My Heart Is Broken

"My Heart Is Broken"
Single by Evanescence
from the album Evanescence
Released November 11, 2011
Format Digital download
Recorded Blackbird Studio; Nashville, Tennessee
Genre Alternative metal
Length 4:29 (album version)
3:40 (radio edit)
Label Wind-up
Writer(s) Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo, Tim McCord, Will Hunt, Zach Williams
Producer(s) Nick Raskulinecz
Evanescence singles chronology
"What You Want"
(2011)		 "My Heart Is Broken"
(2011)		 "Lost in Paradise"
(2012)
Music video
"My Heart Is Broken" on YouTube

"My Heart Is Broken" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. It was released on October 31, 2011 as the second single from their eponymous third studio album. The song was written by Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo, Tim McCord, Will Hunt and Zach Williams, while production was handled by Nick Raskulinecz. Musically, "My Heart Is Broken" is an uptempo rock ballad that begins with piano and Lee's vocals before transcending into guitars and drums. Lee revealed that the song was written after seeing victims of sex trafficking. The song received favorable reviews from music critics, who praised Lee's vocals accompanied by piano, guitars and drums and chose it as a highlight on the album. It reached number 36 on the Austrian Singles Chart, 92 on the German Singles Chart and 34 on the US Adult Top 40 chart.

An accompanying music video for the song was filmed in December in Los Angeles and it was directed by Dean Karr. It makes use of fiber optics and was inspired by the dark fantasy horror film Paperhouse (1988). The video was released online on January 24, 2012 after was leaked several hours prior to its release. Its concept revolves around a girl creating a world in her dreams which later becomes a nightmare. Upon its release, it received positive reviews by critics, who generally praised the "dark" scenes. "My Heart Is Broken" is part of the band's set list on their third worldwide tour, Evanescence Tour (2011-2012). It was also performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Background and composition

"We were having conversations with her [Lee's friend], and I was writing at the same time. And a lot of times when I write, I just sort of make up words, and something will stick, and I'll be like, 'Oh, that's from my subconscious. That's what I need to write the song about.' And that sort of happened halfway through. I was like, 'I think I'm writing about this thing, it's on my heart,' just imagining being in such a trapped place and how that might feel, so the song was actually inspired by that idea."

—Amy Lee talking to MTV News about the inspiration behind "My Heart Is Broken".[1]

"My Heart Is Broken" was written by Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo, Tim McCord, Will Hunt and Zach Williams and it was produced by Nick Raskulinecz.[2] The song was recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.[2] During an interview, Amy Lee stated that she originally wrote the song on a harp.[3] She added that the band wrote the song along with "What You Want" and the piano part at the beginning of the song was written on a harp which was a slower and an easier instrument for her.[4] However, during the pre-production of Evanescence the band made the tempo of the song faster so when it was time to record the song it was impossible to play it on a harp.[4] Lee said that the song sounded better with the piano part because it was a stronger and more prominent instrument which made the song "one of the most passionate songs on the whole album".[4] During another interview with rock magazine Kerrang! Lee revealed the inspiration of "My Heart Is Broken" saying: "A good friend of mine heads up an organization in New York that rescues victims of sex trafficking. My husband and I got involved and were really moved and horrified. As I was writing the song I was putting myself in that place - what would it be like to be trapped? Threatened? Alone? Unable to tell anyone what was happening because you're afraid of what would happen?".[5] The song is a ballad that starts with piano and Lee sings the lines "I will never find a way to heal my soul/ And I will wander 'til the end of time/ Torn away from you/ My heart is broken" during the chorus of the song.[6][7] Chad Grischow of the website IGN found "cascading piano and grubby march of guitar and stomping drums" which were similar to the older material by the band.[8]

