Breakthrough | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 19, 2009 | |||
Recorded | 2007–2009 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 49:07 | |||
Label | Universal Republic | |||
Producer | ||||
Colbie Caillat chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Breakthrough | ||||
|
Breakthrough is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was released on August 19, 2009 through Universal Republic Records. The follow-up to her successful debut album, Coco (2007), Breakthrough was developed in late 2008 when Caillat returned to her home after two years on tour, with the singer setting up a "writing camp" with songwriters and producers in Hawaii and writing over 40 songs for the record.
Inspired by the fact that she was trying to find herself again and breaking the creativity chains that surrounded her, Breakthrough deals with themes of growing up, experiencing life, love, making mistakes and learning from them, as well as heartbreak and why everlasting love seems elusive. To help develop her expected sound and lyrics, Caillat worked with previous collaborators, such as Mikal Blue, Ken Caillat and Jason Reeves, while working for the first time with Kara Dioguardi, Rick Nowels, John Shanks, Greg Wells and David Becker.
Breakthrough received generally mixed to favorable reviews from contemporary music critics, with some praising its rich texture and for being a consistent album with catchy tracks, while others dismissing its title and finding issues with some of the song's lyrics. The album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards. Commercially, it was successful in the United States, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 106,000 copies in its first week, becoming her first album to top the Billboard charts. Elsewhere, it reached the top-ten in four countries, while failing to replicate the success of her debut album in other territories.
The album produced two singles. The first single, "Fallin' for You", was released on June 29, 2009 and was a success on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number twelve, while also finding success on the Adult radio. Elsewhere, it was a moderate hit. The second single, "I Never Told You", was released on February 16, 2010, and found similar success on the Adult charts, while being more moderate on the Billboard Hot 100. To promote the record, Caillat embarked on her Breakthrough World Tour (2009-2010).
After the success of her debut album, Coco (2007), which sold over five million copies worldwide and spawned her biggest hit, "Bubbly", [2] Caillat went on tour for two years to promote the record. At the end of the album's promotion and the tour, Caillat went home and realized she had to find herself again. [3] According to herself, "It requires a lot of discipline to open yourself up to new influences and break the chains around you creatively. I must say this process has been the greatest learning experience for me. It's so great to be working and writing in new ways, with old friends and new." [3] At first, she recorded a few tracks with her dad and producer Ken Caillat, however her label wasn't thrilled with the outcome and wanted new producers to rework the tracks. In November 2008, she went to the studio for the first time with songwriter and record producer Rick Nowels and did five songs with him. [4] In early 2009, to achieve her desired sound, Caillat set up a "writing camp" in Kauai's Hanalei Bay in Hawaii and invited such colleagues as Jason Reeves and Mikal Blue, who co-produced her first album, Coco, as well as experimented working with new songwriters and producers such as Kara Dioguardi, John Shanks and Greg Wells. According to the singer, "We'd go out boogie-boarding and then come back and write songs. [...] We just wanted to be inspired by everything." [5] In total, Caillat worked with them in over 40 songs between 2008 and 2009. [3]
I've taken this time to look back at where I was and realized I've broken through a personal barricade, which is why I've named the album 'Breakthrough.'
