"Breathe" | ||||
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Single by the Prodigy | ||||
from the album The Fat of the Land | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 11 November 1996 | |||
Studio | Earthbound (Braintree, Essex, England) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | XL | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Liam Howlett | |||
The Prodigy singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Breathe" on YouTube |
"Breathe" is a song by English band the Prodigy, released in November 1996 as the second single from their third album, The Fat of the Land (1997). It features a drum break from the song "Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed" by Thin Lizzy. The whiplashing sword sound effect is a sample of "Da Mystery of Chessboxin" by Wu-Tang Clan. As with "Firestarter", Jim Davies played the guitar in the song.
"Breathe" became the group's second consecutive number-one in the United Kingdom and also topped the charts in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden. In 2003, Q Magazine ranked the song at number 321 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever". [4]
The first ever performance of the song was held at a concert at the Pionir Hall in Belgrade, Republic of Serbia, on 8 December 1995, 11 months prior to its release. [5] It was the first major international music act to play in Belgrade since the breakup of Yugoslavia, and came shortly after UN sanctions were partially lifted. "Breathe" thus became an iconic song for Serbia's urban youth. [6]
Larry Flick from Billboard stated that the song, "with its jittery, faux funk beat, caustic synths, and snarling vocals" gets stronger with repeated spins. [7] Nick Varley from The Guardian wrote, "Firestarter was only softening us up. Liam Howlett and his assorted helpers have now served up an even more stunning slab of modern genius." He added, "You don't have to be in a club, helped by the strobe lights, to appreciate the appeal as the drum roll cracks into place before giving way to the type of pounding beat that seems to have been the essential ingredient in the great singles of the year. Think Firestarter, Setting Sun, Born Slippy and Beck's Devil's Haircut." [8] A reviewer from Music Week rated "Breathe" three out of five, noting that Howlett's "raucous electronic punksters get louder and less accessible by the day. This frantic, apocalyptic number will do well to emulate their spring number one Firestarter." [9]
James Hyman from the magazine's RM Dance Update praised the track, giving it five out of five. He added, "The punk-aggressive energy found here echoes landmark anarchist tracks such as the Pistols' 'God Save The Queen' (with its 'no future' cries) and Silver Bullet's 'Ruff Karnage'. Twangy guitar and ever-changing industrial breaks complement all the exhortations." [10] Paul Moody from NME wrote, "'Breathe' - that rarest of things, a Prodigy track that grows on you - sounds ever more sinister in such claustrophobic surroundings, drilled as it is to a brain-numbing intensity of kick drums over which Keith howls the still baffling lyric, "Twisted animator!"(sic)." [11] A reviewer from People Magazine said that songs like this "are cathartic performances capable of spreading dance fever to the stubbornest rock-and-roll head-bangers". [12]
The song was a major worldwide hit, reaching the top 10 in several countries such as Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland. "Breathe" was a number-one hit in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The song was also a hit in France, reaching number 26. [13] In the United States, the song reached number 18 on the US Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. [14] The single also returned to the Billboard charts after Flint's death, entering number 14 on its Dance/Electronic Digital Songs Sales chart in its 16 March 2019 issue. [15]
The accompanying music video for "Breathe" was directed by English director Walter Stern and took place in what resembled an abandoned, decrepit apartment building, with the band members experiencing various aural, visual and psychological phenomena, with Keith Flint and Maxim representing the phenomena, while Leeroy Thornhill and Liam Howlett are caught in the phenomenon. Various animals, like an alligator, and crickets, make an appearance, evoking different types of phobias. The music video won the 1997 MTV Video Music Award for Viewer's Choice and International Viewer's Choice Award for MTV Europe. The video was also the band's final video to feature dancer Leeroy Thornhill.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [59] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
Belgium (BEA) [60] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada) [61] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [62] | Platinum | 10,507 [62] |
Germany (BVMI) [63] | Gold | 250,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [64] | Platinum | 10,000* |
Poland (ZPAV) [65] | Gold | 50,000* |
Sweden (GLF) [66] | Platinum | 30,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [67] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 11 November 1996 |
| XL | [68] |
United States | 2 June 1997 | Alternative radio | [69] |
The song is included in a 2012 television commercial for Tooheys Extra Dry. [70] [71] [72] Up until the 2012 PDC World Darts Championship, Dutch darts player Michael van Gerwen used the song as his walk-on theme. [73] The song was also used as the theme tune of the defunct Filipino public service program Aksyon Ngayon broadcast on DZMM. Professional wrestler Al Snow used the song as an entrance theme during his stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling.
