Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Agnes song)

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
Single by Agnes
Released	September 21, 2011 (see Release history)
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	2011 Stockholm, Sweden
Genre	Dance-pop, electropop, disco
Length	3:46
Label	Roxy/Universal Music
Writer(s)	Agnes Carlsson, Vincent Pontare, Magnus Lidehäll, Mim & Liv Nervo
Producer	Magnes Lidehäll, Vincent Pontare
Agnes singles chronology
"Sometimes I Forget" (2010) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (2011)

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a song by Swedish recording artist Agnes from her upcoming fourth studio album. It was released as the album's lead single on September 21, 2011.^[1] The song was first heard and revealed as a single during the Stockholm Pride festival on August 5, 2011^[2][3] The song is written by Agnes, Vincent Pontare, Magnus Lidehäll, The Nervo Twins and produced by Vincent Pontare and Magnus Lidehäll.^[4] A music video for the single release was shoot on September 12, 2011 and directed by Mikeadelica.^[5]

Background

Already in January 2011, Swedish tabloid Expressen declared the comeback of Agnes with a new single before the summer, this was later audited to "during the summer" and then to "the end of 2011".^[6] The numerous delays came to an end when the song "Don't go breaking my heart" first was heard when Agnes performed at the Stockholm Pride Festival, clips of the song then started to thrive on the internet and a release in "early fall" was announced.^[2] On August 24th the label announced that the song would be released on September 21, 2011 and the Scandinavian online retailer CDON.com soon after made it possible to pre-order the single.^[1] The release dates for the rest of the world will be "released soon" according to Universal Music.^[7]

Production and artwork

The track is written by Agnes, her boyfriend Vincent Pontare, Magnus Lidehäll and The Nervo Twins. Lidehäll has also produced the song together with Vincent Pontare.^[4]

Agnes herself decided to record the song, and the rest of the album, in Sweden although her huge success with Release Me had open up many opportunities to record it in the U.S. "I thought about that, but found that the music I do - pop, disco, dance music - it's our speciality in Sweden. We have worked with that for so long. In the United States ... sometimes they find that "this sounds supercool", while you, so to speak ... think that we have already done that."^[8]

The lyrics is about fear to let anyone get close, to lower our guard when standing face to face with the great love.^[9] Agnes herself commented on her writing in a press release from Universal, "I write a lot about love and relationships. For better or worse. I love powerful music, as the music approaches the great feelings, and nothing is bigger than love. It's the greatest thing in the end."^[9]

The single's artwork was revealed in August and consists of Agnes in a black dress with the wind in her hair and the name of the single written all over it in white, written by Agnes herself.^[10] It differs from her earlier single covers, such as Release Me, the hit single from her third album Dance Love Pop. "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" shows a slightly darker side and lacks the playfulness that marked her earlier covers.

Music video

Agnes in the Music video for "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".

The music video for "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was shoot on September 12, 2011 and was released just nine days later, on September 23 on Agnes official YouTube channel and on Aftonbladets website. It was directed by Micke Gustavsson, also known as "Mikeadelica".^[5] The idea behind the video is to describe how it feels to have your heart broken, the shifts between being very fragile and very strong.^[11]

Synopsis

The music video starts with a blurred close up of Agnes, showing only parts of her face in front of some trees. This continues until the song starts, and Agnes' mouth is suddenly more sharp and shapes the first words of the song. The camera then zoom out and Agnes torso is visibly up front, wearing her hair out and in a black tight top. She is then duplicated as shown in the picture to the right and starts to dance. Another background emerges with arrows pointing out and forming a circle around her, Agnes look in to the camera and sings "Don't go breaking my heart, don't go breaking my heart.." showing the fragile part of someone when being heartbroken. In the next scene, there is strings with keys tied to them and flashing light bulbs hanging over a mirror with Agnes reflection in it, while she sings "The walls caving in, I'm giving in /../ I can't stop this now, 'cause my world revolves 'round you, and there's nothing I can do". Agnes is then shown in an upfront angle with a pony-tail and the wind blowing in her hair, this scene shifts with earlier scenes during the chorus. In the end, Agnes appears in a wedding dress with an arrow pointing out of her heart when she is slowly fading away.

Critical reception

Anders Nunstedt, from the Swedish tabloid Expressen, compares "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with "Release Me" and says that it has the same sort of energy and "sounds like a hit already at the first listening, but haven't we heard this before?". He continues with praising her vocals and says that the chorus is "so clear that one can detect it from miles away and the song's disco strings efficiently pumps up the verses. It is stable. While it is difficult to avoid the feeling that Agnes's sound has evolved zero percent since last time."^[12]

Chart performance

After its release in Sweden, the single spend almost two weeks on the iTunes top ten download chart. So on October 2, 2011 "Don't go breaking my heart" entered the official Swedish download chart at three.^[13] Despite this it failed to enter the official Swedish single chart, Sverigetopplistan, making it the first Agnes single ever so completely miss the Top 60 chart. The reason for this is that since October 29th, 2010 the singles chart includes data from online streaming services such as Spotify, since the Spotify consumption in Sweden outlines the digital sales it is necessary for a single to break in to the Spotify Top 60 chart to even enter the official single chart.

