Dancing with a Broken Heart explained

Dancing with a Broken Heart
Cover:Delta Goodrem - Dancing with a Broken Heart.png
Type:single
Artist:Delta Goodrem
Album:Child of the Universe
B-Side:Waiting for Forever
Recorded:2011–2012
Genre:Synthpop
Length: (single version)
(album remix)
Label:Sony
Producer:John Shanks
Chronology:Delta Goodrem
Prev Title:Sitting on Top of the World
Prev Year:2012
Next Title:Wish You Were Here
Next Year:2012

"Dancing with a Broken Heart" is a song by Australian singer–songwriter Delta Goodrem. It was sent to Australian radio on 26 July 2012 and was released physically and digitally on 10 August 2012. The song is the second single released from Goodrem's fourth studio album Child of the Universe, on which it appears slightly remixed. It debuted on the ARIA Charts at number 15, but only stayed in the top 50 for three weeks. It received mixed to positive reviews.

Background and composition

"Dancing with a Broken Heart" was released three months after Goodrem had major success with "Sitting on Top of the World". The song is about evolving after removing yourself for a bad situation, for your soul or spirit, making a big move, in leaving it, and becoming a better person from the experience, like in the lyrics "I'm gonna bury all the past just six feet under, under/I'm gonna make a storm from lightning and thunder, thunder/I won't let dogs lie in the peace and quiet/Moving on to another time." The song was written by Goodrem and Vince Pizzinga, and produced by John Shanks. The song has heavy EDM guitar elements and is very pop.[1]

Promotion

Live performances

Goodrem performed the song live on the Today show on 22 August 2012. She also did two instore performances to promote the single. The first was in Adelaide on 10 August and one in Perth on 12 August with crowds of over 3,000 people at both. Goodrem appeared on many radio stations around the country and on some occasions performing Dancing with a Broken Heart.

Music video

The video (directed by Hannah Lux Davis) was released on 17 August 2012. The video features people who have had situations that are heartbreaking which include an Olympian whose heart is broken because of an injury, parents who have lost their child and a marriage proposal which fell through. It also features Goodrem dancing around on different backdrops and singing to the camera, including dancing in water under the stars with a Mythology element of the Goddess "Hecate". There are also moments in the music video devoted to the fact that she is an artist and heals people through "Touching" them with her art.

Track listings

  1. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" – 3:52
  1. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" – 3:52
  2. "Waiting for Forever" – 3:37
  3. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (Acoustic) – 3:57

Release history

CountryDateLabelFormat
Australia26 July 2012Sony Music AustraliaAirplay
10 August 2012CD single, digital download
New ZealandDigital download

Steps version

Dancing with a Broken Heart
Cover:Steps - Dancing with a Broken Heart (Official Single Cover).jpg
Alt:Five people stand side by side
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:Steps
Album:Tears on the Dancefloor

Crying at the Disco

Genre:Disco
Producer:The Alias
Prev Title:Neon Blue
Prev Year:2017
Next Title:What the Future Holds
Next Year:2020

British group Steps recorded a cover of "Dancing with a Broken Heart" for , the re-release of their fifth studio album Tears on the Dancefloor (2017). Originally performed by Delta Goodrem and co-written by Goodrem, Vince Pizzinga and John Shanks, it was produced for Steps by The Alias. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" was released as the first single from the re-issue and the fourth single overall from the two albums.

Background and release

Following their reunion performance at G-A-Y on New Year's Eve of 2016 to celebrate their twentieth anniversary,[2] Steps announced that their fifth studio album Tears on the Dancefloor would be released in April 2017 and its supporting concert tour, the Party on the Dancefloor Tour, would take place in November and December later that year.[3] The album, which peaked at number-two on the UK Albums Chart and number-one on the UK Independent Albums Chart,[4] [5] generated three singles: "Scared of the Dark", "Story of a Heart" and "Neon Blue".[6] On 18 September 2017, Steps announced that the album, titled , would be reissued on 27 October with five new songs, as well as three previously unreleased remixes for "Happy", "Glitter & Gold" and "I Will Love Again" from the original track listing.[7] The following day, the group announced that "Dancing with a Broken Heart", a cover originally performed by Australian singer and songwriter Delta Goodrem, would be released as the lead single from the reissue.[6] [7]

In an interview with Rob Copsey for the Official Charts Company, band member Faye Tozer revealed that some of the new songs had originally been recorded for Tears on the Dancefloor but were ultimately not included, but confirmed "Dancing with a Broken Heart" had been chosen and recorded specifically for Tears on the Dancefloor: Crying at the Disco.[8] She went on to say that the song stood out for her personally and felt that it, along with the other deluxe material, felt "cooler" than the original track listing.[8]

Originally co-written by Goodrem, Vince Pizzinga and John Shanks and produced for Steps by The Alias, "Dancing with a Broken Heart" appears as the first song on the track listing of the reissue, while a radio mix produced by 7th Heaven is included as the seventeenth song on the digital bonus track edition of the album.[9] Steps premiered the song on BBC Radio 2's The Ken Bruce Show on 19 September 2017, the day after the reissue was announced, and it was released that day.[6] [7] [10] On 6 October 2017, a five-track EP containing the video mix, a radio mix and club mix by 7th Heaven and a radio mix and club mix by Nathan Jain was released.

