"Un-Break My Heart" is a song by American singer

Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. ...

for her second studio album, ''

Secrets Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

'' (1996). The song was written by

Diane Warren Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has received several awards including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three ''Billboard'' Music Awards and an Honorary Academy Award. Wa ...

and produced by

David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...

. It was released as the second single from the album on October 7, 1996, through

LaFace Records LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achie ...

. The song is a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

about a "blistering heartbreak" in which the singer begs a former lover to return and undo the pain he has caused. It won

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...

at the

39th Annual Grammy Awards The 39th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1997, at Madison Square Garden, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Babyface was the night's biggest winner, with 3 awards. Celine Dion, Toni B ...

in 1997. It has sold over 10 million copies worldwide and nearly 3 million in the United States alone, making it one of the best selling singles of all time. "Un-Break My Heart" attained commercial success worldwide. In the United States, the song reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, where it stayed a total of eleven weeks, while reaching the same position on the

Hot Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

and

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

component charts. When ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' celebrated their 40 years charting from 1958 to 1998, the song was declared as the most successful song by a solo artist in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 history. In Europe, the song reached the top-five in more than ten countries while peaking at number one in Austria, Belgium (Wallonia), Romania, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Bille Woodruff Bille Woodruff is a director of film, television and music videos, noted for directing many videos for a number of R&B and hip-hop artists since the mid-1990s. These artists include Joe (singer), Joe, for whom Woodruff has directed 9 music video ...

directed the accompanying video for the single. It portrays Braxton mourning the death of her lover, while remembering the good times they had together. Braxton performed the song on the opening ceremony of the 1996

Billboard Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by '' Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of ...

. "Un-Break My Heart" has been covered by several artists, including American alternative

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing v ...

on the album ''

Death to False Metal ''Death to False Metal'' is a compilation album by American rock band Weezer, released on November 2, 2010 by Geffen Records. The album comprises several previously unreleased tracks from throughout Weezer's career, with vocalist and guitarist Ri ...

''.

Background

wrote "Un-Break My Heart" in 1995. When asked about her songwriting process, she said that songs usually come to her from a title, a chorus, or a drum beat. "Un-Break My Heart" was conceived from its title, and, according to Warren, "it popped into my head, and I thought, 'I don't think I've heard that before, that's kind of interesting.' I started playing around on the piano with these chords and did a key change, and then I knew, 'OK, this is magic.'" Warren further explained that she wrote "Un-Break My Heart" as a ballad and dance song, because that was the way she heard it. She said: "some people only know it as a – gay – dance song!" When Warren played the finished song to

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

' future president (2000-2004)

L.A. Reid Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer. He is the founder and served as co-chairman of Hitco Entertainment. He also previously served as the chairman and CEO of Ep ...

, he thought it would fit Braxton's then upcoming album. When "Un-Break My Heart" was sent to Braxton, she expressed dislike for the song. According to Warren, "Toni hated the song. She didn't want to do it." Reid was able to convince Braxton to record it, and it later became her

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...

. Following the recording sessions of the song, Braxton approached Warren and explained why she was skeptical about recording it, further explaining that she didn't want another "heartbreak track". Recording sessions occurred at

The Record Plant The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...

and Chartmarker Studios in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

in the same year.''

'' liner notes.

(1996) "Un-Break My Heart" was released as the second single from ''

'' on November 11, 1996.

Composition

Produced by

, "Un-Break My Heart" is a four minute-25 second pop and R&B

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...

. The song's theme alludes to a "blistering heartbreak" in which the singer begs a former lover to return and undo the pain he has caused. David Willoughby, author of ''The World of Music'' (2009), said a few phrases such as "Don't leave me in all this pain" are sufficient to reveal the "sadness and the longing" in the song. Warren showcased Braxton's

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typically b ...

voice with a low vocal range. According to sheet music published by Realsongs at Musicnotes.com, the verses of "Un-Break My Heart" are composed in the key of

B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: : Changes neede ...

, and the piece modulates to

D minor D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative major is F major and its parallel major is D major. The D natural minor scale is: Changes needed for t ...

for the chorus and

G minor G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative major is B-flat major and its parallel major is G major. According to Paolo Pietropaolo, it is the cont ...

for the

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

; the song is set in a

time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

with a moderately slow

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 55

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

. Braxton's vocal range spans from the low note of D₃ to the high note of D-Sharp/E-Flat₅. The song was remixed by several DJs such as

Hex Hector Hex Hector (born Héctor Ortiz on April 15, 1965) is an American music producer and remixer. He won a Grammy Award in 2001 for Best Remixer. He was born in Manhattan, New York, of a Puerto Rican mother and Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something ...