Track listings

Digital Download/Streaming (Released: September 21, 2011) (Roxy/Universal) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart " [Radio Edit] — 3:46 CD-single (Released: September 21, 2011) (Roxy/Universal) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart " [Radio Edit] — 3:46 Streaming (Released: October 20, 2011) (Roxy/Universal) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart " [Niclas Kings Radio Remix] — 3:38 "Don't Go Breaking My Heart " [Niclas Kings Radio Remix Extended] — 5:58

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2011)	Peak position
Swedish Singles Chart (Downloads)[13]	3

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
Sweden[1]	September 21, 2011	CD single/Digital download	Roxy Recordings
Denmark[14]	September 26, 2011	Copenhagen Records
Norway[15]	October 12, 2011	Digital download	Universal Music
United States[16]	TBA	CD single/Digital download	Interscope

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Agnes - Musik - CDON.COM". CDON Group. http://cdon.se/musik/agnes/don%27t_go_breaking_my_heart-15125100. Retrieved 24 August 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "*SCREAM* Agnes unveils her brand new single!". scandipop.co.uk. http://www.scandipop.co.uk/?p=6671. Retrieved 2011-08-09. 
3. ^ "Mr Gay". agnescarlsson.se. http://agnescarlsson.se/wordpress/2011/08/mr-gay/. Retrieved 2011-08-12. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Listen to Don't Go Breaking My Heart". agnescarlsson.se. http://agnescarlsson.se/2011/09/listen-to-dont-go-breaking-my-heart/. Retrieved 2011-09-28. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Video Shoot for Don't Go Breaking My Heart". agnescarlsson.se. http://agnescarlsson.se/wordpress/2011/09/video-shoot-for-dont-go-breaking-my-heart/. Retrieved 2011-09-12. 
6. ^ (Swedish)Anders Nunstedt (2011-01-01). "ANDERS NUNSTEDT: Musikåret 2011 kan bli superbra" (in Swedish). Express Entertainment. Expressen. http://www.expressen.se/noje/kronikorer/andersnunstedt/1.2274562/anders-nunstedt-musikaret-2011-kan-bli-superbra. Retrieved 2011-09-09. 
7. ^ "Listen to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart". agnescarlsson.se. http://agnescarlsson.se/wordpress/2011/09/listen-to-dont-go-breaking-my-heart/. Retrieved 2011-09-20. 
8. ^ (Swedish)Lillemägi, David. "Agnes: "Jag förstod inte riktigt vem som ringde..."". expressen.se. http://www.expressen.se/noje/extra/1.2539598/agnes-jag-forstod-inte-riktigt-vem-som-ringde.... Retrieved August 26, 2011. 
9. ^ ^{a b} (Swedish)Linde, Eva. "Agnes tillbaka med singeln Don't Go Breaking My Heart". poplight.se. http://poplight.zitiz.se/artikel/agnes-tillbaka-med-singeln-dont-go-breaking-my-heart. Retrieved September 19, 2011. 
10. ^ (Swedish)Camilla Gervide (2011-09-07). "Don’t go breaking my heart – Agnes" (in Swedish). camillagervide.com. http://www.camillagervide.com/2011/09/dont-go-breaking-my-heart-agnes/. Retrieved 2011-09-09. 
11. ^ "The Making Of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart video". agnescarlsson.se. http://agnescarlsson.se/2011/09/the-making-of-dont-go-breaking-my-heart-video-2/. Retrieved 2011-09-24. 
12. ^ (Swedish)Nunstedt, Anders. "Agnes "Don't go breaking my heart"". expressen.se. http://www.expressen.se/noje/musik/1.2565659/agnes-don-t-go-breaking-my-heart. Retrieved September 20, 2011. 
13. ^ ^{a b} "Digilistan 2011-10-02". Sveriges Radio. http://sverigesradio.se/sida/topplista.aspx?programid=2697. Retrieved October 2, 2011. 
14. ^ "iTunes (DK): Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Agnes". Apple. http://itunes.apple.com/dk/album/dont-go-breaking-my-heart/id467084207. Retrieved 27 september 2011. 
15. ^ "iTunes (NO): Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Agnes". Apple. http://itunes.apple.com/no/album/dont-go-breaking-my-heart/id458985366. Retrieved 12 october 2011. 
16. ^ "Agnes - Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Universal Music Publishing. http://www.universalmusicpublishing.se/blog/news/2011/9/22/agnes---don't-go-breaking-my-heart. Retrieved October 2, 2011.