Broken-Hearted Girl

"Broken-Hearted Girl"
Single by Beyoncé
from the album I Am... Sasha Fierce
Released August 28, 2009
Format CD single, digital download
Recorded 2007, Roc the Mic Studios
(New York City, New York)
Genre R&B, pop
Length 4:38 (album version)
3:29 (radio edit)
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Beyoncé Knowles, Kenneth Edmonds, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen
Producer Knowles, Stargate
Beyoncé singles chronology
"Sweet Dreams"
(2009)		 "Broken-Hearted Girl"
(2009)		 "Video Phone"
(2009)

"Broken-Hearted Girl" is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. It was written by Knowles, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and was produced by Knowles and Stargate for Knowles' third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). Having previously been announced as the album's sixth single, it was delayed, with "Sweet Dreams" released instead. "Broken-Hearted Girl" later became the album's seventh overall single, and was first released on August 28, 2009. It was, however, never serviced as a single in the United States.

An R&B and pop ballad, the song features a moderate tempo as well as uses piano, strings and drums. It received generally positive reviews and mixed from critics, who praised Knowles' vocal effort and the song's use of piano, however criticizing the production. It appeared on several singles charts, and reached the top twenty in Australia, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Germany and Ireland. The accompanying music video for "Broken-Hearted Girl" reminisces on a former relationship, and shows some scenes in reverse. The song was part of Knowles' set list on her I Am... Tour.

Contents

Background and composition

"Broken-Hearted Girl" is a mid-tempo piano-ballad written by Beyoncé Knowles, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and co-written and produced by Stargate. The song was recorded at Roc the Mic Studios in New York City.[1] A demo recorded by Babyface was posted online on June 15, 2009.[2] "Broken-Hearted Girl" is written in D minor, with a tempo of 84 beats per minute in common time signature.[3] The production and melody is backed by strings and a drum machine beat.[4] Mariel Concepcion of Billboard wrote that Knowles "belts emotively" on the song's hook, "I don't want a broken heart / And I don't want to play the broken-hearted girl".[5] Emma Edmonson of The Sun wrote that Knowles sings about heartache and ex-boyfriends in the song.[6] "Broken-Hearted Girl" uses a chord progression of Dm–B♭–F(add9)–F–C/E, while Knowles' vocal range spans from the low note of F4 to the high note of F6.[3] Mikkel Eriksen of Stargate described the song's conception:

Originally this was a classic, full R&B track, that we wrote with Babyface. He came in and changed one chord and wrote the lyrics and then he added a falsetto voice that we recorded as a demo. From there we proceeded to change the entire backing track around his vocal. We changed the chords, everything, and this is where that four to the floor piano emerged. The song is in D-minor. I suppose many of our songs are in minor keys. We probably lean towards more a moody, melodic expression. It’s what comes most natural for us.[7]

Release

"Broken-Hearted Girl" was initially selected to be released as the sixth single from I Am... Sasha Fierce. However for undisclosed reasons, "Sweet Dreams" was released instead. "Broken-Hearted Girl" was then subsequently released as the album's seventh single.[8] It was first released in Australia and New Zealand on August 28, 2009, though in October and November 2009 it was also released in other territories.[9][10] A dub remix of the song by Alan Braxe was featured as the fourth track on the European maxi-single. Prefix Magazine's Matthew Richardson found it "pleasingly clubby" and reminiscent of the work of Leona Lewis.[11]

Critical reception

"Broken-Hearted Girl" received both positive and mixed reviews from contemporary music critics, who commended Knowles' vocal effort as well as the song's use of piano. Nevertheless, they criticized its production. Colin McGuire of Pop Matters said that "The piano-balladry of 'Broken-Hearted Girl' is simply more Celine Dion than Aretha Franklin".[12] Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond of Village Voice called the song "romantic-comedy soundtrack fare".[13] Elysa Gardner from USA Today picked "Broken-Hearted Girl" as one of the songs of I Am... Sasha Fierce to "consider" downloading,[14] while Jennifer Vineyard of MTV News noted the dominance of piano and strings in the song, adding that Beyoncé's "voice shows restraint, and singing in a lower register gives her more vocal power".[15] Tracey Ford of The Boomboox found similarities between "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Irreplaceable" (2006).[16]

Mayer Nissim of Digital Spy gave the single three stars out of five, commending the piano and strings and Beyoncé's "emotion-filled vocals", but criticizing the drum sounds. The review concludes that although the song is not as "magnetic" as "Crazy in Love" and "If I Were a Boy", and singles from Destiny's Child's "still-peerless" Writing's on the Wall and Survivor, it is "more proof that Beyoncé is one of the finest pop singers of her generation."[17] More mixed to negative reviews came from The A.V. Club's Michaelangelo Matos, who felt that "Broken-Hearted Girl" is "unfinished",[18] and Jessica Suarez of Paste, who wrote that Knowles' "commanding voice sounds unusually thin" during the song.[19] She also called the piano "weepy", and was unconvinced by the lyrics.[19]

