Unbroken (Stan Walker song)
Encyclopedia
"Unbroken" is a song performed by Australian recording artist Stan Walker
. Written and produced by OneRepublic
frontman Ryan Tedder
, the song was released by Sony Music Australia on 12 April 2010 as the lead single
from Walker's second album, From the Inside Out
. Walker felt privileged to record a song written by Tedder and complimented him, "He's the man, one of the best songwriters and producers in the world. I am so blessed." The piano
-based pop
ballad
received a mixed response from critics.
"Unbroken" was promoted by performances on Sunrise
and Hey Hey It's Saturday
and a Matthew Chuang-directed music video
, filmed in Melbourne
. The single peaked at number nine on the New Zealand Singles Chart and number twenty-three on the ARIA Singles Chart
, and lasted thirteen and seventeen weeks on the charts, respectively.
leader Ryan Tedder
, who was behind singles such as Beyoncé Knowles
' "Halo
" (2009) and Leona Lewis
' "Bleeding Love
" (2007). "Unbroken" was recorded at Artisan Studios in Birmingham, England, and Phil Tan
mixed the record at Soapbox Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
. Walker was honoured by the opportunity to record a piece of Tedder's work. Walker told the Daily Telegraph, "It is a privilege for me to record a song by the guy who wrote 'Halo' for Beyoncé and 'Bleeding Love' for Leona. He's the man, one of the best songwriters and producers in the world. I am so blessed." In an interview with MTV Australia
he said, "The song is so amazing. When I first heard the song I was like this is a beat song and then I read the lyrics and that's what won me over because it talks about my life, being nothing and being in pieces, but then becoming unbroken." "Unbroken" is a piano
-driven pop music
ballad
, and features a repetitive chorus
.
on 12 April 2010 in New Zealand, and was sent to Australian contemporary hit radio
the same day. A digital extended play
(EP) was released in several countries on 20 April 2010; it also contains an acoustic
version of "Black Box
" and an a capella version of "Unbroken". The Compact Disc single for "Unbroken" was released in Australia on 24 April 2010; it features an Israel
remix and the a capella version of the song.
"Unbroken" received mixed reviews from music critics. Scott Kara of The New Zealand Herald
called it "chest-beating and uplifting", while Allmusic's Jon O'Brien saw the song as very similar to Tedder's previous writings. "Unbroken" debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart
at number twenty-nine on 19 April 2010. The following week it jumped to number twelve, and moved into its peak position of number nine on 31 May 2010. "Unbroken" spent a total of thirteen weeks on the New Zealand Singles Chart, including two weeks in the top ten and nine weeks in the top twenty. On 1 August 2010 the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ) certified "Unbroken" gold, marking the sale of 7,500 copies in New Zealand. "Unbroken" entered the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
at number twenty-seven, before reaching its peak of number twenty-three in its fifth week. On 6 September 2010 the song fell out of the ARIA Singles Chart, having spent seventeen non-consecutive weeks on the chart. "Unbroken" was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA), which denotes the shipment of 35,000 units. It also spent twenty-four weeks on the ARIA Urban Singles Chart
, and peaked at number three.
for "Unbroken" was shot in Melbourne
, Australia
on 8 April 2010 and was directed by Matthew Chuang. It features Walker singing in various locations in Melbourne including Degraves Street
and Flinders Lane
. Walker said to MTV's Clippin that shooting the video in public made him feel embarrassed and he found it difficult not to laugh during its filming.
The video opens with the camera rotating around Walker at an intersection as he slowly raises his head, before he is shown walking down a shop-lined street. As the song begins, Walker starts singing in an empty narrow alleyway. Examples of broken people are shown, such as a girl being pushed around and teased before she plugs headphones into her ears, a man watching over a hospital patient, and individuals waiting for others to show up. Walker passes a bench of people reading newspapers with the respective headlines, "Attacked", "War", "When Will It End?" and "Act of Hate", while the final newspaper headline reads "Hope". At the end of the video the now-"unbroken" characters are shown to be content, and Walker makes his way down a darkened alley.