Release

The song premiered online prior the official release of the album on September 27, 2011.[7] On August 22, 2011, Lee went to Toronto's Liberty Studios to preview five mastered songs from the new album to a selected crowd of thirty people.[6][9] "My Heart Is Broken" was one of the five previewed songs.[6][9] During an interview with MTV News, the band revealed that they wanted the song to be included on the soundtrack to the movie The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.[10] Will Hunt the drummer of the band said, "I've been screaming for [new song] 'My Heart Is Broken' to land in that, because I think it would fit the story so well. I got sucked into the 'Twilight' vortex by the girls at home, so by default, I've got to watch it."[10] However, the song was not included on the soundtrack. During an interview with NME, Lee confirmed that the song will be released as the second single from the album.[4] The song was sent to pop, hot adult contemporary and Hot/Mod/AC radio stations in the United States on October 31, 2011.[11][12][13] It was also served to mainstream radio stations on November 1, 2011.[14] The song was made available for digital download on November 11, 2011.[15] It was later released to modern rock radio on February 13, 2012.[16]

Reception

Amy Lee performing during an Evanescence concert on October 25, 2011

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic chose the song as a highlight on the album.[17] Steve Beebee of rock magazine Kerrang! also chose the song as a highlight on the album, adding that it "develops into a searching, soulful hook, ranging high among the best material this band has ever recorded."[18] Digital Spy's Lewis Corner chose the song as a tracks to consider downloading, further writing that "'My Heart Is Broken' would strongly beg to differ, with a dashing piano riff skittling over growling guitar strums serving as a backdrop for her emotive alto-soprano."[19] Rick Florino of Artistdirect said, "On 'My Heart Is Broken', a gorgeous piano intro rises alongside Lee's vibrant vocal delivery as Will Hunt's airtight drumming propels the tune into another realm."[20] Tom Goodwyn of NME praised "Me Heart Is Broken" saying that it "sounds quite a lot like a Disney ballad, beginning with Amy Lee cooing 'I will wander until the end of time' over a piano line straight off Powers Ballad Vol.12. It gets heavier at the end though, don't worry."[21] Chris Willman of Reuters concluded that the song was "bluntly titled",[22] while The Hollywood Reporter's Sophie Schillaci called it a "gut-wrenching" ballad.[23] Calling the song "fiery", Chad Grischow of the website IGN noted that in "My Heart Is Broken", "Lee's siren-esque vocals shine, [and] the band takes a few interesting chances late in the album."[8] Marc Hirsh of The Boston Globe called the song "a banshee howl of defiant, [and] self-lacerating rage."[24] Billboard magazine's Christa Titus wrote that Lee's voice was "powerful and flexible as ever, as heard in her piercing wails on hit-in-waiting 'My Heart Is Broken'."[25] Serene Dominic of The Arizona Republic wrote, "Really, when your heart is broken, you want a song that's as idea driven as 'My Heart is Broken' to carry you through and that's what she [Lee] delivers."[26] Arwa Haider of the newspaper Metro commented, "Standard romantic rock bluster from Evanescence. Frontwoman Amy Lee still sounds like she’d tear strips off any would-be lothario."[27]

For the week ending November 25, 2011, "My Heart Is Broken" debuted at number 36 on the Austrian Singles Chart.[28] The next week it fell to number 67 and the next week it fell of the chart.[29] It also debuted and peaked at number 92 on the German Singles Chart on November 28, 2011.[30] On the US Adult Top 40, "My Heart Is Broken" debuted at number 40 for the week ending December 4, 2011,[31] and later peaked at number 34.[32]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "My Heart Is Broken" was directed by Dean Karr. It began filming on December 1, 2011[33] in Los Angeles.[1] During an interview with MTV News, Lee stated that the video for the song was "ethereal". She also said, "This [video] is going to look a lot different. Actually, I kind of wanted it to be the opposite. The first video, for 'What You Want,' was very real, and this is very surreal."[1] Lee also stated that to get the surreality in the video, she further drew inspiration from the dark fantasy horror film Paperhouse (1988). Lee explained: "[It's about] this girl, and everything that she would draw would come to life in her dreams, and she was creating this dream world for herself. And at first, it was cool, but then it's like this nightmare. So I sort of thought it would apply, and be cool, to have it be this dream that you're trapped in. So you're in a place that, at first, is a magical world, but at the same time, you're isolated and trapped there, and that's the reason you want to come back to reality after a time."[1] To create the video, the band used fiber optics and according to Lee, they helped her drawing world around her from nothingness, and when she drew things with her hands, the things came to life.[1] She stated that "the guys' performance is sort of like the dream within the dream, in an abyss of darkness".[1]