—Caillat explaining the album's title. [3]
Breakthrough was defined as an album about growing up, experiencing life, love, making mistakes and learning from them, with particular emphasis on love and making mistakes, with "most of the mistakes Caillat chronicles have to do with matters of the heart", as noted by Plugged In (publication)'s Adam R. Holz. [6] Caillat stated that she "wanted to make music that people could listen to while driving on a long road trip, while dancing at a party with friends, while laying out at the beach or sitting at their desk at work. I wanted to give people songs that they could fall in love to, lay down & cry to, songs & stories that they can relate to so they feel like they aren't the only ones going through whatever it is they are going through in life. Music is for you to listen to & forget about your worries. These songs can mean whatever you want them to mean, they are now yours." [7] She further elaborated over the album's themes and the inspiration behind it, explaining:
"I recently learned something about myself. For a lot of us, when life gets hard to deal with & keep up with, it becomes easier to give up on & let go of. I found myself doing that a lot & I was slowly falling apart. But...I woke up from it. I realized I wasn't happy settling for less or letting myself become someone I wasn't supposed to be due to laziness. I had to Breakthrough my fears, my insecurities & my self doubt. There are so many battles that we all have to go through in life that are for us to learn from, we grow stronger from them. I just learned this. I want to remind myself & everyone out there that we have to Breakthrough all the little things we tell ourselves we can't do because we are scared, & just step up & do them. This record is about becoming the person you want to be, having will power & letting nothing hold you back. So try not to let great things pass you by, start making things happen that you really want in life!." [7]
Most songs present on Breakthrough "delves into the details of romance gone awry", featuring some songs about breaking up and why "lasting love seems so elusive". [6] On the album's first song, "I Won't", which was considered "a crisp, breathy tune that emphasizes her nuanced style," [8] Caillat refuses to take an ex's advice to forget him, singing: "I don't wanna pretend you're not my lover." [6] The second track, "Begin Again", "pines for a second chance when Colbie realizes in retrospect how good a relationship actually was." The song's chorus introduces some vocal syncopation and vulnerability. [8] "You Got Me" and "Fallin' for You" were considered "innocent love songs" that "capture the breathless first blush of infatuation", [6] with the former featuring quirky organ rhythm and a "string-laden lush pop chorus that adds horns the second time around" [8] and the latter has a midtempo gently rocking beat. [9] "Rainbow" has "gospel tinges near the end" with some "understated backing vocals". [8] "Droplets" and "Runnin' Around" finds Caillat getting cold feet, with the former being a duet with Jason Reeves and the latter having an "airy 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' vibe." [8] In "I Never Told You", the lyrical content is about a woman's confession of how deeply she felt for a guy who left her—words she apparently never spoke, with the singer lamenting: "I never told you/What I should have said... Now I miss everything about you". [6] "Fearless" has an electronic beat [8] and finds the singer "clinging to her self-respect as a former [lover] walks away, while "It Stops Today" "focuses on intentionally facing our deepest hurts." [6] The final track on the standard edition, "Breakin' at the Cracks" was considered "the most mournfully earnest song here, as [she] repeatedly pleads, 'I need you back'." [6]
To promote the album, Caillat performed on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and Today during the week of the album's release. [4] Caillat performed the album's first single "Fallin' for You" in many television shows, as well as a set on CNN.com Live and Walmart Soundcheck. She also performed "I Never Told You", the album's second single, on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Several songs from the album were featured on many TV series and film soundtracks. "You Got Me" was featured on the films Leap Year (2010) and Letters to Juliet (2010), and also on the TV series Melrose Place , while "I Won't" was featured on the TV series One Tree Hill and Pretty Little Liars . [10] "Don't Hold Me Down" was featured in the film Morning Glory (2010), while the instrumental of "Begin Again" was used on the TV series Life Unexpected . [10] Meanwhile, "Fallin' For You" was on the soundtrack of the film The Back-Up Plan (2010) and of the Brazilian telenovela Viver a Vida and was also featured on the TV series Ghost Whisperer , while "I Never Told You" was also featured on the series Pretty Little Liars. [10] To further promote the album, Caillat embarked on the Breakthrough World Tour starting September 17, 2009 and ending in 2010. [11] [12]
The album's lead-single "Fallin' for You" was released on June 29, 2009. The "lilting" mid-tempo ballad "features an instantly catchy chorus and toe tapping melody," as defined by Melinda Newman of HitFix. [3] It achieved chart success in the United States, reaching number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100, her second highest charting single and her highest debut with 118,000 first-week downloads, [13] spending fourteen weeks at number two on the Adult Pop Songs and topping the Adult Contemporary chart. Elsewhere, it reached the top-twenty in four other countries and top-forty in the remaining territories. [14] Initially, "Begin Again" and "You Got Me" were under consideration to be the album's second single, [11] however "I Never Told You" was released instead on February 16, 2010. [15] It reached number forty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and was more successful on the Adult Pop Songs, where it peaked at number three, and on the Adult Contemporary, reaching number eleven. [16] "Fearless" was Caillat's personal choice for the third single, however it was never released. [11] [4]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 57/100 [17] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
About.com | [9] |