Alongside other The Fat of the Land songs, Breathe was remixed by The Glitch Mob and Zeds Dead on a sampler titled The Added Fat EP in 2012.
In 2021, two remixes by Rene LaVice featuring RZA were released for the F9 Soundtrack.[ citation needed ]
Camo & Krooked and Mefjus released a remix of the song in 2022 which was awarded the "Best Remix" award at the Drum & Bass Arena Awards 2022. [74]
The Fat of the Land is the third studio album by English electronic music group the Prodigy, released on 30 June 1997 through XL Recordings. The album received critical acclaim and topped the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. It has sold over 10 million copies worldwide as of 2019. It is their best-selling album.
"Truly Madly Deeply" is a song by Australian pop duo Savage Garden, released in March 1997 as the third single from their self-titled debut album (1997) by Roadshow and Warner Music. It won the 1997 ARIA Music Award for both Single of the Year and Highest Selling Single and was nominated for Song of the Year. Written by bandmates Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones, the song is a reworking of a song called "Magical Kisses" that the pair wrote together during the recording of their debut album.
"Un-Break My Heart" is a song by American singer Toni Braxton for her second studio album, Secrets (1996). The song was written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster. It was released as the second single from the album on October 7, 1996, through LaFace Records. The song is a ballad 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 at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards 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.
"One of Us" is a song by American singer Joan Osborne for her debut studio album, Relish (1995). Written by Eric Bazilian of the Hooters and produced by Rick Chertoff, the song was released on November 21, 1995, as Osborne's debut single and lead single from Relish, and it became a hit in November of that year, peaking at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and earning three Grammy nominations.
"Wild Wild West" is a song by American rapper and actor Will Smith from the 1999 film of the same name, in which he also starred. The song plays during the film's closing credits. The single samples Stevie Wonder's 1976 hit song "I Wish" and includes parts of the chorus from Kool Moe Dee's song of the same name. Kool Moe Dee re-performed the chorus for the song, and additional guest vocals are provided by Dru Hill. The album version of the song is introduced by a brief spoken-word interlude where Smith asks his infant son Jaden what song he should play next, interpreting Jaden's repeated non-verbal response as "Wild Wild West".
"No Diggity" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet as the first single for their second studio album, Another Level (1996), featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen. Released on July 29, 1996 by Interscope, the song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and in Iceland and New Zealand. It ended "Macarena"'s 14-week reign atop the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number nine. "No Diggity" was the final number-one single of Cash Box magazine. The track sold 1.6 million copies in 1996 and won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. It uses samples from Bill Withers's "Grandma's Hands". The music video for the song was directed by Hype Williams.
"Firestarter" is a song by British band the Prodigy, released on 18 March 1996 as the first single from their third album, The Fat of the Land (1997). It was the group's first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, staying on top for three weeks, and their first big international hit, topping the charts in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, and Norway. In 2020, British newspaper The Guardian ranked the song number eight on their list of "The 100 Greatest UK No 1 Singles".
"Baby's Got a Temper" is a song by English electronica group the Prodigy, released as a non-album single on 1 July 2002 by record labels XL and Maverick. It was the band's first single in five years after 1997's "Smack My Bitch Up", and was also their first release after dancer Leeroy Thornhill left the band in 2000.
"Breathe" is a song by American singer Blu Cantrell from her second studio album, Bittersweet (2003). A remixed version featuring Sean Paul was released as a single in February 2003, several months after the album version was released in November 2002. The album version of this song was produced and co-written by Ivan Matias and Andrea Martin. The remix featuring Sean Paul was produced by Ivan Matias, Andrea Martin, and Mark Pitts. The song peaked at 70 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a hit in Europe, most notably in the United Kingdom, where it topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in August 2003.