Amy Lee singing in the music video

The video begins with Lee lying on a black background while lyp-syncing the lyrics of the song. Shots of the rest of the band performing the song are shown as well as shots of Lee with a white light in her hand which she uses to draw lines. She gets up off the ground and starts creating grass around her with the white light. Shots of the band are shown again as well as Lee singing the song and showing her emotions. The camera then returns to Lee who's drawing stars with the light in her hand and walking in the world that she has created. The next shots feature Lee playing the piano in a room where the light comes from a small window. The video returns to Lee who draws a mirror and walls in her world and continues singing the song.[34] At the end, she looks through the window and touches the mirror which starts breaking and illuminating the screen with white light.[34][35] According to James Montgomery of MTV News, at the end, "she eventually realizes that, in spite of her attempts, she is just as trapped as she was before... At clip's end, the viewer is left to wonder whether she has the power to escape... which, in a way, only further connects the video to the song itself."[35]

A behind-the-scenes video was released on MTV on January 18, 2012.[36] The video premiered on Evanescence's Vevo account on YouTube on January 24, 2012.[34][35][37] However, it was leaked several hours prior to its release on the Internet.[37] During the pre-release of the video, James Montgomery of MTV News noted that the video was a "labor of love, for both the band and their director".[36] He later noted that the video was a "dark, dreamlike thing that pushes Amy Lee's claustrophobic musings to the next level. And somewhere beyond that too."[35] He further described it as "both haunting and haunted".[35] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard magazine described the video as "mystical" [34] A writer of Spin magazine wrote, "[The video] features pretty lights and a field of wheat, in addition to the usual Evanescence fare — frontwoman Amy Lee in pale chiffon and corsets, a fantasy world involving lots of wind and unpleasant situations... and dreadlock-banging galore."[37] HitFix's Melinda Newman compared the lightning scenes of the video to July 4.[38] She further added, "It's all darkly lit and dramatic and Lee, as usual, looks absolutely stunning and haunted all at the same time. Her band mates get just enough screen time to prove to their parents they are in the band."[38]

Live performances

Evanescence performed "My Heart Is Broken" live for the first time during the 2011 Rock in Rio festival on October 2, 2011.[39] They later added the song to the set list on their third worldwide tour in support of Evanescence.[23] Sophie Schillaci of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Lee's "high energy and an undeniably fierce vocal style" were best demonstrated during the performance of "My Heart Is Broken".[23] On February 1, 2012, the band performed "My Heart Is Broken" during The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[40]

Track listing

  1. "My Heart Is Broken" – 4:30
  2. "My Heart Is Broken" (Rock Mix) – 4:29
  3. "My Heart Is Broken" (Pop Mix) – 4:02

Charts

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[41] 36
Germany (Official German Charts)[30] 92
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[32] 34

