Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson Song)
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"Breakaway" is a
power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...
song recorded by American singer
Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...
. The song, written by
Matthew Gerrard Matthew Gerrard is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. Biography Gerrard grew up in Don Mills, a suburb of Toronto's north-east end. He attended George S. Henry Secondary School where he played trombone in band, later playing bass in a sc ...
,
Bridget Benenate Bridget Benenate is an American songwriter. She first found success in her song "Permission To Shine", which was performed by the band Bachelor Girl. The same year Bridget's song "Everything Changes" was featured on '' Dawson’s Creek''. In 20 ...
, and
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...
, was originally intended for Lavigne's debut studio album, '' Let Go'' (2002). After being deemed unsuitable for the album, it was passed to Clarkson to be recorded as a soundtrack for the film '' The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'' (2004). Clarkson, who was finishing her second studio album at that time, recorded "Breakaway" to tide her fans over until the first single from her new album was released. However, the song's success prompted its inclusion on Clarkson's second album, while the record label decided to name the album after the song. "Breakaway" was first released as the first single from ''The Princess Diaries 2'' soundtrack on July 19, 2004. In May 2006, "Breakaway" was reissued as the fifth and final single from the album of the same name. "Breakaway" received positive reviews from music critics, who could relate to the song's message and simple lyrics. It incorporates acoustic guitars and airy drums which are interspersed with Clarkson's controlled voice. The lyrics narrate Clarkson's journey as a girl growing up in a small town who follows her dream for self-improvement. "Breakaway" was a commercial success outside of the United States, where it peaked within the top 20 of multiple European countries, and in the top 10 in Australia, Belgium, Hungary, and the Netherlands. In the United States, the song peaked at number six on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and became her third top ten song in the chart. It also topped the US
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
for twenty-one non-consecutive weeks, a record for female artists that is now shared between herself,
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...
's "
A New Day Has Come ''A New Day Has Come'' is the eighteenth studio album and seventh English-language album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released by Sony Music on 25 March 2002. It was her first new studio album since her 1998 Christmas album '' These Are Spec ...
" and
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (; born 5 May 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...
's "
Hello Hello is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses ''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the '' Norwich Cou ...
". Directed by Dave Meyers, the accompanying music video for "Breakaway" portrays Clarkson as a young girl from a small town who follows her dream and becomes an international star. It also contained scenes interspersed from ''The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement''. Clarkson acted out most of the lyrics in the music video because she felt that the song was autobiographical. Critics responded positively to the music video for being faithful to the central theme shared by the song, the film, and Clarkson's personal biography. Clarkson performed the song in a series of live appearances such as television shows ''
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'', ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show ran for twenty-five seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in which it broadcast 4,561 episodes. The show was taped i ...
'' and ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...
''. She has performed the song in her concert tours, including the Stronger Tour. "Breakaway" has also been covered by many contestants from reality television singing competitions, notably Katie Stevens, a contestant in the ninth season of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'', as well as an English pop quartet
Belle Amie Belle Amie were an English pop music, pop girl group based in London. They were formed during the The X Factor (British series 7), seventh series of ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor'' in 2010, where they were the sixth contestant ...
, who finished eleventh in the seventh season of ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
''.


