Maps of Music

Breakaway (2003)

Where the lyrics of Breakaway take you, and where it was really made.

The album was first meant to be called Behind These Hazel Eyes, but it was renamed Breakaway to ride the success of a soundtrack single.

Key places

NRG Studios, North Hollywood (2003)

Recording site NRG Recording Studios (Hollywood) — One of the Los Angeles-area studios where the album was recorded, according to the album's personnel notes. The point marks the studio building itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Westlake Audio, Los Angeles (2003)

Recording site Westlake Recording Studios — Listed among the studios where the album was recorded, as Westlake Audio in Los Angeles. The point marks the studio building itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Whitecoat Sound, Malibu (2003)

Recording site Bob Dylan's garage studio (Malibu) — Listed as one of the recording studios for the album, located in Malibu. The point shows only the city centre, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Blue Iron Gate Studios, Santa Monica (2003)

Recording site Ruby Red — Listed as one of the studios used for recording the album, in Santa Monica. The point shows only the city centre, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Dr. Luke's studio, New York City (2003)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Dr. Luke's studio is listed among the album's recording locations in New York City. The point shows only the city centre, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Maratone Studios, Stockholm (2003)

Recording site Master Plan — Listed among the album's recording studios in Stockholm, where the Dr. Luke and Max Martin songwriting sessions took place. The point shows only the city centre, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Breakaway: second studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson
• Released November 30, 2004 in Canada and the United States by RCA Records
• Wider release followed throughout 2005; UK release on July 18, 2005 by RCA
• Primarily a pop rock record with rock and soul elements
• Lyrics explore heartbreak, love, and escapism
• Estimated sales of 12 million copies worldwide, one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century
• Ranked 77th in Billboard's Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums

Background

• Follows the R&B-oriented debut Thankful (2003)
• Critics kept typecasting Clarkson as an American Idol winner
• Clarkson worked with new songwriters and producers, including Dr. Luke, Max Martin, John Shanks, and Kara DioGuardi
• Ben Moody and David Hodges, former Evanescence members, also contributed
• Before release she parted ways with manager Simon Fuller and hired Jeff Kwatinetz
• Clive Davis encouraged producers to push her toward a pop rock direction
• Max Martin had earlier produced pop singles for the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears in the 1990s

Recording

• Sessions took place at studios in Hollywood, Malibu, Santa Monica, New York City, and Stockholm
• Clarkson co-wrote six of the songs on the album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Born Kelly Brianne Clarkson on April 24, 1982, in Fort Worth, Texas, and raised in Burleson, Texas.
• Won the first season of American Idol in 2002 and signed with RCA Records.
• Debut single "A Moment Like This" became the best-selling single of 2002 in the United States.
• Debut album Thankful (2003) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
• Breakaway (2004) became her most commercially successful album and one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century.
• Singles "Since U Been Gone" and "Because of You" achieved major chart success; "Because of You" became her biggest single worldwide.
• Stronger (2011) won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2013 ceremony.
• Wrapped in Red (2013) became the best-selling holiday album of the year.
• Signed with Atlantic Records in 2015 and released Meaning of Life (2017), When Christmas Comes Around... (2021), and Chemistry (2023).
• Coached The Voice for multiple seasons and hosted The Kelly Clarkson Show from 2019.
• Has sold over 82 million records worldwide and received three Grammy Awards.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Critics gave the album a positive response, many praising its new pop rock sound and Clarkson's vocal performances
• AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave it four out of five stars, praising its driving, anthemic pop tunes that sound mainstream and youthful at once
• Sputnikmusic's Dave Donnelly gave it a 4 rating, comparing it to Michael Jackson's Bad or Thriller and suggesting it may be remembered as a pop classic
• Entertainment Weekly's Raymond Fiore gave it a B rating, noting its rock direction and describing it as Avril-meets-Evanescence
• Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani gave it three and a half stars
• In a quick review, Billboard described it as a rare exhibition of substance over style
• Rolling Stone's Shirley Halperin gave it three stars, writing that Clarkson was not yet ready for her new sound
• The Guardian's Caroline Sullivan gave it two stars, finding the title track catchy in places but settling into a rut

Reappraisal

• Newsweek ranked it the ninth best album of the 2000s
• Entertainment Weekly ranked it 29th among the 100 best albums from 1988 to 2008
• Rolling Stone ranked it 11th in its decade-end reader's poll
• Billboard placed it 77th in its Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums list

Records

• Debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 with 250,000 copies sold in the week ending December 18, 2004
• Stayed in the Billboard 200 top twenty for 61 consecutive weeks
• Ranked as the third best-selling album in the United States in 2005 according to Nielsen SoundScan
• Certified 6× multi-platinum by the RIAA on May 23, 2007
• Sold over 6.4 million copies in the United States as of November 2024
• Debuted at number ten on the UK Albums Chart with 17,631 copies and later rose to number three
• Topped the Irish chart in 2006 and was certified 7× multi-platinum there
• Topped the Netherlands' Mega Album Top 100 for three weeks
• Peaked at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart in Australia
• Ranked as the world's seventh best-selling release of 2005 according to the IFPI
• Won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 48th ceremony, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for Since U Been Gone
• Nominated for a Juno Award for International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2006

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album was first intended to be named Behind These Hazel Eyes, but was retitled Breakaway to capitalize on the soundtrack single's success.
• The title track was first written for Avril Lavigne's debut album Let Go, but was judged unsuitable for its themes at the time.
• Whitney Houston invited Clarkson to record the title track for The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement soundtrack.
• Clarkson's Grammy wins made her the first American Idol alumnus to win at the awards show.
• Dr. Luke, then the house band lead guitarist for Saturday Night Live, credited Since U Been Gone as his first big break.
• Because of You was originally intended for Thankful, and Clarkson described the title track as simple.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org

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