"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" is a song by English-Irish boy band One Direction. The song was released on 10 November 2014, as the third promotional single from their fourth studio album, Four.[1]
| "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" | |
|---|---|
| Promotional single by One Direction | |
| from the album Four | |
| Released | 10 November 2014 |
| Length | 3:49 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Producer(s) |
|
Background and release
editOn 10 November 2014, the group announced those who pre-ordered their fourth studio album, Four, would receive an instant download of "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" on iTunes.[2]
Composition and lyrics
edit"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was written by Harry Styles, Julian Bunetta, Ruth-Anne Cunningham, Theodore Geiger and Ali Tamposi,[3] while production was handled by Bunetta, Pär Westerlund and Geiger. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, by Alfred Music Publishing, the track runs at 124 BPM and is in the key of E major.[4] Musically, the song blends heavy '80s pop influence with synth beats, "perfectly planned pauses" and high harmonies.[2]
Critical reception
edit"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was met with positive reviews from music critics, most noting the heavy 80s' influence of the song. Jason Lipshutz of Billboard stated, "'Where Do Broken Hearts Go' continues down the road of big chords and harmonies designed to echo through stadiums. One Direction also sounds like it's trying to swallow all of popular music in the 1980's — from Journey to George Michael to 'Like a Prayer' — on the song."[5] Bianca Gracie of Idolator felt that the song's sound, "leans more towards Belinda Carlisle's 'Heaven is a Place on Earth'.[6] Christina Garibaldi of MTV praised the group's harmonies, remarking, "Each goes on to sing about the moment you realize you let the one you love get away."[7]
Chart performance
edit"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" debuted at number 47 on the UK Singles Chart.[8] The song sold 3,781 copies in the UK.[9] The song also peaked at number 88 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 37,818 copies in the United States.[10] "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" reached the top 50 in Mexico and Spain.[11][12]
Personnel
edit- Julian Bunetta – producer, engineering, instrumentation, backing vocals
- Theodore Geiger – producer, backing vocals
- Pär Westerlund – producer
- Niall Horan – guitar
- Andrew Haas – bass guitar
- Damon Bunetta – backing vocals
- Randy Merrill – assistant mastering engineer
- Benjamin Chang – recording engineer
- Alex Oriet – recording engineer
- Ash Howes – mixing (The Dark Room, London, United Kingdom)
- Tom Coyne – mastering (Sterling Sound, Nashville, Tennessee)
- Ian Franzino – assistant engineer
Charts
edit| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[13] | 58 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[14] | 90 |
| Greece Digital Songs (Billboard)[15] | 6 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[16] | 69 |
| France (SNEP)[17] | 88 |
| Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[11] | 43 |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[12] | 39 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[18] | 47 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[19] | 88 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[20] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Tehrene Firman (10 November 2014). "One Direction Just Released ANOTHER Song! Listen to the Oh-So-Catchy "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" Right Here". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ a b Carolyn Menyes (10 November 2014). "LISTEN: One Direction Release "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" from 'Four' Ahead of Album Release Date". Music Times. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "BMI Repertoire - Where Do Broken Hearts Go (Legal Title)". BMI. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- ^ "Where Do Broken Hearts Go? by One Direction - Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Alfred Music Publishing. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ Jason Lipshutz (10 November 2014). "One Direction Asks 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go' on New Album Track". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ Bianca Gracie (10 November 2014). "One Direction Release Another 'Four' Track, 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go'". Idolator. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ Christina Garibaldi (10 November 2014). "One Direction Ask The Age-Old Question: 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go?'". MTV. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart: 15 November 2014 - 21 November 2014". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ Jones, Alan (24 November 2014). "Official Charts analysis: 1D land fourth consecutive No.1 LP as Four sells 141,780". Music Week. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "Nielsen SoundScan charts – Digital Songs – Week Ending: 11/16/2014" (PDF). Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 21, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "One Direction Chart History (Mexico Ingles Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2024.}
- ^ a b "One Direction – Where Do Broken Hearts Go" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "One Direction – Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "One Direction Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "One Direction Chart History (Greece Digital Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Where Do Broken Hearts Go". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "One Direction – Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "One Direction: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "One Direction Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "British single certifications – One Direction – Where Do Broken Hearts Go". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 January 2024.