album by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson, released on November 30, 2004, by RCA Records. The album is the follow-up to her successful debut album, Thankful (2003). Breakaway sees Clarkson collaborating with various producers and songwriters for the first time, primarily Dr. Luke, Max Martin, John Shanks, Kara DioGuardi, Ben Moody, and David Hodges; the latter two are former members of American rock band Evanescence. Despite the established commercial success of Thankful, music critics still continued to typecast Clarkson as an American Idol winner and were also critical of her attempts of establishing a commercial appeal on her own. Wanting to stray from those, she was convinced by Davis to work with Dr. Luke and Martin in Stockholm, and with Moody and Hodges in Los Angeles, in pursuit of a pop rock direction. This also led her to part ways with her manager Simon Fuller and hire the management services of Jeff Kwatinetz before the album's release. Breakaway is primarily a pop rock record with elements of rock and soul music, marking a departure from the R&B-oriented sound of Thankful; its lyrics explore themes of heartbreak, love, and escapism.
"Where Is Your Heart" redirects here. For the song from Moulin Rouge, see It's April Again.Breakaway
November 30, 2004
April – September 2004
- Henson, NRG, Westlake (Hollywood, California)
- Whitecoat Sound (Malibu, California)
- Blue Iron Gate (Santa Monica, California)
- Dr. Luke's Studio (New York City)
- Maratone (Stockholm, Sweden)
44:47
Breakaway received a positive response from music critics, with many commending the album's new-found pop rock sound and Clarkson's vocal performances. It received several awards and nominations, including winning two Grammy Awards and receiving a nomination for a Juno Award. The album became a commercial success worldwide. By selling over 12 million copies worldwide, Breakaway is Clarkson's best selling album of her career so far, and one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century and by a female artist. After debuting at number three on the Billboard 200 in the United States, it stayed on the top twenty of the chart for more than a year, eventually being certified 6× multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of more than six million copies.
Breakaway's singles "Since U Been Gone", "Behind These Hazel Eyes", "Because of You", "Walk Away", and "Breakaway" became worldwide hits and have become some of Clarkson's signature songs. Their successes prompted Billboard to credit her for landscaping the core sound of mainstream pop music as an uptempo dance-oriented sound in the 2000s. Furthermore, Breakaway established Clarkson as one of the four highest-selling acts of Sony BMG in the 2000s. Internationally, the album topped the music charts of Ireland and the Netherlands and became the world's 7th biggest-selling release of 2005, eventually being certified platinum in over 17 countries. To promote the album, Clarkson embarked on three international concert tours from 2005 to 2006: the Breakaway Tour, Hazel Eyes Tour, and the Addicted Tour. Billboard placed the album 77th in the Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums.
Background and production[edit]
In early 2004, Clarkson began working on new material for her second studio album, which followed her successful debut album Thankful (2003), while co-headlining the Independent Tour with Clay Aiken, the runner-up from the second season of American Idol.[3][4] She had also expressed intentions to record with Fantasia Barrino, who had then just won the series' third season; both were expected to release their albums in the same month.[5]
As she began to work for the album with music executive Clive Davis, Clarkson was invited by Whitney Houston to record the song "Breakaway", which would be included for the soundtrack of the 2004 Walt Disney Pictures feature film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which Houston had co-produced.[6] The song, written by Matthew Gerrard, Bridget Benenate, and Avril Lavigne, was initially written for Lavigne's debut album Let Go (2002) but deemed unsuitable for the album's themes at the time.[7] Initially reluctant, Clarkson agreed to record the song.[6] "Breakaway" was first released in July 2004 by Walt Disney Records as a single from the soundtrack, acting as an interim record until her second album's lead single was released.[7] After debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 60, it peaked at number six, a week before the album's release.[8]
In April 2004, Clarkson entered the studio immediately after the Independent Tour.[4] She said in an interview, "I've written most of (the songs) so far, but there's some people who have some stuff for me. I'm not one of those people who thinks you have to write everything. (I'll sing it) as long as I can relate to it."[7] During the album's development, Davis revealed that he was reluctant to let Clarkson write material for the album. He revealed, "I always encourage people to write their own songs, but in the pop arena, where the career is totally dependent on hits, you get skeptical. Artists with great voices like Melissa Manchester and Taylor Dayne could have had much longer careers if they didn't insist on writing their own material."[9] Clarkson reiterates that she's been writing songs since her teens, but rather than argue over labels or abilities, the two reached a détente—she would co-write half the album, with the other half being penned by other songwriters and producers. She said, "I just think it's funny that all these middle-age guys told me, 'You don't know how a pop song needs to sound.' I'm a 23-year-old girl! But I was fighting those battles alone."