Frankie Knuckles Francis Warren Nicholls, Jr. (January 18, 1955 – March 31, 2014), better known as Frankie Knuckles, was an American DJ, record producer and remixer. He played an important role in developing and popularizing house music in Chicago during the 1 ...

and

Soul Solution Soul Solution is a house/ electronic dance music production duo from New York City formed by Bobby Guy and Ernie Lake. Biography As artists they made six appearances on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Five times under the Sou ...

. As noted by Jose F. Promis of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, the song

in its original form, was a massive adult contemporary and pop hit, and, with its larger-than-life chorus, worked equally well as an unstoppable dance number, even if the vocals were never re-recorded.

The "Soul-Hex Vocal Anthem" remix, with a length over nine minutes, was influenced by tribal house music; while the "Classic Radio Mix" is a

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

-driven

house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...

edit. A Spanish version of "Un-Break My Heart", titled "Regresa a Mi", was included as a bonus track on ''Secrets''. The CD-single of "Un-Break My Heart" also contained that version, titled "Un-Break My Heart (Spanish Version)". It was adapted to Spanish by Marco Flores and sung by Braxton herself.

MusicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...

contributor Laura McKee considered it "an easy listen" version "that encapsulates the passion and meaning of the original but opens it up to a wider audience."

Reception

Critical response

In 1997, "Un-Break My Heart" won a

Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...

About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...

reviewer Mark Edward Nero named it one of the best R&B break-up songs and considered it Braxton's "finest moment". He further commented, "damn, this song is so sad it can make people cry for hours at a time."

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

'' described it as "a pop/R&B ballad that casts her in the role she plays best—as the forlorn heroine in a romance on the rocks." He added, "She maximizes the melodrama of David Foster's savvy blend of stately strings and soulful rhythms, móving from a dewy-eyed whisper to a diva-like belt with theatrical ease. Hit-machine tunesmith Diane Warren has not written a song this lyrically potent and heartfelt in a long time." Bob McCann, author of ''Encyclopedia of African American actresses in film and television'' (2010), considered it "simply one of the most haunting R&B records ever made", while

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

named it "miraculous" and explained "the miracle being that it's by Diane Warren and you want to hear it again." Dave Sholin from the ''

Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The pu ...

'' commented: "Most who hear this Diane Warren composition, which was produced with skillful guidance by David Foster, will need to take a few seconds before breathing normally again." ''

Insider ''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German publ ...

'' said that the song "showcased her show-stopping voice". Pop Rescue wrote that Braxton's vocals "really shine and she's given a real range from very low to powerful highs." They added that "the music here, aside from the acoustic guitar, is absolutely secondary behind Toni's vocal prowess and the tender lyrics." ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' journalist

Charles Aaron Charles Aaron is an American music journalist and editor, formerly for '' Spin'' magazine, where he worked for 23 years. Personal Charles Aaron was born in Rockingham, North Carolina, and raised in Asheboro, North Carolina and Rome, Georgia. He ...

positively reviewed the song and joked: "this exquisitely crafted, heart-pumping l-u-v song has been droning in the produce department of my grocery store for about a year now, but I'd just like to go on record as saying that if it ever stops, I'll really be heartbroken." While reviewing the album,

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

said the songs produced by David Foster are too predictable due to their "slick commercial appeal". However, Erlewine noted that Braxton "manages to infuse the songs with life and passion that elevates them beyond their generic confines" due to her vocal ability. Ken Tucker of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' considered the track "a tearjerker so grandiose and yet so intrinsically, assuredly hit-bound, it's the kind of mass-appeal grabber that's probably already sent a jealous

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

diving for a comfort gallon of

Häagen-Dazs Häagen-Dazs ( , ) is an American ice cream brand, established by Reuben and Rose Mattus in The Bronx, New York, in 1960. Starting with only three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and coffee, the company opened its first retail store in Brooklyn, Ne ...

." Tucker also named it the worst track on ''Secrets'', and further stated: "Un-Break My Heart" is "one of those the-verses-exist-only-for-the-swelling-chorus showstoppers that allude to emotions without ever actually embodying them. Braxton does her darnedest to plug some life into the song, to no avail".

J. D. Considine J. D. Considine (born 1957) is a music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977. Background J. D. Considine's work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. ...

of ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...

'' described "Un-Break My Heart" as "overblown".

Chart performance

In the United States, "Un-Break My Heart" managed to peak at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for eleven weeks, from the week of December 7, 1996 to the week of February 15, 1997, and stayed in the same position on the

chart for fourteen weeks. The song was later ranked as the fourth most popular song of the decade on the 1990-1999 Decade-End Hot 100 chart. In July 2008, "Un-Break My Heart" was listed as the tenth most popular song of all time by Billboard. Despite its success on the Hot 100, the song would not reach the number-one position of the

Hot R&B Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

chart, remaining at number two for four weeks behind "

I Believe I Can Fly "I Believe I Can Fly" is a song written, produced, and performed by disgraced American singer R. Kelly from the soundtrack to the 1996 film ''Space Jam''. It was originally released on November 26, 1996, and was later included on Kelly's 1998 a ...

