Breathin
"Breathin" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Ariana Grande | ||||
from the album Sweetener | ||||
Released | September 18, 2018 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Dance-pop | |||
Length | 3:18 | |||
Label | Republic | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Ilya | |||
Ariana Grande singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Breathin" on YouTube |
"Breathin" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer Ariana Grande from her fourth studio album Sweetener (2018). It was written by Grande, Savan Kotecha, Peter Svensson, and its producer Ilya Salmanzadeh. The song was sent to US contemporary hit radio on September 18, 2018, serving as the album's third and final single.[1] Lyrically, the song speaks about how breathing can help with anxiety and is based on Grande's personal experience.
Commercially, the single reached number one in Iceland and Israel and the top forty in twenty-seven additional countries.
Recording and release[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/P.S._Milk_%26_Cookies.jpg/220px-P.S._Milk_%26_Cookies.jpg)
"Breathin" was written by Grande, Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh and Peter Svensson, with Ilya handling the production. Grande's vocals were recorded by Sam Holland and Noah Passovoy at MXM Studios in Los Angeles, California and Wolf Cousins Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, with Cory Bice and Jeremy Lertola providing recording engineer assistance.[2] Serban Ghenea, assisted by John Hanes, then mixed the song at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Randy Merrill later mastered the song at Sterling Sound in New York City, New York.[2]
The title of the song was first teased in the "No Tears Left to Cry" music video and then teased again in the behind the scenes video of the "No Tears Left to Cry" music video.[3][4]
Composition and lyrics[]
"Breathin" is a dance-pop song that runs for three minutes and eighteen seconds.[5][6][7] Grande performs the song in the key of F minor and her vocals span from F3 to F5.[8] During her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Grande described the song:
'Breathin' is about breathing...when you're anxious. It's about anxiety and feeling like you can't get a full breath. It's like the worst feeling in the whole world. It's a song about that feeling...I was having lots of [anxiety attacks]. We were in the studio, we were writing and I was like, 'Ugh I can't breathe.' And they were like, 'We're going to write this song.' And I was like, 'Okay, I still can't breathe, but we'll write it.'"
— Ariana Grande, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon[9]
Critical reception[]
Jillian Mapes from Pitchfork said that Grande turned "the melancholy of Drake into a meditation on anxiety with 'Breathin'".[10] Variety's Chris Willman said that she "gets personal to just the right degree" with this song.[11] Brittany Spanos from Rolling Stone called it an "exceptional exploration of anxiety".[12] Taylor Weatherby from Billboard said that "Grande addresses the anxiety she experienced as a result of the Manchester Arena bombing on May 22, 2017 in 'Breathin'".[13]
Kate Soloman from The Independent called the song an "emotional highlight" and that it is a "mental health bop over a good, solid pop beat."[14]
Commercial performance[]
Prior to its release as a single, "Breathin" entered several charts worldwide upon the release of Sweetener due to strong digital sales. In the United States, the song debuted at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 issue dated September 1, 2018, earning Grande her fourteenth top-forty entry and marked the highest debut of nine entries from the album of which debuted on the Hot 100 the same week.[15] The track sold 27,800 digital downloads in its opening week, allowing it to also enter the Digital Songs chart at number four.[16] The following week, "Breathin" dropped fifteen positions to number 37 on the Hot 100. As radio airplay began to build, the track officially debuted at number 38 on the Mainstream Top 40. Consequently, Grande became the first female soloist to place three entires in the top forty of the Pop Songs chart that week since Lady Gaga did so in 2010.[17] The song fluctuated on the Hot 100 for several weeks, and climbed from number 41 to 32 in its tenth week, jumping to number 21 the week after, overcoming its debut position of number 22. It reached a peak of number 12, and spent 25 weeks on the chart.
"Breathin" entered the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 at number 38 for the chart issue dated September 18, 2018, and moved up to number 34 the following week.[18][19] The song has since climbed up to number two, earning Grande her ninth top-five single there and third from Sweetener.[20] On the Billboard Dance Club Songs, "Breathin" debuted at number 43 on the issue dated October 27, 2018, rising to number 27 in its second frame. The song reached the top spot in its seventh week on the chart, marking her third consecutive chart-topper and fourth overall.
Internationally, "Breathin" reached number one in Iceland and Israel. The song debuted at number eight as the highest entry of the week on both the Australian ARIA Charts and the UK Singles Chart, becoming her eighth top-ten single in both countries.[21][22] The song has also reached the top-ten in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Hungary, Lebanon, Portugal and Slovakia, as well as reached the top-twenty in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland.