[9] In February 2004, Clarkson met with musicians Ben Moody and David Hodges, who had just departed from their band Evanescence in late 2003.[5] She said, "I didn't know that he (Moody) wasn't with Evanescence anymore," Clarkson said. "I just really liked their vibe and I thought it might be cool to work with one of them. So I just randomly asked people I work with, 'Hey, do you think that he'd work with me?' And then I found out that he kind of split and that's what he's doing ... so it worked out perfectly."[5] Moody recalled, "It's cool because she wants to do some branching out, and I'm doing nothing but branching out, we got together and she had all these songs in mind of what she wanted to do. It's just a really, really cool process for me, because everybody is a new experience. Everybody works differently."[10]
Worried of Clarkson being continually typecast as a talent show winner, Davis met with various producers, primarily Max Martin, and encouraged them to produce records for Clarkson in a pop rock direction. Clarkson revealed that she expected that she'll always be labeled as an American Idol winner; she remarked, "I'm the first one, so it's going to be on my grave, I'm aware of that. (There's no getting away from it) so why even try?"[4][5] Upon their meeting, Martin presented songs he wrote with Dr. Luke.[6][11] These songs include "Since U Been Gone" and a demo version of what would have been "Behind These Hazel Eyes".[6] Davis wanted Clarkson to record the songs, describing them having "a sharp rock edge but were still capable of being pop hits. They would push Kelly in a promising direction for her, while maintaining and even growing her audience."[6] Martin insisted that the songs should be given to rock acts, wanting to stray from his reputation for producing pop singles for the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears in the 1990s. Davis recalled, "Max was looking to move on from what he had done with Backstreet Boys, and I really spent time convincing them that an American Idol winner could bring all the feeling and passion that was required to the song."[11] Martin and Dr. Luke eventually agreed and invited Clarkson to travel to Sweden to record the songs.[6][11] Upon hearing the tracks, Clarkson was skeptical of the pop elements; and the three eventually decided to develop a rock sound,[12][13] a move Clarkson claimed Davis did not approve.[14] Davis reiterated that he was ecstatic with the prospect, claiming that she disliked it and demanded that both the songs be removed from the album.[6] Clarkson then asserted that she wanted it to be on the record and claimed that Davis had detested "Because of You" instead,[14] saying that she "was a shitty writer (sic) who should be grateful for the gifts that he bestows upon her".[14] Davis reiterated that he loved the song and felt that Clarkson could indeed write hits.[6]
Singles[edit]
Breakaway's lead single, "Since U Been Gone", was released in November 2004, but gained traction at the beginning of 2005. After debuting at number seventy,[38] it peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at number two, and stayed in the chart's top ten for 20 weeks.[39] Despite a number two peak, "Since U Been Gone" remains as Clarkson's most successful single on the Billboard Hot 100, outpacing even her number one hits on the chart.[40] It also topped nine other Billboard charts, including the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 and the Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay,[40] and became a successful hit around the world.[6] The second single, "Behind These Hazel Eyes", was released in April 2005 and continued the chart success. After debuting at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at number six while "Since U Been Gone" was still in the top ten.[41] It stayed on the chart's top ten for 15 weeks,[39] and also became an international hit.[6] The third single, "Because of You", released in August 2005, performed successfully along with its predecessors, peaking at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.[42] While "Since U Been Gone" became Breakaway's most successful release in the United States, "Because of You" became the album's most successful release internationally. It topped the Dutch Top 40 chart in the Netherlands, the Schweizer Hitparade chart in Switzerland, the Tracklisten Airplay chart in Denmark and became a number one single on the Billboard European Hot 100 Singles chart; while also attaining a top ten position in nine regions.[6][43][44][45][46] The follow-up track, "Walk Away", was released in January 2006 as Breakaway's fourth single and its final release in the United States. After debuting at number 97, it peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a top forty hit internationally.[6][47] Originally released as a single from The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement soundtrack in July 2004, the title track "Breakaway" was reissued as the album's fifth and final single in May 2006. After peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 at number six, it became a top twenty hit internationally.[6][8]
Commercial performance[edit]