"You're Not Alone" is a song written by Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth and performed by British trip hop group Olive on their debut album, Extra Virgin (1996). First released as a single in August 1996, it found greater success in 1997 in a remixed version, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart that May. The song has been covered by a number of artists, most notably by German trance DJ and producer ATB in 2002 and Danish singer-songwriter Mads Langer in 2009.
"Mysterious Girl" is the second overall single and third British single from singer-songwriter Peter Andre's second studio album, Natural (1996). It was written by Glen Goldsmith, Philip Jackson, Ollie Jacobs and Andre, and produced by Jacobs & Mubs. The song features guest vocals from Caribbean rapper Bubbler Ranx. It was first released as a single by Melodian Records in Australia on 14 August 1995 and was issued in the United Kingdom the same year, but it was not until a re-release in 1996 that the song became a commercial success there.
"How Bizarre" is a song written and performed by New Zealand musical group OMC. It was released in December 1995 as the lead single from their album How Bizarre and went on to top the charts of five countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. Outside New Zealand, OMC is generally considered a one-hit wonder; they had a further few successful singles in New Zealand, including "On the Run" and "Land of Plenty".
"Lemon Tree" is a song by German band Fool's Garden from their third album, Dish of the Day (1995). The band's lead vocalist, Peter Freudenthaler, said that he wrote the song on a Sunday afternoon when he was waiting for his girlfriend who did not come.
"Pony" is a song by American singer Ginuwine, released as the debut single from his first album, Ginuwine...The Bachelor (1996). Ginuwine co-wrote the song with Swing Mob associates Static Major and Timbaland; the latter made his breakthrough as a producer with the song. It peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.
English electronic music group the Prodigy has released seven studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, one mix album, three extended plays, twenty-one singles, and twenty-two music videos. Hailed as pioneers of genres such as rave, techno, and big beat, the group have sold over twenty million albums worldwide. As of 9 November 2018 their UK album sales stood at 4,707,982.
"I Love You Always Forever" is the debut single by Welsh singer Donna Lewis from her debut album, Now in a Minute (1996). Written by Lewis and produced by Lewis and Kevin Killen, it was released as the album's lead single in the United States on 16 April 1996 and in the United Kingdom on 26 August 1996. The song is inspired by H. E. Bates' novel Love for Lydia, from which the chorus is taken.
"We've Got It Goin' On" is the debut single of American boy band Backstreet Boys. It was released on September 11, 1995, as the lead single from their self-titled debut album (1996). The song was recorded at Cheiron Studios in Sweden during a week in June 1995. It was written and produced by Max Martin and his then-mentor Denniz Pop, with extra writing from Herbert Crichlow and was later included in the US album and achieved success worldwide. The single peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 20 weeks on the chart. It was released across Europe, where it reached the top five in several countries, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. On the Eurochart Hot 100, the song reached number five.
"Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" is the debut solo single of Australian singer Gina G. The song was written by British songwriters Simon Tauber and Steve Rodway, and released on 25 March 1996 as the first single from her debut album, Fresh! (1997). It reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart almost two months later and was also a number-one hit in Israel. In the US, the song peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was the United Kingdom's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996, held in Oslo, Norway, where it finished in eighth place. It was successful on the charts in Europe, Australia and the US, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
"Remember Me" is a 1997 song by British DJ Alexis 'Lex' Blackmore under his pseudonym Blue Boy, released as a single only. Built around samples performed by American singer Marlena Shaw, the song peaked at No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1997 and No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. It was a top-10 hit in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, the track reached No. 13.
"Sunchyme" is the debut single of British electronic music trio Dario G. It was released on 15 September 1997 as the lead single from their debut studio album, Sunmachine (1998), although early editions were stated to be from an album named Super Dario Land. The song heavily samples the track "Life in a Northern Town" by dream pop band the Dream Academy.
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