Background and release

"Breakaway" was originally written by
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...
,
Bridget Benenate Bridget Benenate is an American songwriter. She first found success in her song "Permission To Shine", which was performed by the band Bachelor Girl. The same year Bridget's song "Everything Changes" was featured on '' Dawson’s Creek''. In 20 ...
and
Matthew Gerrard Matthew Gerrard is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. Biography Gerrard grew up in Don Mills, a suburb of Toronto's north-east end. He attended George S. Henry Secondary School where he played trombone in band, later playing bass in a sc ...
. According to Benenate, the song was written in 2001 when she was working with Gerrard for Lavigne's first album, ''Let Go''. Benenate explained that Lavigne came to her to write the song, saying:
Avril talked about her life and what things were important to her – she was the inspiration for the song. Matthew began creating the melody and track, and I started working on the lyrics. I remember staying in bed for three days, writing 25 versions of the lyric. I love being in bed and writing lyrics, and having my dog Jet and my kitty Dash on the bed. Anyway, we finally finished the lyric, then we completed the demo.
After the production of the song was deemed unsuitable for Lavigne's album, the song was passed to several artists including
Samantha Moore Samantha Jo Moore (born December 28, 1988) is a Canadian singer and songwriter whose songs have been recorded and re-cut by Miley Cyrus (“East Northumberland High” from ''Meet Miley Cyrus''), as well as up and coming artists, including Diana D ...
before finally being recorded by Kelly Clarkson. Benenate also added that it was Mitchell Leib, the President of Music and Soundtracks for Walt Disney Pictures and Television/Buena Vista Music Group, who secured "Breakaway" as one of the soundtracks of '' The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement''. In an interview with
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, Clarkson said that she recorded "Breakaway" to tide fans over until September that year before she released the first single from her second album. Nevertheless, the song's huge success prompted its inclusion on the album, which Clarkson decided to name '' Breakaway''. Clarkson expressed that "Breakaway" was different from everything she has done, saying that it "is a simple song, and I think that its simplicity is what's beautiful about it. Whenever writers or producers come to work with me, they take advantage of the fact that I can really belt it out. What's cool about 'Breakaway' is that it doesn't take advantage of that. The song just uses the simplicity of my voice." The song was officially released to radio stations on July 19, 2004, as the first single of ''The Princess Diaries'' 2 soundtrack. Lavigne's original demo of the song leaked onto the internet nearly a decade later in April 2014. A brand new recording was officially released as part of the 20th anniversary re-release of her debut album on June 3, 2022.


Composition

"Breakaway" is a
folk-pop Folk-pop is a broad Music genre#Subtypes, musical fusion genre that includes contemporary folk songs with pop music, pop arrangements, and pop songs with intimate, acoustic music, acoustic-based folk music, folk arrangements. Folk-pop has been ...
song with a length of three minutes and 57 seconds. It is composed in the key of
C major C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel min ...
, with a
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
of 160
beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...
. T.U. Dawood of ''
Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the diffuse sky radiation, appearance of indirect sunlight being Rayleigh scattering, scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc ha ...
'' lauded the song for being the best track on the album, writing ""Breakaway" is an enchanting single that will have you humming along to its infectious, gentle chorus and the inspiring lyrics." It has a chord progression of C–G–Am7-F(9) and Clarkson's vocal range in the song spans two octaves from the low note of G3 to the note of D5. Sam Lansky of PopCrush.com thought that Clarkson's vocal floated over strummed guitars and airy drums, a combination which elevated the inspirational message of the song. Dave Donelly of Sputnikmusic noted that "Breakaway" successfully contrasted typical acoustic verse with a soaring pop chorus which was interspersed by Clarkson's controlled but powerful voice. Lyrically, the song is about growing up and moving on in life. Natalie Nichols of ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
'' considered "Breakaway" as Clarkson's anthem which is about a small-town girl going for her dreams. Clarkson admitted that she could relate to the song, saying:
It describes how I got into the business, verbatim. I did grow up in a small town, I wanted to get out, I felt like there was something... not better for me, but something different for me. I didn't feel like I fit in at school. Whether you are a DJ, or if you work with computers, or if you're a teacher, everyone has that point where they feel, 'I'm bored and this isn't what I wanted to do with my life.'