Breakaway is currently Clarkson's most successful release to date, with sales of over 12 million copies worldwide.[72] On the week ending December 18, 2004, the album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States with 250,000 copies sold,[73][74] which were 47,000 less than her first week sales of Thankful.[75] Music commercial analysts noted that Clarkson's commercial appeal has endured beyond American Idol, but also commented on its slumping performance.[75][76] Billboard director Geoff Mayfield noted the lackluster performance may have been caused by being released in a competitive holiday market.[75] Despite failing to top the chart, the record stayed on the top twenty of the Billboard 200 for 61 consecutive weeks,[77] and became the first title in five years to spend its entire year in the top twenty of the chart.[78] By the end of 2005, Breakaway became the year's third best-selling album in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan.[79] It was certified 6× multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on May 23, 2007,[80] and as of September 2017, it has sold over 6,355,000 copies in the United States, becoming her best-selling record in the region.[81]
Breakaway has also enjoyed commercial success internationally; it became her first album to chart in over nineteen regions. By the end of 2005, the album became the world's seventh best-selling release of the year according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.[82] In the United Kingdom, it debuted on the Official UK Albums Chart at number ten with 17,631 copies.[83] At the beginning of 2006, the album ascended to number three on the chart.[84] As of 2012, it has sold over 1,571,278 copies in the region.[85] In Australia, Breakaway debuted on the ARIA Albums Chart at number twenty-nine, and also spent its entire year on the top fifty, peaking at number two.[86] In Ireland, the album debuted on the IRMA Artist Albums chart at number twenty-one, and topped the chart in 2006.[87] Together with the Australian Recording Industry Association, the Irish Recorded Music Association certified the record as 7× multi-platinum, its highest certification overall.[88][89] In the Netherlands, the album debuted on the Mega Album Top 100 at number forty-seven and topped the chart for three weeks.[90] Additionally, Breakaway peaked in the top five in the national charts of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, New Zealand, Portugal, and Switzerland; and has attained top twenty positions in six additional regions worldwide.[64]
Impact and legacy[edit]
According to Billboard, as of 2022, Breakaway is one of the 15 best-performing 21st-century albums without any of its singles being number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100.[91]
Music commercial analysts reported that Clarkson attained a commercial appeal on her own with Breakaway,[92][93] despite their initial skepticism of her establishing prominence beyond American Idol.[19][94] Clive Davis recalled that "with the songs "Since U Been Gone" and "Behind These Hazel Eyes", we were able to take Clarkson to a major seller of albums all over the world where they had never even heard of American Idol."[11] According to Mediabase, which monitors radio station airplay in North America, Clarkson was the most played artist on the radio in 2006.[95] David Corey, program director of WXKS-FM, described the feat as "very rare".[96] Just before the release of her third studio album, Davis also stated that she was one of the top four artists at Sony BMG.[97] According to Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "the turning point for Idol's credibility may have been the success of Clarkson's sophomore album, released in 2004. While her first album, released soon after her win on "Idol," was a platinum success, it only generated two hit singles and her success seemed tied into her newfound fame. But her hard-rocking second disc, which contained smashes like "Since U Been Gone" and the ballad "Because of You", garnered her critical acclaim and made her a bonafide success apart from Idol."[98]
Billboard credits Clarkson for landscaping the core sound of mainstream pop music in the 2000s to an uptempo dance-oriented sound with the release of "Since U Been Gone" and the singles that followed it.[99] The album's producers also came into prominence due to the album's success.[11] Dr. Luke, who was the house band lead guitarist for Saturday Night Live at the time of Breakaway's release, has credited "Since U Been Gone" as his first big break.[100] Max Martin, who had already found major success as a music producer in the 1990s and early 2000s with, among others, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, achieved more prominence due to the success of "Since U Been Gone" and "Behind These Hazel Eyes".[101]
Breakaway's critical acclaim also enabled Clarkson to also earn critical respect, particularly from the rock and indie music scene, who had looked down upon American Idol contestants.[23][102][103][104] In his memoir, Davis recalled a meeting with Simon Fuller and Sony BMG President Charles Goldstuck, where Fuller acknowledged how the worldwide success of Breakaway had validated American Idol itself.[6] The popularity of "Since U Been Gone" among the rock community also resulted in various cover versions by rock acts, such as A Day to Remember,[105] Ted Leo,[104] and Tokyo Police Club.[106] Clarkson herself recalled, "It's ridiculous how well that song was received by hard rockers, by indie people. I was walking around with a friend of mine and this hard-rock guy came up to me and was like, 'I look stupid, but I tell my friends I love this song.' People at concerts are like, 'That's my guilty pleasure. I don't mean to be mean, but I didn't want to like the American Idol girl.' But they love that song, and it kind of won them over."[104]
Vocals
Musicians
Production
Studios