"Heartbreak Anniversary" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Giveon | ||||
from the EP Take Time | ||||
Released | February 21, 2020 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:16 | |||
Label |
| |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Giveon singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Heartbreak Anniversary" on YouTube |
"Heartbreak Anniversary" is a song by American singer-songwriter Giveon. It was released on February 21, 2020, as the second single from his debut EP, Take Time (2020). Written from the perspective of a friend of Giveon's, the downtempo piano ballad finds him singing about the date of a breakup, reminiscing and grieving about a love gone wrong. The song became a sleeper hit, garnering chart success in early 2021, with a music video subsequently being released, and the song was sent to US radio, in March 2021. It reached number one in Malaysia and Singapore.
"Heartbreak Anniversary" was also included on Giveon's compilation album, When It's All Said and Done... Take Time, released in March 2021. The song has been certified 4× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Heartbreak Anniversary" was written by Giveon from the perspective of someone else, as Giveon explained: "I was talking to a friend, and they told me they broke up with their significant other exactly a year ago, and I was like, 'Oh, alright, I'm going to write a song about that'". [1] In an interview with Billboard, Giveon said that he drew further inspiration from how he copes with a day that continues to bring many "lovesick" memories every year. He stated,
So "Heartbreak Anniversary" is just the anniversary of a heartbreak. Say you guys are heartbroken on Valentine's Day, February 14th. Every time Valentine's Day comes around you kinda revisit the pain and revisit the sorrow. So with this song, I tried to make pain sound beautiful. [2]
"Heartbreak Anniversary" was released on Giveon's birthday. [3] In early 2021, the song went viral on the video-sharing app, TikTok. [4] By March 15, 2021, the song had surpassed 143 million streams, [5] including 97 million streams on Spotify. [6]
On "Heartbreak Anniversary", Giveon sings about the day his heart was broken, reminiscing about every detail, and the pain that comes with heartbreak. [2] [6] He appears emotional and vulnerable, [7] "foolishly" hoping that his ex lover will return. [8] Musically, Giveon delivers soaring vocals over a largely piano and percussion-based mid-tempo electro and soul merged instrumental. [9] Apple Music noted how he creates "harmonies with himself that render a simple line like 'Don't want to let you out my head' as gospel". [10] Rolling Stone's Elias Leight labeled the song "a swelling, disconsolate ballad built around mournful piano and gnarled guitars. [11] Giveon's vocals on the song was compared to that of Frank Sinatra, but "with an R&B flavour and a young fresh take on the Rat Pack style". [12]
Milcah P. of HotNewHipHop called the song "enchanting", further stating: "The cut is characterized by a seamless mixture of Giveon's signature baritone and flawless falsettos. It's a wonderful display of range and composition and easily has Giveon pegged as one to watch within the R&B realm". [3] Writing for Manila Bulletin , Punch Liwanag said the track "is the best representation of who and what Givēon is all about, at least for the time being". [9] Uproxx's Wongo Okon called it a standout from Take Time . [13] Similarly, Billboard 's Carl Lamarre said "Highlights [on Take Time] like 'Heartbreak Anniversary' and 'Favorite Mistake' showcase his penchant for pensive lyrics and moody soundscapes". [14] Pitchfork named the song among their "Pitchfork Selects" playlist for the week of March 22, 2021. [15] NPR's Sidney Madden included the song in their Heat Check feature for February 2021, noting the wishful lyrics: "being 'foolishly patient' will serve you no good here. This is the type of firmly rooted pain that only twists deeper". [16]
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | MTV Video Music Awards | Best R&B | Nominated | [17] |
Song of Summer | Nominated | [18] | ||
2021 | American Music Awards | Favorite R&B Song | Nominated | [19] |
2022 | Grammy Awards | Best R&B Song | Nominated | [20] |
The official video was released on March 12, 2021, over a year after the single's release. It was directed by Salomon Ligthelm, [5] and released on the same day as Giveon's compilation, When It's All Said and Done... Take Time. [2] The "aesthetically pleasing" [21] visual finds Giveon grieving and reflecting on the good and bad times he had with his ex lover, played by Samantha Logan. He is seen transitioning between his "lonely present and his turbulent past". [13] In a May 2020 interview with Billboard, Giveon said he could see himself making a short film or story out of the song, because it has "so much depth [...] and a lot of stuff that wasn't told in the song. 'Heartbreak Anniversary' just talks about the break-up. It doesn't talk about what led to the break-up". [22]
The song initially broke out in Southeast Asia, reaching number one on the Spotify charts in the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, and the top 10 of various other countries. [5] It has been certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA for units of over 3,000,000 in the US. [21]
Credits adapted from Billboard . [23]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [62] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [63] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [64] | 3× Platinum | 240,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [65] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [66] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
Mexico (AMPROFON) [67] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [68] | 4× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [69] | Platinum | 10,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [70] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [71] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [72] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000‡ |
Streaming | ||
Sweden (GLF) [73] | Platinum | 8,000,000† |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | February 21, 2020 |
| [74] | |
United States | March 16, 2021 | Urban contemporary radio | [75] | |
Australia | April 2, 2021 | Contemporary hit radio | [76] |
"Hot in Herre" is a song by American rapper Nelly, released as the lead single from his second album Nellyville (2002). It was released on May 7, 2002, by Universal Records. It was written by Nelly, Charles Brown, and the producers the Neptunes. It features additional vocals by former labelmate Dani Stevenson and incorporates Chuck Brown's 1979 single "Bustin' Loose". "Hot in Herre" is widely considered to be Nelly's signature song along with the worldwide hit "Dilemma".