On March 17, software company Calm announced that Grande would be included in the "Sleep Remix Series" for their meditation app, alongside other artists, such as Shawn Mendes and Kacey Musgraves.[23] The following Friday, they released an hour-long remix of "Breathin" to Calm subscribers, which they described as "ethereal".[24]
Live performances[]
Grande debuted the song live at The Sweetener Sessions.[25] Grande also performed the song along with her single "Thank U, Next" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on November 7, 2018.[26] Grande performed the song as part of her set at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Lollapalooza and Manchester Pride, as well as part of the regular setlist on her Sweetener World Tour.
Music video[]
Two music videos for the song were released. Grande released the first music video of the song on October 10, 2018, starring her pet piglet, Piggy Smallz, curiously approaching the camera and walking around on a bed with a plush cover.[27] Grande shot the footage.[28] Grande posted on Instagram that she hoped the video would make fans laugh while they await the "real" music video.[29] Grande later revealed more news on the status of the official music video on November 3, 2018, via her Twitter account, stating that it would be released alongside the lead single of her fifth studio album. The music video was eventually released on November 7, 2018, on her YouTube account, which was directed by Hannah Lux Davis.
The official video shows Grande by a train station with people passing by. It also shows scenes which includes getting her heads in the clouds and riding a swing-set in an oversized jacket. The video also shows her in the fog and her over a pile of luggage in the limelight in a long black dress. In the video, a departure sign is shown that includes the words "Needy", "Remember" and "Imagine", which are song titles from her fifth studio album Thank U, Next - with the exception of "Remember" which was removed from the final track listing and was replaced by "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored".
Credits and personnel[]
Credits and personnel adapted from the liner notes of Sweetener.[2]
Recording and management[]
- Recorded at MXM Studios (Los Angeles, California) and Wolf Cousins Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
- Mixed at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
- Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)
- Published by Universal Music Group Corp./Grand AriMusic (ASCAP), Wolf Cousins, Warner/Chappell Music Scandinavia (STIM) and MXM (ASCAP) — administered by Kobalt (ASCAP)
Personnel[]
- Ariana Grande – vocals, songwriting, vocal production
- Ilya – songwriting, production, backing vocals, keyboards, bass, drums, guitar, programming
- Savan Kotecha – songwriting
- Peter Svensson – songwriting
- Max Martin – keyboards
- Sam Holland – recording
- Noah Passovoy – recording
- Cory Bice – recording engineer assistance
- Jeremy Lertola – recording engineer assistance
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- John Hanes – mixing assistance
- Randy Merrill – mastering
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
|
Year-end charts[]
|
Certifications[]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[86] | Platinum | 70,000![]() |
Canada (Music Canada)[87] | 3× Platinum | 240,000![]() |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[88] | Gold | 45,000![]() |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[89] | Gold | 15,000![]() |
Norway (IFPI Norway)[90] | Gold | 30,000![]() |
Portugal (AFP)[91] | Gold | 5,000![]() |
United Kingdom (BPI)[92] | Platinum | 600,000![]() |
|
Release history[]
Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | September 18, 2018 | Contemporary hit radio | Republic | [93] |
Italy | September 21, 2018 | Universal | [94] | |
United States | September 24, 2018 | Hot adult contemporary | Republic | [95] |
See also[]
- List of number-one dance singles of 2018 (U.S.)
References[]
- ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases - Mainstream Hit Songs Being Released and Their Release Dates". All Access. September 18, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-09-18. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Sweetener (CD). Ariana Grande. Republic Records. 2018. p. 5. B0028815-02.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ "Ariana Grande teases new music: 'no tears left to cry'". BBC. April 18, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Ariana Grande's 'No Tears Left To Cry' Video Pays Tribute To Manchester". Paper. April 20, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Premature Evaluation: Ariana Grande Sweetener". Stereogum. August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ Bradley, Nina (August 17, 2018). "Ariana Grande's New Song "Breathin" is About Her Anxiety & Fans are Loving the Singer's Openness". Bustle. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
Upon its release, Arinators were quick to pick up on the R&B song's meaning
- ^ "Sweetner by Ariana Grande". iTunes Store. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Ariana Grande "Breathin" Sheet Music in F minor (transposable)". Musicnotes.com. Universal Music Publishing Group. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (August 16, 2018). "Ariana Grande Predicted She Would Marry Pete Davidson Three Years Ago". YouTube. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Ariana Grande, Sweetener". Pitchfork. August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Album Review: Ariana Grande's 'Sweetener'". Variety. August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Review: Ariana Grande Finds Serenity and Has Some Fun on 'Sweetener'". Rolling Stone. August 20, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "6 Reasons Ariana Grande's 'Sweetener' Is Her Most Uplifting Album Yet". Billboard. August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Ariana Grande, Sweetener review: A portrait of an artist in flux". The Independent. August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ Anderson, Trevor (August 27, 2018). "Drake's 'In My Feelings' Leads Billboard Hot 100 for Seventh Week, Ariana Grande's 'God Is A Woman' Hits Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ Zellner, Xander (August 27, 2018). "Ariana Grande Earns 10th Top 10 Hit, Lands 10 Songs on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ "Scooter Braun on Twitter". September 17, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ^ "Pop Songs: September 18, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