Composition

The first song on the track list of the reissued album, "Dancing with a Broken Heart" lasts for a duration of three minutes and 29 seconds. Steps' cover of the song is inspired by disco and differs musically to the original dance performed by Goodrem.[6] The majority of the vocals are sung by the members Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Lisa Scott-Lee and Ian "H" Watkins over a "dazzling production", while Lee Latchford-Evans sings what Lucas Villa of AXS described as a "Daft Punk-like moment" during the latter half of the song.[6] It's noted for its similarities to their 2000 single Deeper Shade of Blue, with its official music video again showing a darker side to the band.

Critical reception

AXS writer Lucas Villa praised the band's cover of "Dancing with a Broken Heart" for "[bringing] the melodrama and haunting melodies to the dance floor," and added that the female members "charge of their heartache and channel it into passionate performances."[6]

Formats and track listings

Digital download – Tears on the Dancefloor: Crying at the Disco[11]

  1. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" – 3:29
  1. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (7th Heaven Radio Mix) – 3:29

Dancing with a Broken Heart (Remixes) – EP[12]

  1. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (Video Mix) – 3:37
  2. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (7th Heaven Radio Edit) – 3:28
  3. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (Nathan Jain Radio Edit) – 2:33
  4. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (7th Heaven Club Mix) – 5:52
  5. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (Nathan Jain Club Mix) – 3:36

Tears on the Dancefloor – The Singles Collection (4-CD Box Set)[13]

Dancing with a Broken Heart

  1. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" – 3.29
  2. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (Video Mix) – 3.37
  3. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (7th Heaven Club Mix) – 5.53
  4. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (7th Heaven Radio Mix) – 3.29
  5. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (Nathan Jain Club Mix) – 3.37
  6. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (Nathan Jain Radio Edit) – 2.33
  7. "Dancing with a Broken Heart" (Nathan Jain Dub) – 3.45
  8. "Space Between Us" (Club Junkies Radio Mix)
  9. "Space Between Us" (Club Junkies Club Mix)
  10. "Beautiful Battlefield" (Gordon Pogoda Dance Remix)

Personnel

Charts

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Delta Goodrem Dances the Pain Away on Flaw-Free New Single, "Dancing with a Broken Heart". 27 July 2012.
  2. Web site: Copsey. Robert. Steps are reuniting for a New Year's Eve gig to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Official Charts Company. 28 November 2016. 8 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170308234651/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/steps-are-reuniting-for-a-new-years-eve-gig-to-celebrate-their-20th-anniversary__17247/. 8 March 2017. live.
  3. Web site: White. Jack. Steps announce comeback album Tears on the Dancefloor to commemorate their 20th anniversary. Official Charts Company. 6 March 2017. 8 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170308234655/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/steps-announce-comeback-album-tears-on-the-dancefloor-to-commemorate-their-20th-anniversary__18407/. 8 March 2017. live.
  4. Web site: Official Albums Chart Top 100 28 April 2017 - 04 May 2017. Official Charts Company. 28 April 2017. 19 September 2017.
  5. Web site: Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50. Official Charts Company. 28 April 2017. 19 September 2017.
  6. Web site: Villa. Lucas. Listen: Steps takes on Delta Goodrem's 'Dancing With a Broken Heart'. AXS. 20 September 2017. 27 September 2017.
  7. Web site: Copsey. Rob. Steps to re-release their latest album Tears On The Dancefloor with five new songs. Official Charts Company. 18 September 2017. 19 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170919154138/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/steps-to-re-release-their-latest-album-tears-on-the-dancefloor-with-five-new-songs__20450/. live. 19 September 2017.
  8. Web site: Copsey. Rob. Steps Faye Tozer interview: 'Another Steps album? None of us are against it'. Official Charts Company. 20 October 2017. 28 October 2017.
  9. Web site: Anderton. Joe. Steps set to release 5 brand new tracks on their revamped album. Digital Spy. 18 September 2017. 19 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170920043823/http://www.digitalspy.com/music/news/a838414/steps-tears-on-the-dancefloor-deluxe-edition-new-tracks/. live. 20 September 2017.
  10. Web site: O'Sullivan. Kyle. Gibb. Jessica. Steps announce brand new single and deluxe version of their album after selling out 20th anniversary tour. The Mirror. 18 September 2017. 30 October 2017.
  11. Web site: Tears On the Dancefloor (Crying At the Disco Deluxe Edition). iTunes Store. 18 September 2017.
  12. Web site: Dancing with a Broken Heart (Remixes) - EP. iTunes Store. 6 October 2017. 28 October 2017.
  13. Web site: Steps - Tears on the Dancefloor: The Singles Collection (4-CD Box Set) [Signed]]. Steps. 2018-07-20.