Potential Breakup Song

“Potential Breakup Song”
Single by Aly & AJ from the album Insomniatic
B-side	"Careful With Words" (UK)
Released	6 February 2007
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	2006
Genre	Electro-pop, dance-pop, pop rock, ska
Length	3:39
Record label	Hollywood Records
Writer(s)	Alyson Michalka, Amanda Michalka, Antonina Armato, Tim James
Producer	Antonina Armato, Tim James
Certification	Platinum (RIAA)
Aly & AJ main singles chronology
"Greatest Time of Year" (2006) "Potential Breakup Song" (2007) "Like Whoa" (2008)

"Potential Breakup Song" (known as "Potential Break Up Song" in Europe) is an electro-pop song written by American teen pop duo Aly & AJ, and is the first single from their second studio album, Insomniatic. It was a very successful single in the summer and early fall of 2007, topping many video countdowns, and becoming Aly & AJ's most successful single to date.

Aly & AJ - Potential Breakup Song - Official Video

Potential Breakup Song - official video

The track also was the third-most successful single by a Hollywood Records artist. Shortly after, songs by Miley Cyrus (Party in the U.S.A., See You Again, and 7 Things), Demi Lovato (Here We Go Again) and the Jonas Brothers (Burnin' Up) (who remain friends with Aly & AJ) surpassed that record.

It is one of the highest selling singles by a Hollywood Records artist, as it was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales over 1,000,000 copies,

Song information

There are two versions of this song that are on the radio. One is the official album version, which is played on mainstream radio, while a version with all of the violence and sexual innuendo removed is played on Radio Disney. In the chorus, in "gettin' me", the edited version adds a "to" between "gettin'" and "me". In the middle-eight, in "without me you're gonna die", "die" is replaced with "cry." This song is their first single of the electro-pop/dance genre.

Much of the melody is modeled after Del Shannon's Runaway.

The intro and outro of the song, is an interpolation on Elton John's "Crocodile Rock".

Critical Reception

• Digital Spy: But, by Disney Channel standards at least, 'Potential Breakup Song' is fairly adventurous, riding its scuzzy bassline and tango-inflected rhythm track to a chipper, synth-fuelled chorus. Hell, the cutesy twosome even manage to pop a knowing twist into their otherwise banal lyrics: "This is the potential breakup song - our album needs just one", indeed! They might come on like Gwen Stefani's slightly irritating younger sisters, but, for introducing the joys of electropop (and glam-rock guitar solos, no less) to the nation's tweenagers, Aly & AJ deserve to be cut a little slack.
• The Celebrity Cafe: Potential Breakup Song” has an electronica-like melody to it that is perfect to be played in listeners’ dance clubs. The duo harmonizes about how the romantic tides have turned, resulting in the end of a union. “It took too long. It took too long. It took too long for you to call back, and normally I would just forget that except for the fact it was my birthday, my stupid birthday…But obviously my armor was cracked…Don’t let me go…So you will know.”
• Tommy2.Net: Several tracks point toward synth rock by the use of samples, loops and vocal processing including the lead single, Potential BreakUp Song which proves to be a good barometer for the direction they're heading.
• BBC Music: We already introduced 'Potential Breakup Song' on Back Of The Sofa Tunes pt.2, after I bullied Steve P into listening to it until the poor lad was quite overcome by its brilliance and subsequently forced to bully Fraser into covering it.

on the U.S. iTunes Store on June 26, 2007, along with a pre-order offer for their third studio album, Insomniatic.

The UK CD single has been pulled out of stores, resulting in it only being available digitally.

Release history

Date	Country	Format	Label
May 12, 2007	United States	Radio Disney	Hollywood Records
June 26, 2007		Mainstream radio
		Digital download
October 1, 2007	United Kingdom	Digital download	EMI
October 8, 2007		CD single

Track listings and formats

Radio Disney Promo CD (U.S., May 12, 2007)
#	Title	Length
1.	"Potential Breakup Song" (Radio Disney Edit)	3:35

Digital download/Promo CD (U.S., June 27, 2007)
#	Title	Length
1.	"Potential Breakup Song"	3:39

UK CD single (UK, October 8, 2007)
#	Title	Length
1.	"Potential Break Up Song"	3:39
2.	"Careful With Words"	2:20
5:59

• The Radio Disney version of the song contains different lyrics and is slightly shorter in length.

