"Break My Face" | ||||
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Single by AJR | ||||
from the album Neotheater | ||||
Released | April 26, 2019 | |||
Recorded | 2019 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:46, 2:33 (apptronic) | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Ryan Met | |||
AJR singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"Break My Face" on YouTube | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Break My Face" (Apptronic Version) on YouTube |
"Break My Face" is a song by American pop band AJR. Released on April 26,2019,the track appears fifth on their third studio album, Neotheater (2019). It was distributed via the band's label AJR Productions and S-Curve,additionally receiving an Amazon Music exclusive version as a promotional single and music video on August 15. The song utilizes a stuttered pop melody with piano and trumpet while lyrically presenting confidence in personality over physical appearance,embracing imperfections connected to the latter.
"Break My Face" was one of the final songs written for Neotheater (2019). For it,AJR wanted to create a track with a meaning less complex than others on the album,taking inspiration from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The song's first draft took the title literally,discussing plastic surgery and the Kardashians. This was scrapped, [3] and the band instead chose to parallel "100 Bad Days" from the same album,using a Friedrich Nietzsche aphorism for the message: [4] It is off-quoted as "what doesn’t kill you makes you ugly". [1] This was done to put the phrase through a more realistic and relatable lens,contrasting the mainstream usage of the original version. [5] Neotheater was released on April 26,2019,featuring "Break My Face" as the fifth track. [6]
"Break My Face" is a high-energy song,with Skyler Simpson of The Knight Crier describing its composure as a "catchy,feel-good vibe". [7] The track primarily includes digital instrumentation in a hip hop style, [8] using piano chords placed in stuttering intervals,programmed drums,and trumpets. [9] The latter has artificial harmonies applied to it,created by an Auto-Tune effect inspired by Daft Punk's "Get Lucky". [3] Throughout Neotheater,various elements and lyrics are reprised between other songs,acting as easter eggs to create an experience comparable to Broadway. In "Break My Face",a melodic sample of "Birthday Party" is included. [10]
An alternate recording of "Break My Face" was released as a promotional single on August 15,2019,exclusively streamable through Amazon Music. On the service,it is subtitled "(Amazon Original)", [11] while its music video on YouTube is subtitled "(Apptronic Version)". [12] The video,additionally released on August 15,shows AJR performing the song only using digital instruments from Amazon tablets. [13]
Credits adapted from Tidal. [14]
AJR is an American pop band founded by brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met (né Metzger), collectively a trio of vocalists, multi-instrumentalists, and songwriters. The brothers grew up in New York City, primarily focused on busking and singing covers until shifting to songwriting and touring. At their home studio, they have recorded more than 100 songs and have released five studio albums on various record labels along with their pop label.
"Weak" is a song by American indie pop band AJR. It was first released on their EP What Everyone's Thinking via the band's label AJR Productions on September 16, 2016, later becoming the third single for their second studio album The Click (2017). The song's lyrics describe acceptance of human weakness and feature an uptempo pop composition. A lyric and music video were released, with the latter featuring the band in a New York City subway. The music video went viral, with the song's popularity on Spotify helping the song become one of the band's highest-charting songs.
The Click is the second studio album by American indie pop band AJR. It was released on June 9, 2017, via the band's label AJR Productions and S-Curve Records, later released internationally through Ultra Records and Black Butter Records. The album follows the trio's previous work, maintaining a pop sound with elements of hip-hop, electronic dance music, and jazz. It includes a sole guest appearance from Rivers Cuomo of the band Weezer while taking influence from Fun, Twenty One Pilots, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West.
"Burn the House Down" is a song by American indie pop band AJR. It was released on March 23, 2018, as a single from the deluxe edition of their second studio album The Click.
"100 Bad Days" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on January 29, 2019 via S-Curve Records as the lead single from the band's third studio album Neotheater.
Neotheater is the third studio album by American pop band AJR. It was released on April 26, 2019 by the band's label AJR Productions. The album was self-produced by the trio. It is a follow-up to the trio's 2017 album The Click (2017).
"Dear Winter" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on April 5, 2019 via S-Curve Records as the second single from the band's third studio album Neotheater.
"Don't Throw Out My Legos" is a song by American pop band AJR, appearing as the fourth track on their third studio album Neotheater. It uses an upbeat keyboard-based instrumental while discussing the difficulty of growing up.
"Next Up Forever" is a song by American pop band AJR, appearing as the opening track on their third studio album Neotheater.
"Bang!" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on February 12, 2020, through their own label, AJR Productions. The song is the lead single from the band's fourth album, OK Orchestra. On August 8, 2020, a remix version was released featuring Hayley Kiyoko and AhhHaa.
OK Orchestra, often abbreviated as OKO, is the fourth studio album by American pop band AJR. It was released on March 26, 2021, by the band's own label AJR Productions. The album was supported by five singles, "Bang!", "Bummerland", "My Play", "Way Less Sad", and "World's Smallest Violin". The album was produced by group member Ryan Met.
"Way Less Sad" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on February 17, 2021, via the band's label AJR Productions and BMG. It was additionally released through S-Curve Records for radio airplay and through Black Butter Records for international releases. The song was the fourth single for the band's fourth studio album OK Orchestra, appearing as the twelfth track. It samples the song "My Little Town" by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel and builds off unused demos intended for Norwegian DJ Kygo and American rapper Cardi B.
"3 O'Clock Things" is a song by American pop band AJR from their fourth studio album OK Orchestra, appearing as the third track. It is the most popular non-single from the album, amassing over 43 million streams as of October 2023.
"Adventure Is Out There" is a song by American pop band AJR. It appears as the sixth track on the trio's fourth studio album, OK Orchestra. Originally being written for Neotheater, it was officially released on March 26, 2021. It uses an uptempo folk-pop instrumental while describing jealousy of an object's metaphorical freedom.
"World's Smallest Violin" is a song recorded by the American pop band AJR. It was released on March 26, 2021, as the 11th track from the band's fourth studio album OK Orchestra and as a music video. In 2022, the song became a viral song on the social media platform TikTok, with many using the ending verse and the line "I'll blow up into smithereens" as a soundbite on the site as fan edits or by throwing back to viral videos.
"Bummerland" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on August 31, 2020 via S-Curve Records as the second single from the band's fourth studio album OK Orchestra.
"Karma" is a song by American pop band AJR, appearing as the eighth track on their third studio album Neotheater. It is the second-most popular song from the album, amassing over 82 million streams as of February 2024.
The Neotheater World Tour was the fourth concert tour by the American pop band AJR, supporting their third studio album, Neotheater (2019). It ran from September 20, 2019, to January 21, 2020, and covered 41 shows across Europe and North America. The set list consisted primarily of songs from Neotheater, with a few numbers from the band's second album The Click (2017) and brief appearances from their debut studio album Living Room (2015). A second leg of the Neotheater World Tour with 21 more shows was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Overture" is a song by American indie pop band AJR. It appears as the opening track of The Click, which was released via the band's label AJR Productions on June 9, 2017. The song is AJR's second overture, following one of the same name on their debut album Living Room. A music video was released later in the year, featuring the trio at various locations in Columbus, Ohio.