AllMusic | [1] |
Billboard | (Favorable) [18] |
New York Daily News | [19] |
PopMatters | [8] |
Q | [20] |
Rolling Stone | [21] |
Slant Magazine | [22] |
Sputnikmusic | [23] |
Uncut | [20] |
Breakthrough received mixed to average reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 57 based on eight reviews. [20]
In a positive review, Michael Lello of PopMatters noted that on the album Caillat "wisely builds upon her strengths— the aforementioned disciplined singing approach and girly topics— rather than enter drastic new territory." He praised the album's consistency and its producers, which according to him, "results in a richly textured album, not just a collection of radio-baiting singles, that retains the performer's personality." [8]
Monica Herrera wrote for Billboard that the album is "warm and inviting", however noted that it "never quite lives up to its title, but highlighted the song "Fearless" for diverging from the formula and offering "delightful relief" and "a taste of what could be if the singer were to dig deeper." [18]
AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave a favorable review for the album and a three-out-of-five-stars rating, noting that it "isn't meant to catapult Caillat into a mainstream that already knows her, but to consolidate her success," calling it "a creation that's slicker and sleeker than the debut, but fortunately, it's not quite at the expense of Caillat's simple charms." [1]
Bill Lamb, in his review for About.com, was in agreement with Herrera and Erlewine, declaring that the title "may be a bit confusing to some listeners. It seems to carry the connotation of reaching in a new direction or depicting a new level of achievement for the artist. Instead [...] th[e] album seems primarily an effort to consolidate Colbie Caillat's existing fan base." [9] Lamb however noted that the album is "a little slicker, a little more polished" than its predecessor and the "final result is remarkably slick, cohesive and similar sounding, but that isn't always a great thing." [9]
Jim Farber of New York Daily News noted that "Caillat's sweet old-fashioned melodies are no 'Breakthrough,' but second album still charms." [19] Q magazine called it "[h]ardly essential, but brimming with late summery charms," [20] while Trey Spencer of Sputnikmusic was more positive, writing that "Colbie’s soothing vocals, the warm sound of the music, and the memorable choruses are all well worth listening to this for when the mood for something easy hits you." Spencer also praised the songs that "feel more developed than anything from her past." [23]
The album also received mixed reviews. While noting that Caillat has a fine voice and that she can write hooks, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone was critical of Caillat's "lovelorn" persona, opining that she "fails to convince as a romantic heroine." [21] Though being critical with Caillat's songwriting skills, Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine considered the album "a marginal improvement over her debut, Coco. At the very least, there’s nothing as stomach-turning as 'Bubbly' here, so by that measure, the album lives up to its title." [22] In contrast, Breakthrough was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 52nd edition, becoming her first nomination in the category. [24]
Breakthrough debuted at number-one on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 106,000 copies, becoming her first album to debut at the top and an improvement of the first week sales of her debut album Coco (2007), which started at number five with only 51,000 copies. [25] It was also Universal Music Group's sixth consecutive number-one album to debut at the top. [26] It was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [27] In Canada, the album debuted at number five, becoming her first album to debut at the top-ten and her highest also. It was also her first and only album so far to reach the top-ten in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. [28] [29] [30]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Won't" |
| Ken Caillat | 3:47 |
2. | "Begin Again" |
| John Shanks | 4:16 |
3. | "You Got Me" |
| Shanks | 4:02 |
4. | "Fallin' for You" |
|
| 3:37 |
5. | "Rainbow" |
| K. Caillat | 3:58 |
6. | "Droplets" (featuring Jason Reeves) |
| K. Caillat | 3:26 |
7. | "I Never Told You" |
| K. Caillat | 3:55 |
8. | "Fearless" |
| Greg Wells | 5:07 |
9. | "Runnin' Around" |
|
| 3:49 |
10. | "Break Through" |
|
| 3:40 |
11. | "It Stops Today" |
| K. Caillat | 3:49 |
12. | "Breakin' at the Cracks" |
| K. Caillat | 5:41 |
Total length: | 49:07 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
13. | "Somethin' Special" |
| 3:05 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "Lucky" (with Jason Mraz) |
| Terefe | 3:09 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "Begin Again" (reggae version) |
| Shanks | 3:59 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Hold Your Head High" |
| 4:19 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "What I Wanted to Say" |
| K. Caillat | 4:34 |
14. | "Out of My Mind" |
| Blue | 4:40 |
15. | "Don't Hold Me Down" |
| Shanks | 3:48 |
16. | "Never Let You Go" |
| Shanks | 4:19 |
17. | "Stay with Me" |
| K. Caillat | 4:27 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "Lucky" (with Jason Mraz) |
| Terefe | 3:09 |
14. | "Realize" (live in Porto, Portugal) |
| 5:47 | |
15. | "Fallin' for You" (live in Porto, Portugal) |
| 4:05 | |
16. | "Bubbly" (live in Porto, Portugal) |
| 3:44 | |
17. | "Fearless" (live in Porto, Portugal) |
| 6:05 | |
18. | "The Little Things" (live in Porto, Portugal) |
| 4:33 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Singapore (RIAS) [52] | Gold | 5,000* |
United States (RIAA) [27] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Country | Date | Label | Format | Edition | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | August 19, 2009 | Universal Music | Deluxe | [53] | |
Germany | August 21, 2009 | [54] | |||
France | Barclay | Standard | [55] | ||
United States | August 25, 2009 | Universal Republic | Deluxe | [56] | |
Italy | September 1, 2009 | Universal Music | [57] | ||
United Kingdom | September 14, 2009 | Island | Standard | [58] |
Songs in A Minor is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys, released on June 12, 2001, by J Records.
