Break My Heart

Lore & Background

The song was written, tracked, and produced in one night at Watt's studio. The session started with all writers staring at a "disco" sign, and Watt broke the ice by playing Lipa a simple guitar riff he'd recorded on his phone. Lipa initially thought it wasn't for her, but after playing him half of her *Future Nostalgia* album, they began with the melody. Watt played a bass lick inspired by "funky music," which Lipa loved, and they synchronized the hook with the bass line. While listening back, they noticed a similarity to INXS's "Need You Tonight" and credited Farriss and Hutchence to avoid legal issues. Lipa admired how this "brought nostalgia even more to the forefront" of the album. Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers overdubbed live drums at the end of the session, adding a disco-funk feel over the existing programmed drum machine part.

In Their Own Story

The music video, directed by Henry Scholfield and filmed in Bulgaria, premiered on 26 March 2020. It features 1990s-influenced slide clips showing Lipa in numerous situations, going from vulnerable to empowered after she falls for someone pulling away. Scenes include running through a traffic-jammed block, dancing in a club, and dancing on the end of a broken plane. Critics praised the video's high quality and use of colour, and it won Best Pop Video at the 2020 UK Music Video Awards. Lipa performed the song on *The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon*, *Big Brother Brasil 20*, and *Graduate Together*, among other occasions.

Reader's Guide

Commercially, "Break My Heart" reached the top ten in twenty-one countries, including number one in Israel and number six on the UK Singles Chart. It peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song is certified platinum or higher in ten countries, including double diamond in Brazil, diamond in France, double platinum in Australia, and platinum in the UK. It received numerous award nominations, including Song of the Summer at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards and Song of the Year at the 46th People's Choice Awards. Several remixes by Jax Jones, Joris Voorn, and Moon Boots were also released.

Did You Know?

• The song was written, tracked, and produced in a single night.
• Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers played live drums on the track, overdubbing over a programmed drum machine part.
• The guitar riff interpolates INXS's 1987 song "Need You Tonight," leading to writing credits for Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence.
• The music video was filmed in Bulgaria and won Best Pop Video at the 2020 UK Music Video Awards.
• The song was released two days before the *Future Nostalgia* album after the album leaked online.