Since U Been Gone

Infobox Single
Name = Since U Been Gone


Artist = Kelly Clarkson
from Album = Breakaway
Released = Start date|2004|11|30
Format = music download, digital maxi single, 7" vinyl single (U.S.); CD single (elsewhere)
Recorded =
Genre = Pop rock, power pop
Length = 3:09
Label = RCA
Writer = Max Martin
Dr. Luke
Producer = Max Martin
Dr. Luke
Last single = "Breakaway"
(2004)
This single = "Since U Been Gone"
(2004)
Next single = "Behind These Hazel Eyes"
(2005)
Certification = Platinum (RIAA digital downloads)
Platinum (RIAA CD singles)
Silver (UK OCC)
Platinum (ARIA)
Platinum (CRIA)
Misc = Extra chronology
Artist = Kelly Clarkson
Type = UK singles
Last single = "The Trouble with Love Is"
(2003)
This single = "Since U Been Gone"
(2005)
Next single = "Behind These Hazel Eyes"
(2005)

"Since U Been Gone" is a song written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald and recorded for American singer Kelly Clarkson's second album, "Breakaway" (2004). It was released in 2004 as the second single from the album in the U.S. and Australia, and the first in Europe (see 2004 in music). Its lyrics recall a failed relationship in which the protagonist later expresses relief about the breakup. Clarkson, who sought interest in a more rock-oriented image, wanted to alter the song's original composition to allow more drums. The song has a punk-pop influence in drums and guitar riffs.Fact|date=September 2008

The song was successful during 2005 (see 2005 in music), and was the second U.S. digital download to sell over one million copies. It reached number two on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100 and the Canadian airplay chart. In the UK, where "Since U Been Gone" was released as the first single from "Breakaway", it reached number five and remained on the chart until the second quarter of 2006 (see 2006 in music). At the Grammy Awards of 2006, Clarkson received a Grammy Award for the song in the category of "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance". Since U Been Gone charted at ninety-seven in "Blender Magazine's" 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born. [ [http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=1771 The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: 51-100 Article on Blender :: The Ultimate Guide to Music and More ] ]

Much of the song's melody and chords resemble those of The Strokes' "Barely Legal" on their album "Is This It". "Since U Been Gone" writers Max Martin and Dr. Luke admitted on several occasions to being heavily influenced by The Strokes when writing the Clarkson song.

Music video

The single's music video depicts the revenge on a boyfriend. It begins with Clarkson sitting on a couch, removing and holding a heart shaped locket. She then proceeds into the bathroom, where she fixes her face in the mirror, then opens the medicine cabinet. She then begins to throw the contents all over the bathroom, squirting the toothpaste into the sink. She then enters the walk-in closet, where she snips one strap from every top, seemingly destroying her own clothes. She then proceeds to destroy the closet, throwing clothes and hangers everywhere, singing in a pile of them. She rips open a pillow in the bedroom and throws the contents everywhere. She tips over a CD rack, throws artwork across the room, and then, picks up a picture frame. Inside it is a picture of a boy and girl. Kelly slams the photo face down into a glass table, shattering it.

She then puts a hat low over her face and walks out of the apartment, only to see the boy and girl in the picture from the apartment walking down the street together. She smiles, lowers the hat, and walks the other way as the song ends.

When the chorus of the song is being played for this video, the video then shows Clarkson wearing a formal type of clothing (all black) and performing on stage, with a rock band behind her, to a crowd of fans. When the line "Since U Been Gone" is being sung, the fans (and Clarkson herself) jump to the beat of the chorus. This part of the video is also used for the bridge of the song, just before the final chorus.

The video won "Best Female Video" and "Best Pop Video" at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.

Covers and other uses

Ted Leo recorded an unreleased acoustic cover of "Since U Been Gone", mixing it with "Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Butch Walker's EP "Cover Me Badd" includes a live version of the song. It has also been covered by Canadian hardcore punk band Fucked Up and California punk band The Aquabats, who played it at the conclusion of their 2006 live shows.

"Since U Been Gone" is featured in the video game "Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA".

Producer Timbaland has remixed this song with Keri Hilson singing the vocals. Hilson has performed this on several occasions on Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveShow world tour.

"Since U Been Gone" has been covered twice on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, by The Gossip and Robyn.

The song has recently been covered by A Day to Remember, a post-hardcore band who added screaming to the verses, some other guitar parts between the chorus/verse, and some double bass drumming. When this cover of the song is played backwards, you can hear the lines "Now I'm going to finish this", "God help me, I'm dying" and after that line "This feels good" and "Read my name". "God help me, I'm dying" is sung throughout the song. When played backwards towards the end of the first verse the singing sounds like words spoken fast in German.Fact|date=March 2008

The song was originally sent to Pink, then to Hilary Duff, and so to Kelly.

Formats and track listings

;U.S. remixes EP (digital only)Released March 22, 2005.
#"Since U Been Gone" (Jason Nevins Rock Da Club Edit)
#"Since U Been Gone" (Jason Nevins Ambient Candlelight Mix)
#"Since U Been Gone" (Jason Nevins Mixshow)
#"Since U Been Gone" (Jason Nevins Club)
#"Since U Been Gone" (Jason Nevins Dub)
#"Since U Been Gone" (Jason Nevins Radio Edit Instrumental)
#"Since U Been Gone" (Jason Nevins Radio Edit Acapella)
#"Since U Been Gone" (Jason Nevins Reprise)

Release history

Charts

Similar to "Breakaway", "Since U Been Gone" took a while to become popular. Released in the U.S. in late November 2004, the song spent three weeks steadily climbing the charts. ManyWho|date=September 2008 considered it a sureshot for the number-one position on Top 40 radio. However, Green Day's single "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" surpassed "Since U Been Gone" and jumped to number one. In late March, after over 4 weeks of being on the charts, the popularity of "Since U Been Gone" suddenly began to surge. By April 2005, the song had finally peaked at number one, where it remained for two weeks.

"Since U Been Gone" topped several U.S. "Billboard" charts, including the Pop 100, Hot Dance Airplay and the Mainstream Top 40. It peaked at number two on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100 and stayed in the top ten for 20 weeks, in the top forty for 43 weeks and on the chart for forty-six weeks. The RIAA certified "Since U Been Gone" Gold in March 2006 for selling over 500,000 digital downloads. As of January 2008, "Since U Been Gone" has sold over 1,800,000 downloads. It was also certified gold in June 2006 for over 500,000 ringtones sold. The Jason Nevins "Since U Been Gone" remixes have sold over 180,000 digital downloads, bringing the song to another plateau. Nevins has since remixed other Clarkson records, such as "Because of You" and "Never Again". The song has since logged an impressive 1,710,000 digital downloads in the U.S. as of 2 May, 2008. [http://kellyclarksonexpress.yuku.com/topic/10384]

On the ARC Weekly Top 40, the single broke the longevity record in the chart's twenty-five year history, spending eight non-consecutive weeks at number one and remaining on the chart for 9 months. It ranked 4th on the 2005 "Billboard" year-end chart, and Clarkson set a new record on the ARC Weekly Top 40 by having three of the year-end chart's top five singles of the year ("Since U Been Gone", " Because of You" and "Behind These Hazel Eyes").

The song was also popular worldwide, reaching number one in Canada for two weeks and remaining on the chart for twenty-nine weeks. It peaked inside the top five in Australia and the United Kingdom; in the former country it stayed in the top forty for nineteen weeks, and in the latter thirteen (non-consecutive). "Since U Been Gone" performed well in markets where Clarkson's success had previously been limited.

¹ (J. Nevins remixes)

References