Colbie Marie Caillat is an American singer-songwriter. She rose to fame through social networking website Myspace. At that time, she was the number one unsigned artist of her genre.
Coco is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was released on July 10, 2007, in the United States, debuting at number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 51,000 copies in its first week. It also became Caillat's best-selling album to date, selling 2,100,000 copies in the United States and over 3,000,000 copies around the world. Caillat supported the album with the Coco World Tour, as well as four singles. The lead single "Bubbly" was a huge international hit, while the following two singles "Realize" and "The Little Things" were minor hits. "Somethin' Special" was released as a promo support the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China and the 2009 film Bride Wars.
"Bubbly" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her first album, Coco (2007). Written by Caillat and Jason Reeves and produced by Mikal Blue, the song was released as the album's lead single on May 15, 2007. "Bubbly" is Caillat's only song to peak within the top ten of US Billboard Hot 100; it remains her highest-charting song. Internationally, "Bubbly" reached number one in Australia, Brazil, and the Czech Republic. It also became a top-10 hit in several European countries, including Belgium, Germany, and Norway.
"Mistletoe" is an original Christmas song written and performed by Colbie Caillat. It was co-written by Caillat's friend and former manager, Stacy Blue, and producer Mikal Blue. "Mistletoe" was released as a standalone single on November 20, 2007. A re-recorded version of the song was included on Caillat's 2012 holiday album, Christmas in the Sand.
"Realize" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat, taken from her debut album, Coco (2007). In the song, Caillat sings of having romantic feelings for a best friend. It was the follow-up to her worldwide debut hit, "Bubbly", and was officially released in January 2008 as the second single from the album, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming her second top-twenty hit in the US. The song also charted in Canada and the Netherlands, reaching the top 40 in both countries. It features uncredited harmony vocals by singer and songwriter Jason Reeves.
Fearless is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Under the Big Machine Records imprint, it was released in the United States and Canada on November 11, 2008, and elsewhere on March 9, 2009.
Jason Bradford Reeves is an American songwriter, singer, and guitarist. He is best known for his songwriting work for Colbie Caillat, with whom he formed the acoustic pop band Gone West in 2018.
The discography of Colbie Caillat, an American musician and singer-songwriter, contains seven studio albums, seven extended plays, one compilation album, 22 singles, 22 music videos and other album appearances and songwriting credits. Caillat rose to fame through social networking website Myspace. At that time, she was the number-one unsigned artist of her genre. After signing with Universal Republic, she released debut album in July 2007, Coco has sold 2,060,000 copies in the United States and is certified 3× Platinum. In August 2009, she released Breakthrough, her second album which became her first album to debut at number one on Billboard 200. It has been certified Platinum by RIAA. In July 2011, she released her third studio album, All of You. In October 2012 she released her first Christmas album, Christmas in the Sand. Caillat sold 11 million albums and 25 million singles worldwide.
"Lucky" is a song by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. It is the third single from Mraz's third studio album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The song also appears as a bonus track on the international edition of Caillat’s album Breakthrough. The song has been on the Billboard charts, as well as other music charts worldwide.