" by

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwi ...

. It sold 2.4 million copies domestically and was

certified platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA). "Un-Break My Heart" also achieved commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Austria, Belgium (Wallonia), the European Hot 100 Singles, Sweden, and Switzerland, while reaching the top five in several European countries. In the week of November 4, 1996, the song debuted at number four in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, reaching a peak at number two after seven weeks on the chart. According to the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

(BPI), it has sold and streamed over 1,200,000 units there, being certified double platinum. In Australia, the song peaked at number six, and was later certified platinum by the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...

(ARIA), for shipments of more than 70,000 units of the single.

Promotion

Music video

LaFace Records commissioned a

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

to be directed by

. The concept evolves around the ending of Braxton's relationship with her lover, played by model

Tyson Beckford Tyson Beckford (born December 19, 1970) is an American model and actor best known as a Ralph Lauren Polo model. He was also the host of both seasons of the Bravo program '' Make Me a Supermodel''. Beckford has been described as one of the most ...

. As the video begins, Beckford is seen leaving their home, with Braxton giving him a goodbye kiss, then going to check the mailbox. After he leaves the garage, a speeding car suddenly appears and causes an accident, leaving him lying on the street while Braxton cries over his body. She then walks around the house, remembering the good moments she had with him, such as swimming in the pool and playing ''

Twister Twister may refer to: Weather * Tornado Aviation * Pipistrel Twister, a Slovenian ultralight trike * Silence Twister, a German homebuilt aircraft design * Wings of Change Twister, an Austrian paraglider design Entertainment * ''Twister'' (1989 ...

''. During the bridge and final chorus, Braxton is seen singing the song during a live concert, an allusion to the film '' A Star is Born''. As applause rises, the video fades to black. The music video premiered on September 10, 1996, on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

Live performances

"Un-Break My Heart" was performed during the opening of the 1996

. During the up-tempo rendition of the track, Braxton sported an outfit similar to the ones of theatrical productions

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air ...

. She also performed it as the closing number of the Libra Tour (2006).

Track listings

*US CD single #"Un-Break My Heart" (Album Version) – 4:30 #"Un-Break My Heart" (Spanish Version) – 4:32 * US CD maxi single # "Un-Break My Heart" (Album Version) – 4:30 # "Un-Break My Heart" (

Soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

- Hex Anthem Vocal) – 9:36 # "Un-Break My Heart" (Classic Radio Mix) – 4:26 # "Un-Break My Heart" (Album Instrumental) – 4:44 * US 12-inch single :A1. "Un-Break My Heart" (Soul-Hex Anthem Vocal) – 9:38 :A2. "Un-Break My Heart" (Soul-Hex No Sleep Beats) – 3:56 :A3. "Un-Break My Heart" (Acappella) – 3:50 :B1. "Un-Break My Heart" (

- Franktidrama Club Mix) – 8:40 :B2. "Un-Break My Heart" (Frankie Knuckles - Classic Radio Mix) – 4:26 * European CD single # "Un-Break My Heart" (Album Version) – 4:30 # "

You're Makin' Me High "You're Makin' Me High" is the lead single from American singer Toni Braxton's second studio album, '' Secrets'' (1996). The mid-tempo song represents a joint collaboration between the Grammy Award-winning producer Babyface and Bryce Wilson. Th ...

" (Radio Edit) – 4:07 * UK CD single # "Un-Break My Heart" (Album Version) – 4:30 # "You're Makin' Me High" (Norfside Remix) – 4:19 # " How Many Ways" (

Remix) – 5:46 # "Un-Break My Heart" (Spanish Version) – 4:32 * European CD maxi single # "Un-Break My Heart" (Album Version) – 4:30 # "Un-Break My Heart" (Frankie Knuckles Radio Mix) – 4:29 # "Un-Break My Heart" (Frankie Knuckles Franktidrama Mix) – 8:38 # "Un-Break My Heart" (Soul-Hex Anthem Vocal) – 9:36 # "Un-Break My Heart" (Soul-Hex No Sleep Beats) – 3:56 * Australian CD maxi single # "Un-Break My Heart" (Album Version) – 4:30 # "You're Makin' Me High" (Norfside Remix) – 4:19 # "How Many Ways" (R. Kelly Remix) – 5:46 # "Un-Break My Heart" (Classic Radio Mix) – 4:26 # "Un-Break My Heart" (Soul-Hex Sleep Beats) – 3:56

Personnel

: lead and background vocals *

: songwriter *

: producer, arranger, keyboard programming * Felipe Elgueta: engineer *

Mick Guzauski Nathan "Mick" Guzauski is an American multi-platinum mixing engineer and sound engineer. His work spans a wide range of styles, including jazz, R&B, Latin, rock, pop, easy listening, funk and hip hop. He won a 2002 Latin Grammy for Thalía's ...

