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.
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. 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. 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 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." The Celebrity Cafe said that the song "has an electronica-like melody to it that is perfect to be played in listeners’ dance clubs." Tommy2.Net says that "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 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." 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.”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, 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
Music video
The music video, 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 28, 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’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
Sales and certifications
Release history
Uses in pop culture
- "Potential Breakup Song" is played in the video game .
- "Potential Breakup Song" is played in episode two of The Miley and Mandy Show.
Ami Suzuki version
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
- "Potential Breakup Song"
- "Feel the Beat"
- "Potential Breakup Song"
- "Potential Breakup Song"
Charts
| Release | Chart | Peak position | First week sales | Total sales | Chart run |
| November 28, 2007 | Oricon Daily Singles Chart | 16 | - | ||
| November 28, 2007 | Oricon Weekly Singles Chart | 34 | 4,151 | 5,315 | 5 weeks |