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Montgomery, James; Elias, Matt (December 9, 2011). "Evanescence's 'My Heart Is Broken': Behind The Video". MTV News. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Evanescence (liner notes). Evanescence. New York City, New York: Wind-up Records. 2011.
  3. ↑ Goodman, William (April 13, 2011). "Amy Lee Talks Evanescence's Comeback LP". Spin. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Evanescence Track By Track (Part 1) video". NME. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  5. ↑ Amy Lee - Interview (October 8, 2011). Kerrang!. Bauer Media Group. Issue 1384. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 Bliss, Karen (August 23, 2011). "Amy Lee Previews New Evanescence Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  7. 1 2 Copsey, Robert (September 28, 2011). "Exclusive: Evanescence unveil new album track 'My Heart is Broken'". Digital Spy. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  8. 1 2 Grischow, Chad (October 12, 2011). "Evanescence: Evanescence Review". IGN. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  9. 1 2 Bliss, Karen (August 25, 2011). "Backbeat: Amy Lee Attends EMI Canada's Invitation-Only Playback Of New Evanescence Songs". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  10. 1 2 Montgomery, James (August 10, 2011). "Evanescence 'Screaming' To Get On 'Breaking Dawn' Soundtrack". MTV News. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  11. ↑ "R&R :: Going For Adds :: CHR/Top40". R&R magazine. November 1, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  12. ↑ "R&R :: Going For Adds :: Hot AC". R&R magazine. November 1, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases - Hot Adult Contemporary Songs and Release Dates". All Access. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Available for Airplay Archive: CHR: 2011". FMQB. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012.
  15. 1 2 "Evanescence - My Heart Is Broken - MP3 Single - Download" (in German). 7digital (Switzerland). Archived from the original on November 16, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
  16. ↑ "FMQB: Available for Airplay Archive: Modern Rock: 2012". FMQB. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  17. ↑ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "allmusic ((( Evanescence > Overview )))". AllMusic. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  18. ↑ Beebee, Steve. "Evanescence - Evanescence review (Wind-up Records)". Kerrang!. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  19. ↑ Corner, Lewis (October 7, 2011). "Evanescence: 'Evanescence' - Album review". Digital Spy. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  20. ↑ Florino, Rick (October 10, 2011). "Evanescence - "Evanescence" Album Review". Artistdirect. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  21. ↑ Goodwyn, Tom (September 29, 2011). "First Listen – Evanescence, 'Evanescence'". NME. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  22. ↑ Willman, Chris (October 10, 2011). "Review: Evanescence Runs Gloom Into the Ground on 'Evanescence'". Reuters. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  23. 1 2 3 Schillaci, Sophie (October 12, 2011). "Evanescence at the Palladium: Concert Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  24. ↑ Hirsh, Marc (October 10, 2011). "Evanescence, 'Evanescence'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  25. ↑ Titus, Christa (October 11, 2011). "Evanescence Returns to an Altered Rock Landscape". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  26. ↑ Dominic, Serene (October 15, 2011). "Evanscence concert more the Amy Lee Show at Comerica". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  27. ↑ Haider, Arwa (January 16, 2012). "Swedish House Mafia and Evanescence: Singles of the week". Metro. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  28. ↑ "Austria Top 40 - Singles Top 75 - Austriancharts.at". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien. November 25, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Austria Top 40 - Singles Top 75 - Austriancharts.at". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien. December 4, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  30. 1 2 "Offiziellecharts.de – Evanescence – My Heart Is Broken". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Chart Highlights: Taio Cruz's 'Hangover' Debuts On Pop Songs". Billboard. November 28, 2011. Archived from the original on November 30, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  32. 1 2 "Evanescence – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Evanescence. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  33. ↑ "Evanescence Taps Director DEAN KARR For 'My Heart Is Broken' Video". Blabbermouth.net. December 5, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  34. 1 2 3 4 Lipshutz, Jason (January 24, 2012). "Evanescence Unveils Mystical 'My Heart Is Broken' Video". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 Montgomery, James (January 24, 2012). "Evanescence's 'My Heart Is Broken' Video: The Haunting". MTV News. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  36. 1 2 Montgomery, James (January 18, 2012). "Evanescence Take Fans Inside 'My Heart Is Broken' Video". MTV News. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  37. 1 2 3 "Watch Evanescence's Amy Lee Be Magical, Sad in 'My Heart Is Broken'". Spin. January 24, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  38. 1 2 Newman, Melinda (January 25, 2012). "Watch: Evanescence's new video for 'My Heart Is Broken'". HitFix. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  39. ↑ Ribeiro, Guilherme (October 2, 2011). "Evanescence toca o bom básico no Rock in Rio" (in Portuguese). MTV Brasil. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  40. ↑ Leno, Jay (February 1, 2012). "Evanescence". The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
  41. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Evanescence – My Heart Is Broken" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 24, 2011.

External links

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