- ^ "Pop Songs: September 29, 2018". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Ariana Grande Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- ^ Brandle, Lars (August 27, 2018). "Ariana Grande's 'Sweetener' Tops Australia's Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ Sexton, Paul (August 24, 2018). "Ariana Grande's 'Sweetener' Hits the Sweet Spot Atop UK Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
- ^ @calm (March 17, 2021). "COMING FRIDAY: Your favorite songs from your favorite artists--reimagined for bedtime" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @calm (March 20, 2021). "Take a deep breath and fall asleep to an ethereal, ambient version of @arianagrande's "breathin"--only in our Sleep Remix Series" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Ariana Grande - Breathin (Live at Sweetener Sessions)". YouTube. August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ Brian Cantor (November 6, 2018). "Ariana Grande Will Perform "Breathin" and "Thank U, Next" On November 7 "Ellen DeGeneres Show"". Headline Planet. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
- ^ Grossman, Lena (October 10, 2018). "Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson's Pet Pig Piggy Smalls Just Made Its Glorious Music Video Debut". Eonline.com. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ^ Runtagh, Jordan (October 11, 2018). "Ariana Grande Is 'Feeling Better' After Break as She Releases New Music Video Starring Pet Pig". People.
- ^ Calfee, Bailey (October 11, 2018). "Ariana Grande Responds to Critics of the Sweetener Era". Nylon.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Billboard Argentina Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
- ^ "Australian-charts.com – Ariana Grande – Breathin". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Ariana Grande – Breathin" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Ariana Grande – Breathin" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Ariana Grande – Breathin" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
- ^ Ariana Grande — Breathin. Tophit. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "Croatia ARC TOP 100". HRT. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201834 into search. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ "Track Top-40 Uge 35, 2018". Hitlisten. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^ "Ariana Grande: Breathin" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ariana Grande – Breathin" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ "Greece Digital Songs – September 1, 2018". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2018.(subscription required)
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "TÓNLISTINN – Vika 31 – 2019; Plötutíðindi". Archived from the original on 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 34" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Year 2019, Week 29". Media Forest Israel. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). September 17, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
- ^ "The Official Lebanese Top 20 - Ariana Grande". The Official Lebanese Top 20. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 44, 2018" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ "Lijst van 17-11-2018 – Mega Top 50" (in Dutch). Mega Top 50. Archived from the original on 2020-02-20. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ariana Grande – Breathin" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single uke 34, 2018". VG-lista. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Ariana Grande – Breathin". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Serbia - Radio airplay chart (Settimana 8.2019)" (in Italian). RadioAirplay. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ "Singapore Top 30 Digital Streaming Chart – Week 46" (PDF). Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 22, 2018.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201834 into search. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ "Gaon Download Chart – Issue date: 2018.11.04 – 2018.11.10". Gaon Chart. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Ariana Grande – Breathin" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Ariana Grande – Breathin". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Ariana Grande – Breathin". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
- ^ "Ariana Grande Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2018" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
- ^ "JAARLIJST 2018" (in Dutch). Mega Top 50. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 200 Singles 2018" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- ^ "2019 International Singles Chart of Galgalatz and Walla". Walla. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- ^ "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 3000 Singles + EPs Digitais" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2019". Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2019". Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ "Dance Club Songs – Year-End 2019". Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ "Pop Songs – Year-End 2019". Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #500". auspOp. November 24, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Ariana Grande – Breathin". Music Canada. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "Danish single certifications – Ariana Grande – Breathin". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Ariana Grande – Breathin". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ "Norwegian single certifications – Ariana Grande – Breathin" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Ariana Grande – Breathin" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ "British single certifications – Ariana Grande – Breathin". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access Media Group. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ Corradini, Paola. "Ariana Grande - Breathin (Radio Date: 21-09-2018)" (in Italian). EarOne. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ^ "Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases". All Access Media Group. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- 2018 singles
- 2018 songs
- Ariana Grande songs
- Dance-pop songs
- Music videos directed by Hannah Lux Davis
- Number-one singles in Iceland
- Number-one singles in Israel
- Song recordings produced by Ilya Salmanzadeh
- Songs about diseases and disorders
- Songs written by Ariana Grande
- Songs written by Ilya Salmanzadeh
- Songs written by Peter Svensson
- Songs written by Savan Kotecha
- Republic Records singles