American singer Mariah Carey has released 88 official singles, 22 promotional singles, and has made 30 guest appearances. Her self-titled debut album in 1990 yielded four number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, the first being "Vision of Love", a song credited with revolutionizing the usage of distinguished vocal stylings, predominantly the practice of melisma, and effectively influencing virtually every female R&B performer since the 1990s. Subsequent singles "Emotions" (1991) and Carey's cover of the Jackson 5 track "I'll Be There" (1992) continued the singer's streak of US number-one singles, with the latter becoming her fourth chart-topper in Canada and first in the Netherlands. With the release of Carey's third studio album, Music Box (1993), the singer's international popularity surged upon release of "Hero" and the album's third single, her cover of Harry Nilsson's "Without You", which became the singer's first number-one single in several countries across Europe.
"Foolish" is the debut solo single by American singer Ashanti. It was released as the lead single from her self-titled debut album (2002) by Def Jam Recordings, AJM, and Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records on February 11, 2002. It was written by Ashanti, Etterlene Jordan, Mark DeBarge and Irv Gotti, while production was overseen by Gotti. The song heavily samples DeBarge's "Stay with Me". Due to the inclusion of the sample, Mark DeBarge and Etterlene Jordan are also credited as songwriters. A promotional version of the single called "Unfoolish" features a verse from The Notorious B.I.G. from his song "F--king You Tonight".
"It's Not Right but It's Okay" is a song recorded by American Whitney Houston for her fourth studio album, My Love Is Your Love. It was written by LaShawn Daniels, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, Isaac Phillips, Toni Estes and produced by Darkchild. The song was released as the third single from the album on February 15, 1999, by Arista Records. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" examines a woman confronting her lover about his infidelity.
"Heartbreak Hotel" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston. Originally written for inclusion on TLC's third studio album FanMail, it was later recorded by Houston after TLC rejected the song. The song was written by Carsten Schack, Kenneth Karlin and Tamara Savage, and produced by Soulshock & Karlin. It was released on December 15, 1998, by Arista Records, as the second single from Houston's 1998 album My Love Is Your Love. The song prominently features R&B singers Faith Evans and Kelly Price during the choruses and bridge.
American R&B singer-songwriter Chris Brown has released 11 studio albums, 1 collaborative album, 1 extended play, 9 mixtapes, 63 singles and 29 promotional singles.
Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj has released five studio albums, one compilation album, three mixtapes, 136 singles, and 20 promotional singles. After becoming involved with dancing, music and acting in high school in New York City, she eventually pursued her passion for rapping. Minaj was discovered by American rapper Lil Wayne and signed to Young Money Entertainment—a subdivision of Cash Money Records with distribution through Republic Records—in 2009. Her first solo single, "Your Love", peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, an achievement that made Minaj the first female artist to top the chart as a solo artist since 2002. Minaj's next three singles, "Check It Out", "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life", all peaked within the top 40 on the Hot 100. Her debut studio album, Pink Friday, was released in November 2010, topping the US Billboard 200 and has since been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album's fifth single, "Super Bass", reached the top ten in multiple countries, including the US where it peaked at number three and has since been certified Diamond by the RIAA for selling over 10 million units in the country.
Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd has released five studio albums, one live album, three compilation albums, three mixtapes, nine extended plays, 79 single releases and seven promotional singles. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he has accumulated 20.5 million certified album-equivalent units and 132 million certified digital single units in the US, based on sales and on-demand streaming, as of December 2024.
"Often" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on July 31, 2014, as the lead single from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). The song contains a sample from "Ben Sana Vurgunum" by Turkish singer Nükhet Duru.