: mixing *

Simon Franglen Simon Franglen (born Westminster, London, England) is an English composer of classical and film music. He is also a record producer and former musician. His credits include four of the list of top grossing films and six of the list of best-sell ...

Synclavier The Synclavier is an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation manufactured by New England Digital Corporation of Norwich, Vermont. It was produced in various forms from the late 1970s into the early 1 ...

programming * Michael Thompson: electric guitar *

Dean Parks Weldon Dean Parks (born December 6, 1946) is an American session guitarist and record producer from Fort Worth, Texas. Albums Parks was member of the North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher ...

: acoustic guitar *

: background vocal arranger * Tim Thomas: background vocal arranger *

Shanice Wilson Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. Shanice had the '' Billboard'' hit singles "I Love Your Smile" and "Silent Prayer" in 1991 and "Saving Forever for You" in 1993 ...

: background vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

Release history

Cover versions

Saxophonist

Marion Meadows Marion Meadows is an Americans, American soprano saxophonist and composer, mainly in smooth jazz. He was born in West Virginia and grew up mainly in Connecticut. His first album as a leader was ''For Lovers Only'' in 1990. He has had several oth ...

covered the song for his album ''Pleasure'' in 1997, while Filipino singer

Nina Nina may refer to: * Nina (name), a feminine given name and surname Acronyms *National Iraqi News Agency, a news service in Iraq * Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, on the campus of Norwegian University of Science and Technology *No income, ...

recorded her own version of it for her 2008 album ''

Nina Sings the Hits of Diane Warren ''Nina Sings the Hits of Diane Warren'' is the fourth studio album by Filipino people, Filipina singer Nina Girado, Nina, released in the Philippines on July 25, 2008, by Warner Music Philippines.Il Divo Il Divo (; ) are a multi-national classical crossover vocal group. The male quartet, which originated in the United Kingdom in December 2003, consists of tenors Urs Bühler, David Miller, and Sébastien Izambard. It also included baritone ...

's cover of the Spanish version of the track, "Regresa a mí", received positive appreciation from critics, who said the cover "has the potential to be a hit and to open doors for many of opera's most acclaimed stars." American alternative rock band

also covered "Un-Break My Heart" in 2005. Their version was released on the album ''

'' in 2010. Lead vocalist

Rivers Cuomo Rivers Cuomo ( ; born June 13, 1970) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and songwriter of the rock band Weezer. Cuomo was raised in a number of Buddhist communities in the Northeast U.S. until the age of 10, wh ...

explained why the band covered the track:

"I loved that song. It was actually
Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...
's suggestion. We both loved that song and we both thought it would be great for Weezer, and for my voice, and it'd be great to do like a rock version of it with more of an alternative aesthetic. And you know, just the way I would sing it versus in the way Toni Braxton would sing it. And I love the way it came out, and I think probably the rest of the band really does not like it, and that's probably why it didn't make our fifth record, in 2005 when we were recording it."

Il Divo's ''Regresa a mí''

A cover version of Toni Braxton's Spanish-language version of the song, "''Regresa a mí''" (Come Back To Me) was recorded and published as a

by the multi-national UK-based quartet

Il Divo Il Divo (; ) are a multi-national classical crossover vocal group. The male quartet, which originated in the United Kingdom in December 2003, consists of tenors Urs Bühler, David Miller, and Sébastien Izambard. It also included baritone ...

. It was released in 2004 as the first single from their debut self-titled album. Il Divo manager Simon Cowell bought the rights of the song from Warren. The song was released as the first single from the group's first album ''

'', released in 2004. The song was recorded at the beginning of 2004 at the Studies Rokstone in London, under the production of the British producer

Steve Mac Steve McCutcheon (born 15 January 1972), known professionally as Steve Mac, is a British record producer, songwriter and musician. A multi-award-winning producer, he is one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers in modern British ...

. On April 5, 2005, Il Divo appeared on the American television program ''

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...

'' to perform the song.

Charts

References

Bibliography

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External links

* —

Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...

. {{Authority control 1990s ballads 1996 singles 1996 songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles Il Divo songs LaFace Records singles Music videos directed by Bille Woodruff Number-one singles in Austria Number-one singles in Romania Number-one singles in Sweden Number-one singles in Switzerland Pop ballads Contemporary R&B ballads Song recordings produced by David Foster Songs about heartache Songs written by Diane Warren Toni Braxton songs Torch songs Ultratop 50 Singles (Wallonia) number-one singles Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical 2004 singles

Background

Composition

Reception

Critical response

Chart performance

Promotion

Music video

Live performances

Track listings

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

Release history

Cover versions

Il Divo's ''Regresa a mí''

Charts

See also

References

Bibliography

External links