Music video

The music video]], directed by Chris Applebaum, was shot on 17-19 Januray 2007. and was premiered on TRL on June 18, 2007. It debuted at number ten on TRL on August 21 2007, and peaked at number 6 on August 29 2007. On July 18 2007, the video for the single reached number one on AOL Music's Top 10 Video Countdown.

The video shows Amanda Michalka and older sister Alyson Michalka singing "Potential Breakup Song" on a grey set dressed in black. At the end of the video, the black ink floating on the air stains a blank paper forming the group's new logo, as well as the sequence of letters XOXO. It also includes the web address to PotentialBreakup.com.

In the Disney Channel version, the Radio Disney lyrics are used. The version also does not include the web address at the end. The music video is sometimes shown on Nickelodeon Asia.

"Potential Breakup Song" is the 92nd most seen video in Youtube history. To date, the video has garnered, on combined Hollywood Records' account and Aly & AJ's account, over 30 million views.

Chart performance

"Potential Breakup Song" debuted at number 77 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on July 5 2007. The song peaked at number 17, becoming the group's best single performance on the Hot 100. As the song began to fall down the chart, dropping to number 50 about a month after its peak, the song recovered bounced back up to number 41 after Aly and AJ co-hosted MTV's TRL for one week. As of March 2009, the song has logged over 1,000,000 digital downloads in the United States, enabling it to be certified Platinum by the RIAA.

In the UK, the single was released to download on the October 1, 2007, and debuted in the UK Top 75 at number 33. Following the release of the physical CD in the UK, the song peaked at number 22.

Time magazine ranked "Potential Breakup Song" the ninth best song of 2007. Writer Josh Tyrangiel singled out the lyrics in the bridge: "This is the Potential Breakup Song/ Our album needs just one/ Oh baby please”, and praised the authenticity of its having been written by the teenage sisters who sing it.

Charts

Chart (2007/2008)	Peak position
Canadian Hot 100	72
Dutch Mega Single Top 100	83
Irish Singles Chart	16
Norwegian Singles Chart	18
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	17
U.S. Billboard Pop 100	19
UK Singles Chart	22

Uses in pop culture

• "Potential Breakup Song" is played in the video game Thrillville: Off the Rails.
• "Potential Breakup Song" is played in episode 2 of The Miley and Mandy Show.

Ami Suzuki version

“Potential Breakup Song”
Single by Ami Suzuki from the album Dolce
Released	28 November 2007 (Japan)
Format	CD single
Genre	J-pop, House
Record label	Avex Trax
Writer(s)	Alyson Michalka, Amanda Michalka, Antonina Armato, Tim James
Producer	Sugiurumn
Ami Suzuki singles chronology
Free Free/Super Music Maker (2007) Potential Breakup Song (2007) One (2008)

"Potential Breakup Song" was covered by Japanese singer Ami Suzuki under the label Avex Trax. It was released on 28 November 2007.

The song was used in the Japanese horror flick X-Cross, in which Suzuki had a lead role, alongside the original Aly & AJ version. The single is produced by Japanese DJ Sugiurumn and has a stronger club feel than Aly & AJ's versions.

In June 2008, it was announced that this single would be Suzuki's final "joins" single.

Track listing

1. "Potential Breakup Song"
2. "Feel the Beat"
3. "Potential Breakup Song" （Sugiurumn Remix）
4. "Potential Breakup Song" （Instrumental）

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

Release	Chart	Peak position	First week sales	Total sales	Chart run
28 November 2007	Oricon Daily Singles Chart	16
	Oricon Weekly Singles Chart	34	4,151	5,315	5 weeks