American rapper Kanye West has released 138 singles, four promotional singles and charted with 65 other songs.
"For Tonight" is a song by American singer-songwriter Giveon. It was released on September 24, 2021, through Epic Records, as the lead single from his debut studio album Give or Take (2022). The song was produced by Sevn Thomas, Jahaan Sweet, and Akeel Henry.
"Wish Wish" is a song by American record producer DJ Khaled featuring American rapper Cardi B and Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage, taken from Khaled's 2019 studio album Father of Asahd. It was released on May 17, 2019, as track two on its parent album. This song marked the second time each artist had worked with another, their firsts being: Cardi B and 21 Savage on "Bartier Cardi" (2017), 21 Savage and DJ Khaled on "Iced Out My Arms" (2017), and DJ Khaled and Cardi B on "Dinero" (2018).
Barbadian singer Rihanna has released 53 singles as lead artist, 17 singles as a featured artist, two charity singles, and four promotional singles. One of the best-selling artists of all time, her albums and singles sales as of 2018 stood at 250 million. In the United States, Rihanna has amassed 14 number-one songs and 32 top-ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100. She has tallied 60 weeks at number one and is the artist with the most weeks in the top ten (360). The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recognized Rihanna as the top-selling female digital singles artist, with 183 million certified units as of May 2024. Furthermore, she has earned seven singles certified Diamond by RIAA, thus becoming the female artist with the most Diamond singles and Diamond certified titles.
"Lie Again" is a song by American singer-songwriter Giveon. It was released through Epic Records on April 29, 2022, and serves as the second single for his debut studio album Give or Take. The song was written and produced by Giveon and Don Mills. Giveon announced the song on April 19, 2022, exactly ten days before its release.
"Chicago Freestyle" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake and American singer-songwriter Giveon. It was released as the third track from Drake's commercial mixtape Dark Lane Demo Tapes, on May 1, 2020. Drake interpolates Eminem's flow from his 2002 single "Superman" on the pre-chorus. When it was unofficially released on February 29, 2020, it was released concurrently with another song, "When to Say When".
Giveon Dezmann Evans, known mononymously as Giveon, is an American R&B singer. He rose to prominence with his 2020 song "Chicago Freestyle", which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. That same year, Giveon signed with Epic Records to release two extended plays: the Grammy Award-nominated Take Time and When It's All Said and Done; the former was preceded by the single "Heartbreak Anniversary", which peaked at number 16 on the chart and received quintuple platinum certification by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Party Girl" is a song by American rapper StaySolidRocky, originally self-released on September 12, 2019, and then re-released by Columbia Records on April 21, 2020, as his third career-single. The song went viral on video-sharing app TikTok and became StaySolidRocky's first charting single. It was written by the rapper and its producer Nashi. The track was later included on his debut EP Fallin', released July 17, 2020. A remix with rapper Lil Uzi Vert was released on July 10, 2020.
The discography of American singer-songwriter Giveon consists of one studio album, one compilation album, two extended plays, and nine singles. On March 27, 2020, Giveon released his debut extended play, Take Time. The EP reached number 35 on the Billboard 200. It produced the top-20 single, "Heartbreak Anniversary", which reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. That same year, he released a collaboration with Drake, "Chicago Freestyle", which debuted and peaked at number 14 on the Hot 100. On October 2, 2020, Giveon released his second extended play, When It's All Said and Done. The EP debuted and peaked at number 93 on the Billboard 200. On March 12, 2021, Giveon released his debut compilation album, When It's All Said and Done...Take Time. The album debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200. That same year, he was featured alongside Daniel Caesar on Justin Bieber's single, "Peaches", which debuted and peaked atop the Hot 100, giving him his first chart-topping single. Later that year, he was featured alongside Lil Durk on Drake's song, "In the Bible", which debuted and peaked at number seven on the Hot 100. On June 24, 2022, Giveon released his debut studio album, Give or Take.
"Peaches" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon. It was released through Def Jam Recordings on March 19, 2021, as the fifth single from the former's sixth studio album, Justice, which was released the same day. First-time collaborators, the artists wrote the song with producers Harv and Shndo, alongside Andrew Watt, Louis Bell, Sean Leon, Harv's wife Felisha King-Harvey of Cherish, Vincent Massi, and Keavan Yazdani. There are two remixes of the song: the first contains guest appearances from American rappers and singers Ludacris, Usher, and Snoop Dogg, while the second features Nigerian musicians Alpha P, Omah Lay, and Masterkraft.
"In the Bible" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake featuring American rapper Lil Durk and American singer-songwriter Giveon. It was released on September 3, 2021, as the fourth track on Drake's sixth studio album Certified Lover Boy.