"Breathe (2 AM)" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Anna Nalick. The song was first released in 2004 and re-released in 2005, when it charted at number 45 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number four on the ''Billboard''

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 present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

chart. In New Zealand, it peaked at number 37. "Breathe (2 AM)" has been certified Gold 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/ ...

Content

The verses tell the stories of three characters: a friend of the narrator's who has fallen into an unhappy relationship, an alcoholic soldier at

Fort Bliss Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Named in honor of LTC William Bliss (1815–1853), a mathematics professor who was the son-in-law of President Zachary Taylor, Ft. Bliss h ...

, and the narrator's experience of writing and performing a song. Chuck Taylor describes it as "an introspective yet confessional tale about learning to handle everyday challenges — and remembering to take time to breathe".

Release

In the United States, only a promotional disc of "Breathe (2 AM)" was released. In Australia, a proper CD single was issued, backed with acoustic versions of non-album track "Home" and album track "Catalyst".

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the US promo CD liner notes. Studios * Produced and recorded at Studio Wishbone (

North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

, US) * Mixed at Image Recording Studios (

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

, US) * Mastered at The Lodge (New York City) Personnel * Anna Nalick – words, music, vocals * Christopher Thorn – guitars, production, recording * Brad Smith – bass, production, recording *

Joey Waronker Jon Joseph Waronker (born May 20, 1969) is an American drummer and music producer. He is best known as a regular drummer of both Beck and R.E.M., and as member of the experimental rock bands Atoms for Peace and Ultraísta. Background Waronker ...

– drums *

Zac Rae Zac Rae is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist, pianist, and multi-instrumentalist of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, with whom he has recorded two studio albums and two EPs. Rae is a former member of Alanis Morissette ...

– piano * Cameron Stone – cello *

Eric Rosse Eric Ivan Rosse is an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and mixer. Rosse started playing piano at age 8, eventually studying orchestration and arranging with Joe Rotundi Sr., whose mentorship—along with influences of soul, rock ...

– string arrangement, production, recording *

Chris Lord-Alge Chris Lord-Alge is an American mix engineer. He is the brother of both Tom Lord-Alge and Jeff Lord-Alge, both of whom are also audio engineers. Chris and Tom are known for their abundant use of dynamic compression for molding mixes that play wel ...

– mixing *

Emily Lazar Emily B. Lazar is an American mastering engineer. She is the founder, president, and chief mastering engineer of The Lodge, an audio mastering facility that has operated in New York City's Greenwich Village since 1997. She won a Grammy Award fo ...

– mastering * Sarah Register – mastering assistant

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2004 debut singles 2004 songs 2005 singles Anna Nalick songs Columbia Records singles Pop ballads Rock ballads Songs written by Anna Nalick