Reception


Critical response

While reviewing the album, Shirley Shipin of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' opined that "Breakaway" was the highlight of the album where Clarkson sounded "more Avril than Ashlee". Rhonda Lynn of Florida Entertainment Scene praised the acoustic guitar in the song which is instrumental in holding the whole structure together. Tammy La Gorce of
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thought that the song would not wear out due to its "rock-friendly thumps, dips, and rolls." In a different perspective, Joan Anderman of '' Boston.com'' remarked that "Breakaway" is not new or exciting-sounding but he admitted that the "hit single accomplishes the rare feat of being thoroughly middle-of-the-road without sacrificing grace or intelligence". Chuck Taylor of ''Billboard'' felt that the song was a weak choice as a single compared to Clarkson's previous hits, writing Breakaway' sounds more like an Irish folk song propped up with pop production than the anthemic material with which Clarkson has won over legions of fans." Kathi Kamen Goldmark of Disney Family.com felt that the song was tedious, simultaneously dull and so emotionally overwrought that it almost sounds like a parody of itself. Michael Wood of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' described the song as "a swoony acoustic folk-pop that Goo Goo Doll Johnny Rzeznik would trade his hair gel for". Jill Salama of Oprah.com listed "Breakaway" as one of her nine favourite ''Idol'' singles of all time, writing "There is nothing that gets us more than a song about a girl going out on her own. Making a wish, making a change and, of course, breaking away. But seriously, this song is more than just a high school graduation anthem." Bill Lamb of
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...
ranked "Breakaway" at number four in his list of Top 10 Kelly Clarkson songs. The song received a nomination in the category of Song of the Year: Adult Hit Radio at the 2005 Radio Music Awards but lost to
Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
's " Boulevard of Broken Dreams". It was one of the recipients of BDSCertified Spin Awards in November 2004 with 100,000 spins accumulated throughout the year. On March 5, 2013, ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' ranked the song at number five in its list of Top 100 American Idol Hits of All Time. Additionally, it also appeared at number four of Clarkson's Top 15 Biggest ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hits through the week ending April 29, 2017.


Chart performance

On the week ending August 28, 2004, "Breakaway" debuted at number 60 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. On its tenth week, the song jumped from number 12 to number 10 to become Clarkson's third Top 10 song in the chart, following "
A Moment Like This "A Moment Like This" is the debut single by American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was written by Jörgen Elofsson and John Reid from British house music project Nightcrawlers and produced by Stephen Ferrera and Steve Mac. It was released a ...
" and " Miss Independent". It peaked at number six on the week ending November 20, 2004. The song spent 46 weeks in ''Billboard'' Hot 100, a feat that was later achieved by its immediate successor, "
Since U Been Gone "Since U Been Gone" is a song recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her second studio album, '' Breakaway'' (2004). The song, which was written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, was released as the lead sing ...
". It was certified
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) on February 5, 2005. "Breakaway" also debuted at number 37 on the US
Pop Songs Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...
on the week dated August 21, 2004. Three months later, it peaked at number two on the week ending November 13, 2004, and was held off the top spot by
Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...
featuring
Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 17 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, five for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number one on ...
's " Over and Over". The song entered ''Billboard'' Adult Pop Songs at number 36 on the week dated August 21, 2004, before peaking at number two on the week ending February 12, 2005. "Breakaway" also made an appearance on the US
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
at number 30 on the week ending September 18, 2004. The song fell out of the chart after its debut, before re-entering the chart at the same position of number 30 in its second week. Six months later, "Breakaway" topped ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary, dethroning
Los Lonely Boys Los Lonely Boys are an American musical group from San Angelo, Texas. They play a style of music they call "Texican Rock n' Roll", combining elements of rock and roll, Texas blues, brown-eyed soul, country music, country, and Tejano music. The ...
' "
Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
" on the week ending March 12, 2005. The song spent 20 consecutive weeks at number one on the chart before being dethroned by
Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Regarded as a pop icon, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American ...
's "
Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...
". However, the song returned to top the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary for the 21st week on the week ending August 6, 2005. With this achievement, "Breakaway" tied the record with
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...
's "
A New Day Has Come ''A New Day Has Come'' is the eighteenth studio album and seventh English-language album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released by Sony Music on 25 March 2002. It was her first new studio album since her 1998 Christmas album '' These Are Spec ...
" as the longest-running Adult Contemporary chart-topper by a female artist. "Breakaway" is also the longest-running chart-topper to come from a film in ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary history, surpassing the nineteen-week record held jointly by
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
's "
You'll Be in My Heart "You'll Be in My Heart" is a song by English drummer and singer Phil Collins from the 1999 Disney animated feature ''Tarzan''. It appeared on '' Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack'' as well as various other Disney compilations. ...
" from ''
Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...
'' and Celine Dion's "
Because You Loved Me "Because You Loved Me" is a song performed by Canadian singer Celine Dion on her fourth English-language studio album, '' Falling into You'' (1996). It was released on 19 February 1996 as the first single in North America, and as the second sin ...
" from '' Up Close & Personal''. It remains as Clarkson's longest-running number one in her career. As of September 2017, "Breakaway" has sold 2,128,000 paid digital downloads. Internationally, "Breakaway" was a commercial success. In Australia, "Breakaway" debuted at number 14 on the week ending September 26, 2004, before peaking at number 10, three weeks later. It was certified
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA) for shipments of over 35,000 units. In New Zealand, "Breakaway" entered the
New Zealand Singles Chart The Official Aotearoa Music Charts, formerly the Official New Zealand Music Chart (), is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The M ...
at number 19 on the week ending October 18, 2004. Six weeks later, the song ascended to a new peak of number 12. On July 8, 2006, the song debuted and peaked at number 22 in the United Kingdom. In Ireland, it debuted and peaked at number 12 on the week ending June 29, 2006. Elsewhere in Europe, "Breakaway" peaked at number six in Belgium, number eight in Austria, as well as number nine in the Netherlands.


