Break It Off (PinkPantheress song) explained

Break It Off
Cover:Break It Off Pink Pantheress song.png
Type:single
Artist:PinkPantheress
Album:To Hell with It
Released:4 June 2021
Genre:
Length:1:35
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:Just a Waste
Prev Year:2021
Next Title:Pain
Next Year:2021

"Break It Off" is a song by English singer-songwriter PinkPantheress. It was officially released on 4 June 2021 through Elektra and Parlophone Records, as the lead single from her debut mixtape To Hell with It. An uptempo drum and bass and experimental pop song about heartbreak, it was written and produced by PinkPantheress and Adam F, and samples F's song "Circles". A snippet of the song went viral on TikTok, and it subsequently peaked at number 74 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 30 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. A visualizer for the song was directed by Malt Disney and released on 21 June 2021.

Background and composition

"Break It Off" is an uptempo,[1] "heartbreak-infused" drum and bass[2] and experimental pop song with "sugary" vocals[3] from PinkPantheress, who wrote and produced the song while she was at university,[4] [5] which samples the drum and bass song "Circles" by English DJ Adam F.[6] DIYs Chris Taylor described it as "a tale of late-night yearning", and Steffanee Wang of Nylon called it "a dizzying mix of breakbeats and edgy pop elements".[7] [8] After PinkPantheress posted a clip of the song to TikTok in March, it went viral and was used in over 500,000 videos on the platform.

Reception and commercial performance

David Renshaw of The Fader called "Break It Off" "an algorithm-breaking bolt from the blue, destined to be played on repeat throughout the summer months". Douglas Greenwood of i-D called the song an "earworm" while Complexs Seamus Fay described it as a "fast-paced, oddball single". Stereogums Chris DeVille described the song as a "playfully flirtatious melodic flutter", with Steffanee Wang of Nylon stated that it was "a great primer for the unpinnable vibe of [PinkPantheress's] vibe: simultaneously new and nostalgic."[9] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called the song "elegant in [its] own right" and wrote that it "encapsulate[s] the enthusiasm and thrill of listening to someone else's elegant song, one that rousts you from your shell and thrusts you into your own joy or sadness".[10]

"Break It Off" peaked at number 74 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 30 on Billboards Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.

Music video

A visualizer for "Break It Off", directed by Malt Disney, was released on 21 June 2021. The video uses footage of demolition, car crashes, and memes with "abstract" animations superimposed over it.[11] PinkPantheress called the visualizer a "doozy".

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Break It Off"! Chart (2021)! Peak
position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[12] 30

Year-end charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[13] 78

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gardner . Alex . Moore . Jacob . Gaffney . Greg . Fay . Seamus . Best New Artists . . 17 August 2021 . en . 27 April 2021.
  2. Web site: Chiew . Isaac . Soo . JX . NME Radio Roundup 12 July 2021: Arlo Parks, Billie Eilish, Big Red Machine and more . . 17 August 2021 . en . 12 July 2021.
  3. Web site: Solomon . Kate . Album reviews: Finneas and PinkPantheress . . 17 October 2021 . en . 14 October 2021.
  4. Web site: PinkPantheress – Break It Off . Allmusic. 12 August 2021.
  5. Web site: Greenwood. Douglas. 21 June 2021. PinkPantheress is the musician dominating TikTok's DIY scene. 2021-08-13. i-D.
  6. Web site: Maicki . Salvatore . Darville . Jordan . D'Souza . Shaad . Renshaw . David . Elder . Sajae . 10 songs you need in your life this week . . 17 August 2021 . en . 24 June 2021.
  7. Web site: Taylor . Chris . PinkPantheress – To Hell With It . . 17 October 2021 . en . 15 October 2021.
  8. Web site: Wang . Steffanee . PinkPantheress Announced Her Debut Mixtape — And It Looks Spooky . . 17 October 2021 . en . 1 October 2021.
  9. Web site: DeVille . Chris . The PinkPantheress Debates Have Already Begun . . 17 October 2021 . en . 11 October 2021.
  10. Web site: Caramanica . Jon . PinkPantheress's Slivers of Dance-Pop Play With Memory Like a Toy . . 30 October 2021 . en . 19 October 2021.
  11. Web site: Kent-Smith . Jasmine . PinkPantheress releases video for TikTok hit 'Break It Off' . . 17 August 2021 . en . 21 June 2021.
  12. Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs. Billboard. 7 August 2021. 13 August 2021. subscription.
  13. Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2021. Billboard. 3 December 2021.