Walker performed "Unbroken" on Hey Hey It's Saturday
on 5 May 2010. He also performed the song on Sunrise
on 13 May 2010.
Stan Walker
Stan Walker , is an Australian recording artist and actor. In 2009, Walker was the winner on the seventh season of Australian Idol. He subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia....
. Written and produced by OneRepublic
OneRepublic
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
frontman Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
, the song was released by Sony Music Australia on 12 April 2010 as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from Walker's second album, From the Inside Out
From the Inside Out
From the Inside Out is the second studio album by Australian recording artist Stan Walker, released on 20 August 2010 through Sony Music Australia. Walker worked with several record producers and songwriters for the album, including Audius Mtawarira, Israel Cruz, Ryan Tedder, Phil Tan and Stuart...
. Walker felt privileged to record a song written by Tedder and complimented him, "He's the man, one of the best songwriters and producers in the world. I am so blessed." The piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
-based pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
received a mixed response from critics.
"Unbroken" was promoted by performances on Sunrise
Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
and Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
and a Matthew Chuang-directed music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, filmed in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. The single peaked at number nine on the New Zealand Singles Chart and number twenty-three on the ARIA Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, and lasted thirteen and seventeen weeks on the charts, respectively.
Background and composition
"Unbroken" was written and produced by OneRepublicOneRepublic
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
leader Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
, who was behind singles such as Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
' "Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...
" (2009) and Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
' "Bleeding Love
Bleeding Love
"Bleeding Love" is a pop/R&B ballad co-written by Jesse McCartney and Ryan Tedder and produced by Tedder for British singer Leona Lewis's debut album, Spirit. The song is the album's lead single , released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in October 2007...
" (2007). "Unbroken" was recorded at Artisan Studios in Birmingham, England, and Phil Tan
Phil Tan
Phil Tan is an Atlanta, GA-based music/audio engineer.He is a 3-time Grammy Award recipient, as mixing engineer for Mariah Carey's "The Emancipation of Mimi" , Ludacris' "Release Therapy" and Rihanna's "Only Girl " .Among the artists on Tan's list of credits: Jill Scott, Jennifer...
mixed the record at Soapbox Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Walker was honoured by the opportunity to record a piece of Tedder's work. Walker told the Daily Telegraph, "It is a privilege for me to record a song by the guy who wrote 'Halo' for Beyoncé and 'Bleeding Love' for Leona. He's the man, one of the best songwriters and producers in the world. I am so blessed." In an interview with MTV Australia
MTV Australia
MTV Australia is 24 hour general entertainment channel specialising in music and youth culture programming which serves Australia and New Zealand. It is operated by Viacom International Media Networks Australia owned by Viacom and primarily features imported shows as well as locally produced...
he said, "The song is so amazing. When I first heard the song I was like this is a beat song and then I read the lyrics and that's what won me over because it talks about my life, being nothing and being in pieces, but then becoming unbroken." "Unbroken" is a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
-driven pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, and features a repetitive chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
.
Release and reception
"Unbroken" was released as a one-track digital downloadMusic download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on 12 April 2010 in New Zealand, and was sent to Australian contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
the same day. A digital extended play
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...
(EP) was released in several countries on 20 April 2010; it also contains an acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
version of "Black Box
Black Box (song)
"Black Box" is the debut single by season seven winner of Australian Idol, Stan Walker. It was released digitally on 22 November 2009, as the lead single from his debut studio album, Introducing.....
" and an a capella version of "Unbroken". The Compact Disc single for "Unbroken" was released in Australia on 24 April 2010; it features an Israel
Israel (singer)
Israel Cruz is an Australian singer-songwriter and record producer.-Albums:-Singles:- Songwriting credits :*Elen Levon**"Naughty" *Jessica Mauboy**"Been Waiting" **"What Happened to Us"...
remix and the a capella version of the song.