Music video

The accompanying
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for "Breakaway" was directed by Dave Meyers, which was shot in two days from July 10 to 11, 2004. In the video, the younger version of Clarkson was played by Lindsey Krueger. According to Meyers, working with Clarkson was a pleasant experience because he felt she was good and honest, although he had initial doubts in the beginning. He explained, "I was a little worried, her coming off 'American Idol,' it inherently feels manufactured and I didn't know how much of it was true artistry. But when I met her, she really does have a good, solid vibe. It was an honor to bring some of that out of her." Since the song is autobiographical, Clarkson decided to act out most of the lyrics in the video. Meyers also realized that the song was featured in ''The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'' and he struggled to find a way to address the film-footage in the music video, saying "Since it's a movie tie-in, the idea stems from trying to figure out a new way of addressing the film-footage requirement they put on you, so we came up with the idea of her attending the premiere, which is very much something she will do in real life." The video begins with the younger version of Clarkson sitting at the back seat of a station wagon. Singing the first verse, she witnesses a depressing scene of her brother quarreling with her sister who are scolded by their mother. She slowly clasps both her hands before the video shifts to the present day where Clarkson is seen arriving on the red carpet with her publicist for the world premiere of ''The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement''. After posing for the photographers, she enters the cinema and watches the film. The next scene switches back to the younger Clarkson who is sitting and looking around her neighborhood at her house's rooftop as a plane is seen flying across the sky. The video switches back to the older Clarkson who is now watching the aforementioned film in her laptop inside the plane as it goes through a mild turbulence. Clarkson is also seen reminiscing about her past job as a worker in a movie theater, singing with her co-workers. The next scene shows Clarkson singing with her band in a backyard party which is shown alternately with scenes from the film, as well as a montage of her family and co-workers waving away from her. In the final scene, the younger Clarkson is shown praying by her bedside. The video was uploaded to MTV's website on August 9, 2004. The video reached number five on the
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Music Top Video chart in September 2004, with 740,176
streams A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long, large stream ...
. Johnni Macke of E! deemed the early 2000s as Clarkson's "music video prime". She opined that the video was a great
Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
story, writing ""Breakaway" shows the story of a young tomboy girl dealing with her insane family and what she grows up into...AKA a popstar named Kelly Clarkson." Kate Aurthur of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' praised the music video for successfully illustrating the message of a girl following her own dream, which is a central theme shared by the song, the movie and Clarkson's biography. She also lauded the director of the video, Dave Meyers, for his ability to use Clarkson's evolution as an element to overshadow the distracting clips from ''The Princess Diaries: Royal Engagement'' despite noticing that the use of visual metaphors in the music video was overwrought.