Chart performance

"Broken-Hearted Girl" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number fifty-six on October 3, 2009. It rose to number twenty-seven on November 14, 2009, and slipped off the chart in December 2009 after twelve weeks.[20] It also peaked at number twelve on the UK R&B Chart.[21] The song was successful across Europe, reaching number thirty-seven on the European Hot 100 Singles:[22] it peaked at number twenty in the Irish Singles Chart,[23] where it lasted nine weeks,[24] and attained top twenty places on the Czech Republic Airplay Chart,[25] and the German Singles Chart.[26] It made the top forty in Austria and Slovakia.[27][28] and also appeared on the Swiss Singles Chart[29] and the Belgian Tip Charts.[27][27] In Australia, the song spent two weeks at a number fourteen high on the ARIA Singles Chart, and nine weeks in the top fifty.[30] It reached a peak of number ten on the Brazilian Hot 100 Airplay.[31]

Music video

A video for the single was released on June 16, 2009 on the Above and Beyoncé - Video Collection & Dance Mixes.[32] The video was directed by Sophie Muller,[33] who previously directed "Déjà Vu" and "Ring the Alarm" for Knowles.[34][35] The beginning of the video is shot in black-and-white,[36] and shows Knowles in a car crying before walking along a beach.[37] While crying in the car, recalled memories of Knowles and her partner spending time there previously are displayed. In a current-time scene, Knowles then walks on the beach for a while only to later remove an article of clothing, tossing it at the camera. She later walks into the water with teary eyes singing into the camera. Midway through the song, the video transitions into full color, where Knowles is seen in a green dress with a red rose. A scene shows Knowles repairing a rose, a reverse cut of her pulling the petals off. The video returns to black and white memories, and ends with Knowles returning to her car, smiling, and driving off.

Live performances and cover version

Knowles sang "Broken-Hearted Girl" on her I Am... Tour. A performance was taped and made available on her live album, I Am... World Tour.[38] The recording of the song was previewed on Yahoo! Music on November 25, 2010 prior to the video's release on November 29.[39] Jayson Rodriguez of MTV News concluded that Knowles showed her softer side while performing the song.[40] Duane Lamonte, a contestant of the sixth season of The X Factor UK covered the song during one of his audution.[41]

Track listing

Australia and New Zealand single[9][10]
  1. "Broken-Hearted Girl" – 4:39
  2. "Broken-Hearted Girl" (Catalyst Remix) – 4:46
Digital EP[42]
  1. "Broken-Hearted Girl" – 4:37
  2. "Video Phone" (extended remix featuring Lady Gaga) – 5:04
  3. "Poison" – 4:04
Australia, Germany and New Zealand digital EP[43][44][45]
  1. "Broken-Hearted Girl" – 4:37
  2. "Video Phone" (extended remix featuring Lady Gaga) – 5:04
  3. "Poison" – 4:04
  4. "Broken-Hearted Girl" (music video) – 4:39
Europe single[46]
  1. "Broken-Hearted Girl" – 4:38
  2. "Broken-Hearted Girl" (Alan Braxe Remix) – 3:29
Brazil and Germany CD single[47][48]
  1. "Broken-Hearted Girl" – 4:39
  2. "Video Phone" (Extended Remix featuring Lady Gaga) – 5:04
Amazon France digital download[49]
  1. "Broken-Hearted Girl" – 4:37
  2. "Video Phone" (extended remix featuring Lady Gaga) – 5:04
  3. "Poison" – 4:04
Europe maxi single[46][50]
  1. "Broken-Hearted Girl" (Gareth Wyn Remix) – 6:31
  2. "Broken-Hearted Girl" (Gareth Wyn Remix 128 BPM) – 6:48
  3. "Broken-Hearted Girl" (Alan Braxe Remix) – 4:18
  4. "Broken-Hearted Girl" (Alan Braxe Dub Remix) – 7:01
  5. "Broken-Hearted Girl" (Olli Collins & Fred Portelli Remix) – 6:36
  6. "Broken-Hearted Girl" (Radio Edit) – 3:29

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from I Am... Sasha Fierce liner notes.[1]

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (2009) Peak
position
ARIA Singles Chart[30] 14
ARIA Urban Singles Chart[51] 4
Austrian Singles Chart[27] 38
Belgian Tip Chart (Flanders)[27] 7
Belgian Tip Chart (Wallonia)[27] 9
Brazil Billboard Hot 100 Airplay[31] 10
Czech Republic Airplay Chart[25] 15
European Hot 100 Singles[22] 37
German Singles Chart[26] 14
Irish Singles Chart[23] 20
Swiss Singles Chart[29] 62
Slovakian Airplay Chart[28] 39
UK Singles Chart[20] 27
UK R&B Chart[21] 12

End-of-year charts

Chart (2009) Position
Australian Urban Singles Chart[52] 37
UK Singles Chart[53] 189

Release history

Music portal
R&B and Soul Music portal
Book: I Am... Sasha Fierce
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.
Country Date
Australia[9] August 28, 2009
New Zealand[10]
Europe[50] October 30, 2009
Germany[48] November 20, 2009
Brazil[47] November 23, 2009

References

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Beyoncé singles
Dangerously in Love
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B'Day
I Am... Sasha Fierce
"If I Were a Boy" · "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" · "Diva" · "Halo" · "Ego" · "Sweet Dreams" · "Broken-Hearted Girl" · "Video Phone"
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