"Fallin' for You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat along with Rick Nowels and produced by Nowels, John Shanks, and Caillat's father, Ken Caillat, for her second studio album, Breakthrough (2009). The song was released on June 26, 2009, as the lead single from the album, through Universal Republic. According to Caillat, the song speaks of someone falling for a man that they are friends with.
"I Never Told You" is a song by the American pop singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her second album Breakthrough (2009). The song was released on February 16, 2010 in the United States as the second single. The song is a power ballad in E-flat major and was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves and Kara DioGuardi and produced by DioGuardi. The song talks about the love the singer still has for her lover they felt strongly about at one point in their life. The song received positive reviews from music critics. In the charts, the song has performed moderately well, it has peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Adult Pop Songs.
"Breathe" is a song by Taylor Swift featuring Colbie Caillat from Swift's second studio album, Fearless (2008). Swift wrote the song with Caillat and produced it with Nathan Chapman. A pop rock ballad, "Breathe" incorporates strummed acoustic instruments and a string section. The lyrics are about heartbreak from losing a close friend. Big Machine Records released the track onto Rhapsody on October 21, 2008. Music critics found "Breathe" a sentimental song with resonant lyrics, but some deemed it insubstantial. The song was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2010.
"I Do" is a song recorded by American recording artist Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat and Toby Gad, and produced by Greg Wells. The song was released as the first single from her third studio album All of You (2011). The song was released to iTunes and radios on February 7, 2011 through Universal Republic. Musically, the song is an upbeat "sunny-day" pop song, and the lyrics speak about taking relationships further, like marriage. "I Do" debuted at number 38 on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart. It later debuted at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Nielsen Soundscan, it has sold about 154,000 copies in the US. The music video for "I Do" premiered on March 11, 2011.
All of You is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was scheduled to be released on May 3, 2011, but was pushed back by two months to a July 6, 2011, release in the United States through Universal Republic Records. The set, largely produced by Greg Wells, features one guest appearance by rapper/actor Common, who graces "Favorite Song", while her songwriting collaborators include Ryan Tedder, Toby Gad, Jason Reeves and Rick Nowels. The album's lead-single "I Do" was released on February 7, 2011, and has charted at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number 11 on the Adult Pop Songs. A second single "Brighter Than the Sun" was released on May 17, 2011, and has charted at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Brighter Than the Sun" is a song by American recording artist Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat and Ryan Tedder and produced by the latter. The song was released as the second single from Caillat's third studio album, All of You (2011). The song was released to digital download on May 23, 2011, through Universal Republic. The song received a positive reaction from music critics, who complimented its summer feel. The song is certified platinum in the United States and has been successful on many Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, where the song reached the top 50, the Adult Contemporary chart, where the song peaked at number one for a week. "Brighter Than the Sun" also was a top-40 hit in Austria and was the third-biggest song of 2012 on US adult contemporary radio.
"Favorite Song" is a song by American recording artist Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat and Ryan Tedder, and produced by Tedder and it features American rapper Common. The song was released as the third single from her third studio album All of You (2011). it was released on May 8, 2012. Musically, the song is a guitar-driven pop, hip-hop jam, and the lyrics speak about being in love with someone and desiring that the person feels the same. The song is a metaphor for wanting to be the object of someone’s affection.
Gypsy Heart is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was released on September 30, 2014 by Republic Records. It was produced by American record producer Babyface. It features songwriting collaborations with past co-writer, Jason Reeves, as well as new co-writers and producers Max Martin, Julian Bunetta, and Johan Carlsson. "Try" was released as the first and only single on June 9 to the 16.
"Try" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her fifth studio album, Gypsy Heart (2014). It was released on June 9, 2014 by Republic Records as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves, Babyface and Antonio Dixon and was produced by the latter two. Lyrically, the midtempo pop ballad is about not trying to be someone else to make others happy. It was written after a session where Caillat was feeling pressure to be someone she was not, both musically and image-wise. It received acclaim from music critics, who noted it was a simple, but beautiful empowering ballad.
Gone West was an American country pop group composed of Colbie Caillat, Justin Young, Jason Reeves, and Nelly Joy. They made their debut as a band on the Grand Ole Opry stage and signed with Triple Tigers. The band released their debut and only album, Canyons, on June 12, 2020.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)