Harder to Breathe
Encyclopedia
"Harder to Breathe" is a song by the American rock
band Maroon 5
. The song was written by frontman Adam Levine
for the band's debut album Songs About Jane
(2002).
The song expresses tension, having been written quickly under trying circumstances. It tells the story about a former relationship Levine was involved in. "Harder to Breathe" was met with positive reception by music critics, who praised the track's sound. It was released in July 2002 as the lead single off Songs About Jane.
The song peaked at number six on Airplay Monitor. It also appeared on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart at number 31 and the Billboard Hot 100
at number 18. Internationally, the single charte at #13 in the United Kingdom
. "Harder to Breathe" also appeared in the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand charts, respectively. The song also appears in Maroon 5's 2004 EP
1.22.03.Acoustic
in an acoustic version and the live album Live – Friday the 13th (2005).
in August 2002, Maroon 5 vocalist Adam Levine
, when asked behind the development of "Harder to Breathe", admitted that the song describes the band's frustration with their label, A&M/Octone Records
, during the making of their debut album, Songs About Jane
. The band thought they had enough material for a release, but when the label told them to keep writing, Levine wrote this song in frustration at the pressure. "That song comes sheerly from wanting to throw something. It was the 11th hour, and the label wanted more songs. It was the last crack. I was just pissed. I wanted to make a record and the label was applying a lot of pressure, but I'm glad they did."
"Harder to Breathe" tells the story of a relationship Levine had with a woman named Jane, who, according to Levine was the "muse" in the band's album. MacKenzie Wilson of Allmusic described the song as a "soulful disposition". Meghan Bard of The Daily Campus
described the single featuring "a great up-tempo number with gritty guitar riffs and powerful vocals" from Levine. Bard noted that the theme in the song was about "recovering from heartbreak". Angus Batey of The Times
compared "Harder to Breathe" sounding as "Zeppelin
-esque".
' s Hot 100
. The song also appeared on Billboard' s Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in the number 31 position. Internationally, "Harder to Breathe" appeared in the UK Singles Chart
on January 31, 2004 in the number 13 spot. The song spent seven weeks on the chart, before retiring in the peak position of 60. The single appeared in the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand charts.
The song received positive reception from critics. In the Rolling Stone review of the album, critic Christian Hoard noted that "Harder to Breathe" is a "strong single" from the band. C. Spencer Beggs of The Observer wrote: "The two singles ['Harder to Breathe' and 'This Love'] are the most poppy on the album, showing off Maroon 5's characteristic clean, crisp and upbeat sound." Sam Beresky of the Daily Lobo
, who was less enthusiastic about the album, complimented Maroon 5 on "Harder to Breathe", in which he said, "The song is enjoyable. There are some aspects of mellow, soulful rockers like Train, John Mayer — maybe even a little Stevie Wonder or Jamiroquai. The track has a good rock meets R&B sound and is predictable enough to get radio play."
In October 2003, Levine told USA Today
, regarding the success of the song, "I didn't love or hate the song, and I didn't care if it got on the album. We have a lot of pop songs on our record, and the idea was to start out with something different. Why come out of the gate with another pop song by another pop band?" The following year, the band released an EP
entitled 1.22.03.Acoustic
(2004), which features "Harder to Breathe" in an acoustic version. In 2005, Maroon 5 released a live album, Live – Friday the 13th, which features the song performed live.
, who later worked with the band for their 2008 video "Goodnight Goodnight
". The video debuted on August 19, 2002.
The video is centered around Maroon 5 playing in a dimly-lit house/factory. Throughout the course of the video, items such as darts on a dart board, candles, pictures, and even members of the band with their instruments are shown fading in and out. Towards the end of the video, Adam Levine is seen walking through a narrow corridor dragging a guitar with pictures on both sides of the wall fading in and out. When he reaches the end of the corridor, he is face to face with a wall with a small light coming out of it and then flings his guitar backwards and then pounds on the wall. The camera then quickly moves to a scene of the band playing and the lights suddenly flickering on.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
. The song was written by frontman Adam Levine
Adam Levine
Adam Noah Levine is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the front man and guitarist for the pop rock band Maroon 5. He is also a coach on the American talent show The Voice.-Early life:...
for the band's debut album Songs About Jane
Songs about Jane
Songs About Jane is the debut album of American pop rock band Maroon 5, released June 25, 2002 on J Records and Octone Records. The album became a sleeper hit with help of five singles that attained chart success, including the Billboard hit "Harder to Breathe" and international hits "This Love"...
(2002).
The song expresses tension, having been written quickly under trying circumstances. It tells the story about a former relationship Levine was involved in. "Harder to Breathe" was met with positive reception by music critics, who praised the track's sound. It was released in July 2002 as the lead single off Songs About Jane.
The song peaked at number six on Airplay Monitor. It also appeared on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart at number 31 and the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number 18. Internationally, the single charte at #13 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. "Harder to Breathe" also appeared in the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand charts, respectively. The song also appears in Maroon 5's 2004 EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
1.22.03.Acoustic
1.22.03.Acoustic
-Critical reception:Giving the EP a C grade, Entertainment Weekly said that "Maroon 5 cement their reputation as kings of the new faceless pop," adding, "Adam Levine...sounds more grating than usual without the much-needed studio gloss."...
in an acoustic version and the live album Live – Friday the 13th (2005).
