Break Up (album)

For other uses, see Break Up.
Break Up
Studio album by Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
Released September 15, 2009
Recorded 2006-2009
Genre Pop, folk, alternative
Length 28:55
Label Atco/Rhino
Producer Sunny Levine
Scarlett Johansson chronology
Anywhere I Lay My Head
(2008)
Break Up
(2009)
Pete Yorn chronology
Back and Fourth
(2009)
Break Up
(2009)
Pete Yorn
(2010)

Break Up is a collaborative album between Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson. The first single, "Relator" was released as a digital download on May 25, 2009. The full album was released by Atco/Rhino on September 15, 2009. Pete's brother Rick Yorn is Scarlett's manager.[1]

Production

The album was recorded in 2006, thus preceding several albums that Yorn and Johansson have released as solo artists.[2] Johansson completed her vocals for the project in two afternoon sessions.[3]

Yorn said that the concept for the album was realized in a dream he had. The project was inspired by Serge Gainsbourg's 1967 and 1968 albums with Brigitte Bardot.[4]

Johansson spoke about the project at the time of the "Relator" single release; "The idea of two people vocalizing their relationship through duets...I always thought of it as just a small project between friends. It perfectly captured where I was in my life at the time".[5]

Promotion

During 2009, Yorn stated that he would like to do some live shows with Johansson to promote the album. By September 10 that year, Johansson and Yorn performed "Relator" on the French television show Le Grand Journal. It was Johansson's first live performance on television.

The duo were then interviewed by KCRW on October 7; they talked about past, present and future projects, and performed the single "Relator" along with "Blackie's Dead", "Search Your Heart", "Shampoo" and a cover of The Kinks' "Stop Your Sobbing". They also stated that they would like to tour, but because the short time the songs give them to perform (around 29 minutes), they would like to turn the concert into a dinner if there's the demand for them to tour.[6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. ClubC+[7]
Allmusic[8]
BBC(average)[9]
CHARTattack[10]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[11]
The Independent(positive)[12]
Now Magazine[13]
Paste(positive)[14]
Pitchfork Media(4.7/10)[15]
Rolling Stone[16]

The album was rated a 52/100 among professional music critics on Metacritic, indicating mixed or average reviews.[17]

Formats and track listings

Standard edition

All songs written and composed by Pete Yorn, except where noted. 

No. Title Length
1. "Relator"   2:33
2. "Wear and Tear"   3:22
3. "I Don't Know What to Do"   3:29
4. "Search Your Heart"   3:01
5. "Blackie's Dead"   2:37
6. "I Am the Cosmos" (Chris Bell) 2:47
7. "Shampoo"   3:05
8. "Clean"   3:48
9. "Someday"   4:17
Amazon exclusive bonus tracks[18]
No. Title Length
10. "Blackie's Dead [Demo]"   2:03

French special edition

CD 2 includes live versions recorded at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles on October 7, 2009. Originally broadcast on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic with Jason Bentley. This CD was launched like the "Live At KCRW.Com EP" on Amazon.com, and after included in "Break Up (Deluxe Edition)".

This enhanced CD also includes Relator video.

No. Title Length
1. "Relator"   2:36
2. "Blackie's Dead"   2:38
3. "I Don't Know What to Do"   3:30
4. "Search Your Heart"   3:03
5. "Shampoo"   3:08
6. "Stop Your Sobbin'"   2:38
7. "Relator" (video) 2:33

Personnel

Sales chart performance

Album
Chart (2009) Peak
Position
French Albums Chart 18
The Billboard 200 41
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia) 45
Swiss Albums Chart 58
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders) 78
UK Albums Chart[19] 160
Singles
Year Single Chart Peak Position
2009 "Relator" Swiss Singles Chart #57
2009 "Relator" Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia) #10
2009 "Relator" UK Singles Chart[19] #189

References

  1. Shprintz, Janet (16 October 2006). "Pact mentality". Variety.
  2. "Scarlett Johansson, Pete Yorn album on the way". NME. 23 May 2009.
  3. Gundersen, Edna (21 May 2009). "Listen as Yorn, Johansson 'Break Up'". USA Today.
  4. Michaels, Sean (26 May 2009). "Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn to Break Up". The Guardian.
  5. Heldman, Breanne L. (26 May 2009) "Scarlett Johansson's New Hookup: Pete Yorn". E! (eonline.com).
  6. "Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn". Morning Becomes Eclectic. KCRW. 7 October 2009.
  7. Martins, Chris (September 15, 2009). "Break Up". A.V. Club.
  8. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Break Up (album) at AllMusic. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  9. Diver, Mike (September 16, 2009). "Break Up review". BBC Music.
  10. "Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson – Break Up". ChartAttack. 5 October 2009. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011.
  11. Greenblatt, Leah (September 2, 2009). "Break Up (2009)". Entertainment Weekly.
  12. Price, Simon (6 September 2009). "Album: Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson, Break Up (Atco/Rhino)". The Independent.
  13. Gillis, Carla (23–30 September 2009). "Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson". NOW 29 (4).
  14. Labate, Steve (11 September 2009). "Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson: Break Up". Paste.
  15. Hogan, Marc (11 September 2009). "Scarlett Johansson / Pete Yorn: Break Up". Pitchfork.
  16. Maerz, Melissa (8 September 2009). "Pete Yorn: Break Up". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009.
  17. "Break Up - Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  18. "Break Up (Amazon Exclusive) Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson". Amazon.com. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  19. 1 2 "Chart Log UK – 2009". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 17 May 2013.

External links

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