Band members Jake Roche and Danny Wilkin wrote songs in a caravan belonging to Wilkin's parents, three years prior to the formation of their band. After being introduced to Charley Bagnall through mutual friends, the trio met Lewi Morgan who subsequently joined them to form the band, Rixton. After establishing a loyal following on YouTube for their covers of hit singles by Taylor Swift, Chris Brown and Rita Ora among others, the group was signed to Interscope Records and three of its sub labels by talent manager Scooter Braun and songwriter/record producer, Benny Blanco. When speaking about their signing to the label and the experience of recording their first extended play, Rixton commented, "It's overwhelming to have gone from writing songs in Wilkin's caravan to seeing the world performing our music. We've worked extremely hard and have had a blast recording the EP. The songs are very eclectic and we think there's something for everyone!". "Me and My Broken Heart" interpolates parts of Rob Thomas's 2005 single "Lonely No More". Band member Jake Roche discussed the sample in an article for Billboard: "We've been a huge fan of his, so we took a lot of inspiration from him and wanted to give him a tip of the hat". While Thomas has responded positively to the use of the sample, "Me and My Broken Heart" has been criticised online for using elements of Thomas' song. After working with Blanco in the recording studio, "Me and My Broken Heart" was released as the lead single from the group's forthcoming debut studio album on 14 March 2014. The group's first extended play, titled Me and My Broken Heart EP followed on 18 March 2014. "Me and My Broken Heart" was released to radio on 11 March 2014 and made its premiere on KIIS FM in Los Angeles during one of JoJo Wright's shows.
Chart performance
"Me and My Broken Heart" has performed moderately well worldwide, reaching the top forty on the majority of charts it has entered. During the week of its release in the United Kingdom, "Me and My Broken Heart" led the mid-week chart, outselling its closest rival, "Your Love" by Nicole Scherzinger, by 12,000 copies. It subsequently debuted at number-one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the group's first number-one hit. In the United States, "Me and My Broken Heart" debuted at number eighty-seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and eventually peaked at number fourteen, giving Rixton their only Hot 100 entry in the US. It has sold more than 500,000 copies since its release and is therefore eligible for a Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song has also enjoyed success on other Billboard charts, reaching the top five of the Adult Top 40, the top ten of the Mainstream Top 40 and the top twenty of the Adult Contemporary charts.
Music video
The song's accompanying music video, which runs for three minutes and sixteen seconds, was directed by Cameron Duddy, who is known for his work with Bruno Mars and OneRepublic. It was filmed in Los Angeles, with scenes at Azteca Boxing Club in Bell, California, and Malibu Pier in Malibu, California. The video was released on 27 March 2014 via the group's Vevo account on YouTube. According to Christina Garibaldi, " takes fans on a wild ride filled with a sneaky con artist and a shady poker match, all while teaching a valuable lesson: Don't ever trust someone you just met with a bag full of $10,000 in cash." The band told MTV News, "This girl kind of sets us up, and we invest our own money in a poker game, and we get set up, ripped off. We wanted to make a Guy Ritchie-type film and get our acting heads on." There is an extended version of the video, which lasts for six minutes and twenty-one seconds.
Live performances and covers
In April 2014, the band performed the song on the second live show of The Voice. In May 2014, the band made their television debut on a talk show with a performance of the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. They also performed it at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards on 10 August 2014.
Use in other media
"Me and My Broken Heart" is among the forty-five tracks that appear in the rhythm-based video game, Just Dance 2015. The song appeared at the end of The Haunted Hathaways episode "Mostly Ghostly Girl".