Live performances

Clarkson first performed "Breakaway" on ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...
'' in August 2004. In February 2005, she performed "Breakaway" as well as "Since U Been Gone" on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. On September 23, 2005, she appeared on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show ran for twenty-five seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in which it broadcast 4,561 episodes. The show was taped i ...
'' and performed "Breakaway" as well as " Because of You". While touring at the Palace Theatre in
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
during her Breakaway World Tour, Clarkson performed "Breakaway" while signing several autographs for her fans near the stage to purposely let the crowd belt out the chorus. "Breakaway" was also included in the setlist of Clarkson's 2009 All I Ever Wanted Tour where she performed the song in
Hammerstein Ballroom The Hammerstein Ballroom is a ballroom located within the Manhattan Center at 311 West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The capacity of the ballroom is dependent on the configuration of the room; it seats 2,000 people for theat ...
without any dancers, acrobatics, moving set pieces and no special effects. Caryn Ganz noted that Clarkson belted the ballad song effortlessly by walking back and forth across the stage with her right hand on the mic and her left resting on her chest. Jim Cantiello of MTV opined that Clarkson's "low chest-voice cooed the verses of 'Breakaway and complimented the singer's vocal prowess throughout the concert. On April 3, 2012, Clarkson performed "Breakaway" as an encore to her Stronger Tour at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live,
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, where she told the audience that people started supporting her because of the song. In 2019,
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...
performed the song for the first time live at select venues during her Head Above Water Tour.


