Broken (Lovelytheband song)

"Broken" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by the American indie pop band Lovelytheband, released exclusively to Billboard on April 13, 2017.[1][2] The song was later included on the band's debut album, Finding It Hard to Smile (2018).

"Broken"
Single by Lovelytheband
from the album Finding It Hard to Smile
ReleasedApril 13, 2017 (2017-04-13)
Genre
Length3:24
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Mitchell Collins
  • Samantha Derosa
  • Christian Medice
Producer(s)Christian Medice
Lovelytheband singles chronology
"Broken"
(2017)		 "These Are My Friends"
(2018)
Music video
"Broken" on YouTube

"Broken" was the band's breakout hit, spending nine weeks at number one on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart and reaching number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song holds the record for longest running entry on the Alternative Songs chart, at 76 weeks, eclipsing the 65 week run of "Savior" by Rise Against.[3][4]

Background

Vocalist Mitchy Collins described the background of the song saying: "We all have our demons we fight every day. It's about finding someone whose problems complement yours. Perfectly imperfect. Everyone is a little broken inside, trying to find their band aid".[5] He also explained the song by saying "This song is about finding someone who is just as fucked up and lost as you are, but somehow you make it work together. Everyone is a little bit broken inside, nobody's perfect. This song is an ode to the broken ones".[2] Collins wrote the song when he was undergoing a difficult point in his life, soon after he split with Danielle Bouchard in his former band Oh Honey and after a heartbreak.[6]

Song description

The song takes place in "some trust fund baby's Brooklyn loft".[7] It describes a narrator who meets an unknown woman at a party, and both discover they are broken, which opens them up emotionally.[5]

Music video

The music video, released in September 2017, opens with Mitchy Collins saying: "Life is funny like that, when the dust settles at the end of the day–and we've said all we can, we'll realize every part of us, even the loving ones, were a little broken".[8] The video shows Collins meeting a blonde woman (played by Skylar Benton) at a party and cuts away to fantasies in which he imagines his life with her.[8]

Critical reception

The song was given positive reviews. Atwood magazine said, "For all its theatrics, lovely.the.band's debut satisfies an essential part of our complex emotional diet".[5] Music Existence wrote, ""broken" is a bouncy, synth-pop dream of song that winds melancholy lyrics with an infectiously cheerful tune. The song has everything to make it a hit..."[1] Stereogum described the song as a "chirpy tune about the prospect of love between two deeply damaged people. Replete with gang vocals, a rhythm fit for drunken swaying, and a keyboard riff that echoes back to MGMT's "Kids"..."[7]

The song is featured in the season 4 preview video for television series ‘Catastrophe’ starring Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan.

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[25] 2× Platinum 2,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Jacobs, Dana (April 25, 2018). ""It's okay to not be okay" – An Interview with lovelytheband". Music Existence. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  2. "lovely.the.band's Debut Single 'Broken': Exclusive Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  3. "Lovelytheband Is No 4 On The Emerging Artists Chart". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  4. Rutherford, Kevin (February 26, 2019). "lovelytheband's 'Broken' Breaks Alternative Songs Longevity Record". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  5. Mosk, Mitch (April 20, 2017). "Connection & Perfect Imperfection in lovely.the.band's Debut "broken"". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  6. "Writing Their Hit "broken"". lovelytheband Interview. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  7. "Alt-Pop Hit-Makers lovelytheband Are Not That Lovely If We're Being Honest". Stereogum. July 5, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  8. "LovelyTheBand Debuts Music Video For "Broken"". Verge Campus. September 6, 2017. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  9. "Canadian Hot 100: January 19, 2019". Billboard. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  10. "Mexico Ingles Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  11. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  12. "Hot 100: November 10, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  13. "Adult Contemporary, March 9, 2019". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  14. "Adult Pop Songs, November 17, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  15. "Top Rock Songs Chart". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  16. "Pop Songs, November 24, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  17. "Lovelytheband's 'Broken' Rules Rock Airplay Chart". www.billboard.com. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  18. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  19. "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  20. "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  21. "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  22. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  23. "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  24. "Decade-End Charts: Hot Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  25. "American single certifications – LovelyTheBand – Broken". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 17, 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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