Background
In an interview with MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
in August 2002, Maroon 5 vocalist Adam Levine
Adam Levine
Adam Noah Levine is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the front man and guitarist for the pop rock band Maroon 5. He is also a coach on the American talent show The Voice.-Early life:...
, when asked behind the development of "Harder to Breathe", admitted that the song describes the band's frustration with their label, A&M/Octone Records
A&M/Octone Records
A&M/Octone Records is an American record label and a joint venture between Universal Music Group and Octone Records, also known as OctoScope Music...
, during the making of their debut album, Songs About Jane
Songs about Jane
Songs About Jane is the debut album of American pop rock band Maroon 5, released June 25, 2002 on J Records and Octone Records. The album became a sleeper hit with help of five singles that attained chart success, including the Billboard hit "Harder to Breathe" and international hits "This Love"...
. The band thought they had enough material for a release, but when the label told them to keep writing, Levine wrote this song in frustration at the pressure. "That song comes sheerly from wanting to throw something. It was the 11th hour, and the label wanted more songs. It was the last crack. I was just pissed. I wanted to make a record and the label was applying a lot of pressure, but I'm glad they did."
"Harder to Breathe" tells the story of a relationship Levine had with a woman named Jane, who, according to Levine was the "muse" in the band's album. MacKenzie Wilson of Allmusic described the song as a "soulful disposition". Meghan Bard of The Daily Campus
The Daily Campus
The Daily Campus, founded in 1896, is a student-run newspaper at the University of Connecticut that has a circulation run of 8,000 copies weekdays during the school year and twice during the summer...
described the single featuring "a great up-tempo number with gritty guitar riffs and powerful vocals" from Levine. Bard noted that the theme in the song was about "recovering from heartbreak". Angus Batey of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
compared "Harder to Breathe" sounding as "Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
-esque".
Release and reception
Maroon 5 released "Harder to Breathe" in the United States in July 2002 as the lead single of their debut album. The single charted on Airplay Monitor in the number six position. It peaked at number 18 on BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The song also appeared on Billboard
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on January 31, 2004 in the number 13 spot. The song spent seven weeks on the chart, before retiring in the peak position of 60. The single appeared in the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand charts.
The song received positive reception from critics. In the Rolling Stone review of the album, critic Christian Hoard noted that "Harder to Breathe" is a "strong single" from the band. C. Spencer Beggs of The Observer wrote: "The two singles ['Harder to Breathe' and 'This Love'] are the most poppy on the album, showing off Maroon 5's characteristic clean, crisp and upbeat sound." Sam Beresky of the Daily Lobo
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
, who was less enthusiastic about the album, complimented Maroon 5 on "Harder to Breathe", in which he said, "The song is enjoyable. There are some aspects of mellow, soulful rockers like Train, John Mayer — maybe even a little Stevie Wonder or Jamiroquai. The track has a good rock meets R&B sound and is predictable enough to get radio play."
In October 2003, Levine told USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, regarding the success of the song, "I didn't love or hate the song, and I didn't care if it got on the album. We have a lot of pop songs on our record, and the idea was to start out with something different. Why come out of the gate with another pop song by another pop band?" The following year, the band released an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
entitled 1.22.03.Acoustic
1.22.03.Acoustic
-Critical reception:Giving the EP a C grade, Entertainment Weekly said that "Maroon 5 cement their reputation as kings of the new faceless pop," adding, "Adam Levine...sounds more grating than usual without the much-needed studio gloss."...
(2004), which features "Harder to Breathe" in an acoustic version. In 2005, Maroon 5 released a live album, Live – Friday the 13th, which features the song performed live.
Music video
The music video for "Harder to Breathe" was directed by Marc WebbMarc Webb
Marc Preston Webb is an American music video, short film and major motion picture director. He directed the 2009 romantic comedy-drama Days of Summer and is currently directing the 2012 Spider-Man reboot The Amazing Spider-Man.-Life and career:Webb was born in Bloomington, Indiana, the son of...
, who later worked with the band for their 2008 video "Goodnight Goodnight
Goodnight Goodnight (Maroon 5 song)
"Goodnight Goodnight" is a song by Maroon 5 from their second studio album It Won't Be Soon Before Long. It is the fifth single off the album and it received some airplay in Brazil and reached the top spot on the Hong Kong singles chart before its official release.It has been released as a promo CD...
". The video debuted on August 19, 2002.
The video is centered around Maroon 5 playing in a dimly-lit house/factory. Throughout the course of the video, items such as darts on a dart board, candles, pictures, and even members of the band with their instruments are shown fading in and out. Towards the end of the video, Adam Levine is seen walking through a narrow corridor dragging a guitar with pictures on both sides of the wall fading in and out. When he reaches the end of the corridor, he is face to face with a wall with a small light coming out of it and then flings his guitar backwards and then pounds on the wall. The camera then quickly moves to a scene of the band playing and the lights suddenly flickering on.
Chart performance
| Chart (2003/2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA International Recording Media Association The International Recording Media Association , previously known as the International Tape Association , is an international trade association dealing with every facet of recording, media and related industries... ) |
34 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... ) |
13 |