"Unbroken" received mixed reviews from music critics. Scott Kara of The New Zealand Herald
The New Zealand Herald
- External links :* * *...
called it "chest-beating and uplifting", while Allmusic's Jon O'Brien saw the song as very similar to Tedder's previous writings. "Unbroken" debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
at number twenty-nine on 19 April 2010. The following week it jumped to number twelve, and moved into its peak position of number nine on 31 May 2010. "Unbroken" spent a total of thirteen weeks on the New Zealand Singles Chart, including two weeks in the top ten and nine weeks in the top twenty. On 1 August 2010 the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ) certified "Unbroken" gold, marking the sale of 7,500 copies in New Zealand. "Unbroken" entered the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
at number twenty-seven, before reaching its peak of number twenty-three in its fifth week. On 6 September 2010 the song fell out of the ARIA Singles Chart, having spent seventeen non-consecutive weeks on the chart. "Unbroken" was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA), which denotes the shipment of 35,000 units. It also spent twenty-four weeks on the ARIA Urban Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, and peaked at number three.
Music video and live performances
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Unbroken" was shot in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on 8 April 2010 and was directed by Matthew Chuang. It features Walker singing in various locations in Melbourne including Degraves Street
Degraves Street, Melbourne
Degraves Street is a street in Melbourne, Victoria. It is named after Charles and William Degraves, pioneer merchants who settled in Melbourne from Hobart, Tasmania in 1849...
and Flinders Lane
Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Flinders Lane is a minor street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The street runs parallel to and to the north of Flinders Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the name of the wider main street...
. Walker said to MTV's Clippin that shooting the video in public made him feel embarrassed and he found it difficult not to laugh during its filming.
The video opens with the camera rotating around Walker at an intersection as he slowly raises his head, before he is shown walking down a shop-lined street. As the song begins, Walker starts singing in an empty narrow alleyway. Examples of broken people are shown, such as a girl being pushed around and teased before she plugs headphones into her ears, a man watching over a hospital patient, and individuals waiting for others to show up. Walker passes a bench of people reading newspapers with the respective headlines, "Attacked", "War", "When Will It End?" and "Act of Hate", while the final newspaper headline reads "Hope". At the end of the video the now-"unbroken" characters are shown to be content, and Walker makes his way down a darkened alley.
Walker performed "Unbroken" on Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
on 5 May 2010. He also performed the song on Sunrise
Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
on 13 May 2010.
Weekly charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
23 |
| ARIA Urban Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
7 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
9 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Artists Singles Chart | 21 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
Track listing
- CD single
- "Unbroken" – 4:34
- "Unbroken" (IsraelIsrael (singer)Israel Cruz is an Australian singer-songwriter and record producer.-Albums:-Singles:- Songwriting credits :*Elen Levon**"Naughty" *Jessica Mauboy**"Been Waiting" **"What Happened to Us"...
remix) – 3:46 - "Unbroken" (Acapella) – 4:18
- Digital EP
- "Unbroken" – 4:34
- "Black BoxBlack Box (song)"Black Box" is the debut single by season seven winner of Australian Idol, Stan Walker. It was released digitally on 22 November 2009, as the lead single from his debut studio album, Introducing.....
" (acousticAcoustic musicAcoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
) – 3:28 - "Unbroken" (Acapella) – 4:18
Personnel
- Marcus Byrne – assistant engineering
- Stuart Crichton – vocal production
- Damien Lewis – assistant mixing
- Phil TanPhil TanPhil Tan is an Atlanta, GA-based music/audio engineer.He is a 3-time Grammy Award recipient, as mixing engineer for Mariah Carey's "The Emancipation of Mimi" , Ludacris' "Release Therapy" and Rihanna's "Only Girl " .Among the artists on Tan's list of credits: Jill Scott, Jennifer...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Ryan TedderRyan TedderRyan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
– writingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
and arrangementArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
progamming, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Source:
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 12 April 2010 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Sony Music Australia |
| Australia | 20 April 2010 | ||
| Belgium | |||
| Canada | |||
| Denmark | |||
| Finland | |||
| France | |||
| Germany | |||
| Great Britain | |||
| Ireland | |||
| New Zealand | |||
| Norway | |||
| Portugal | |||
| Sweden | |||
| Australia | 24 April 2010 | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |