Released February 7, 2012 Recorded 2011 Length 3:47 | Format Digital download Genre Pop, dance-pop Label Epic | |
"Brokenhearted" is a song by American pop duo Karmin. It was released as the lead single from their debut EP, Hello (2012). It was written by band members Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan, Claude Kelly, Emily Wright, Henry Walter, John Hill and Richard Head, and produced by Cirkut and Emily Wright. The song is about a woman who begs her lover not to "leave [her] broken hearted tonight." The single debuted at number 84 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at number 16 on the chart in its twelfth week. Internationally, the single was a huge success, peaking within the top ten of the charts in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
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Background and composition
"Brokenhearted" is a pop and dance-pop song with elements of pop rock, post-disco, bubblegum pop, and pop rap. The song was written by Amy Heidemann, Nick Noonan, Claude Kelly, Emily Wright, Henry Walter, John Hill and Richard Head, produced by Cirkut, and recorded in late summer of 2011. The single leaked on January 27, prompting the duo to upload it to their YouTube account on January 30. The single was made available for digital download on February 2, with it officially being released to radio on February 7.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the song's co-writer, Claude Kelly, expressed the goals for the recording, which was one of eight tracks the pair worked on together: "I had the melody down, and I kept feeling I wanted a song that had the vibe of ‘Fantasy’ by Mariah Carey," Kelly explained. "There hasn’t been a song like that in a million years, one that’s fun and you want to dance to it at a party but it’s not so serious that you can’t have a good time. And Amy can sing her ass off, so I knew she could do it." It was also mentioned that the song was inspired by Brandy's Brokenhearted, released in 1995.
According to the digital sheet music published at musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, "Brokenhearted" is written in the key of E major with a metronome of 118 beats per minute. Heidemann's vocal range in the song spans from the low note of G♯3 to the high note of C♯5.
Critical reception
"Brokenhearted" received generally positive reviews from critics who commented on Heidemann's vocal prowess and the production's energetic vibe. The Huffington Post noted that despite its somber title, it "certainly has a lot of pep." Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly calls it a "sunny pop track... which features another dose of Amy’s trademark rapping over a Dr. Luke-esque beat." Andrew Unterberger from Popdust says, "Last year’s "Crash Your Party" was a good start, but "Broken Hearted" faces a much better chance of breaking them through to the Top 40, with a Katy Perry/Dr. Luke style super-pop groove, the first few notes are all but guaranteed to give you "Last Friday Night" flashbacks and a chorus sentiment ("Don’t you leave me brokenhearted tonight") that has definite lovelorn-party-anthem potential." MTV's Liz Barker says it may be "the sunniest song to ever bear a title like 'Broken Hearted,'" with a "super-slick flow that Amy shows off."
Background
On February 4, 2012, the group revealed via Twitter that they were in the pre-production phase for an accompanying music video. Filming began on February 6, on location in Los Angeles, California, with additional footage filmed in mid-March. The video was choreographed by Richard Jackson, best known for working with Lady Gaga.
The video is said to be loosely based on how the duo met. It takes place in Amy's apartment, with her thinking back to the night before. Group member Nick Noonan describes it as "She ran into a guy, who is me. She got along really well, didn’t expect to get along with somebody like that, then at the end of the night they exchanged numbers. The whole song is ‘Why didn’t you call me? Don’t leave me brokenhearted.’ She’s never really felt like this, she’s confused, she’s anxious. You think this guy might be a jerk, but then at the very end you figure out why he didn’t call." The 'cheerio' part in the song came about when Claude Kelly wanted to add a little personality to the song: he asked Amy, what would she say if she was pacing around her apartment waiting for a guy to call you, she said 'Cheerio' and "it just stuck!"
Synopsis
The video was directed by Marc Klasfeld. The video was released on Vevo on March 22, 2012, with a cameo appearance by Hugh Jackman. The story shifts back and forth between the previous day and the present day. The video starts out with Amy entering the studio late as the band is already in mid-rehearsal. They begin to perform "Brokenhearted". The night before, Amy, Nick, their band members and other friends party in an apartment, complete with drinking, dancing, a game of darts and table tennis. Amy thinks she and Nick have a romantic connection. The next morning, Amy furiously checks her phone to see if Nick has called, but he hasn't. At the end of band rehearsals, it turns out that Nick is already seeing someone else.
Live performances
The band debuted their live televised performance on Saturday Night Live on February 11, 2012. The band continued a promotional push for the single by appearing and performing the song on VH1 Big Morning Buzz Live, and also announcing that the release date for the album was set for May 8, 2012.