Cover versions and use in media

"Breakaway" has also been covered by contestants from reality television singing competitions. Katie Stevens covered the song on the ninth season of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
''. Despite listening to the judges' comments to sing a contemporary song, her rendition was criticized by the judges;
Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive, television presenter and musician, best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing b ...
thought the note was too big for Stevens while
Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American former comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 1980s, gaining national attention with a 1986 appearance on '' ...
felt Stevens did not sell the lyrics.
Kara DioGuardi Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi ( ; December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She primarily writes music in the pop rock genre. She has worked with many popular artists; sales of albums ...
said, "I don't think you know who you are yet as an artist", an opinion agreed by
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality and businessman. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003), ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor UK ...
. Jim Cantiello of MTV noted that Stevens' performance of the song was her weakest performance in the show, stating "Unfortunately, her uneven vocals on 'Breakaway' exposed her youthful inexperience." The same opinion was echoed by Eric Ditzian of MTV who opined that Stevens failed to resonate her youthful energy favouring the song choice. "Breakaway" was performed by Julie Zorrilla in the semi-finals on the tenth season of ''American Idol.'' Samantha Stephens of '' The Republican'' felt Zorrilla's performance was mediocre. Gil Kaufman of MTV remarked that Zorrilla's voice was shaky, and it lacked personality. After landing in the bottom two,
Belle Amie Belle Amie were an English pop music, pop girl group based in London. They were formed during the The X Factor (British series 7), seventh series of ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor'' in 2010, where they were the sixth contestant ...
, an English pop quartet contestant on the seventh season of ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', decided to perform "Breakaway" as their survival song. Nevertheless, they were eliminated in the episode. The song was also performed by
Megan Hilty Megan Hilty (born March 29, 1981) is an American actress and singer. She rose to prominence for her roles in Broadway musicals, including her performance as Glinda in '' Wicked'', Doralee Rhodes in '' 9 to 5: The Musical'', and her Tony Award– ...
on the episode titled "
Understudy In theatre, an understudy, referred to in opera as cover or covering, is a performer who learns the lines and blocking or choreography of a regular actor, actress, or other performer in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to ap ...
" of the American television series '' Smash'', which aired on April 7, 2012. Matt Tucker of KSiteTV.com thought the performance was "lovely", describing it as one of the things that stood out in the episode. The song was covered by
Jenna Ushkowitz Jenna Noelle Ushkowitz (; born April 28, 1986), Korean given name Min Ji (), is an American actress, singer, producer and podcast host. She is known for her performances in Broadway musicals such as ''The King and I'' and ''Waitress'' and in th ...
, Kevin McHale and
Darren Criss Darren Everett Criss (born February 5, 1987) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame starring on the television series ''Glee (TV series), Glee'' (2010–2015) and received a Primetime Emmy Awards, Primetime Emmy Award and ...
, on the 97th episode, " Frenemies", of the musical series ''
Glee Glee may refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 3000 album) * ''Glee'' (Logan Lynn album) * Gle ...
'', which aired on February 25, 2014. For the thirteenth season of ''American Idol'', the song is used as the sendoff song when a contestant is voted off. The contestant who is voted off, their cover of the song is played during the goodbye montage video package. It was also used in ''
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants'' is a series of five bestselling Young adult literature, young adult novels by Ann Brashares: ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (novel), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2001),'' ''The Second S ...
'' trailer and in the thirtieth season of Brazilian
soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
''
Malhação ''Malhação'' (, ''Young Hearts'' in English) is a Brazilian soap-opera that aired on TV Globo from 4 March 1995 to 3 April 2020. The series is targeted at a teenage audience. Each season runs for about a year with cast members changing every ...
''. The song was also featured on the 2020 episode "The Son" on the television show '' Little America.'' In 2022, singer-songwriter
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...
, who originally co-wrote the song for her debut studio album, ''Let Go'', released her version of the song for the expanded edition of said album to commemorate the 20th anniversary since its release. The lyrics in the demo version, and in the re-released version, the word 'snow' which
Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...
had changed to 'rain' to fit her perspective.


Track listings

* Australian CD single (Walt Disney Records release) # "Breakaway" – 3:58 # " Because You Live" – 3:18 * Digital download and CD single (RCA Records reissue) # "Breakaway" – 3:58 # "Breakaway" (Napster Live) – 4:17


Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
of ''Breakaway''. Recording * Recorded by Jeff Rothschild at Henson Recording Studios,
Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...
. Personnel *
Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...
 – lead vocals, background vocals and piano *
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...
 – writer *
Bridget Benenate Bridget Benenate is an American songwriter. She first found success in her song "Permission To Shine", which was performed by the band Bachelor Girl. The same year Bridget's song "Everything Changes" was featured on '' Dawson’s Creek''. In 20 ...
 – writer * Jeff Rothschild – drums, mixing *
John Shanks John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist. He has been a longtime session and touring member of the rock band Bon Jovi. Early life and education Shanks was born in New York City and m ...
 – bass, guitar, keyboard, mixing, producer *
Matthew Gerrard Matthew Gerrard is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. Biography Gerrard grew up in Don Mills, a suburb of Toronto's north-east end. He attended George S. Henry Secondary School where he played trombone in band, later playing bass in a sc ...
 – writer


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2005


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson Song) 2001 songs 2004 singles 2000s ballads Kelly Clarkson songs Avril Lavigne songs American folk songs Disney songs Music videos directed by Dave Meyers (director) Song recordings produced by John Shanks Songs written by Avril Lavigne Songs written by Bridget Benenate Songs written by Matthew Gerrard Songs written for films Folk ballads Pop ballads RCA Records singles Sony BMG singles Walt Disney Records singles The Princess Diaries