Breaking Point (Keri Hilson song)

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"Breaking Point"
Jerome Harmon
  • Keri Hilson
  • Timothy Clayton
    • Producer(s)
    Keri Hilson singles chronology
    "Got Your Back"
    (2010)     		"Breaking Point"
    (2010)     		"Pretty Girl Rock"
    (2010)

    "Breaking Point" is a song performed by American recording artist

    Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Hilson and Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, and produced by Timbaland with assistance from Harmon. According to Hilson, "Breaking Point" was inspired by women's experiences of tolerating too much from their partner and enduring their lies. The song is about a breaking point
    when a woman is tired of being neglected and exploited by her partner, whose many excuses are no longer accepted.

    "Breaking Point" is a mid-tempo

    bubbled under the Billboard Hot 100 at number 17. Bryan Barber
    directed the ballad's accompanying music video, which is primarily set at a beauty salon with Hilson and her girlfriends.

    Writing and inspiration

    "Breaking Point" was written by

    Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Keri Hilson and Timothy "Attitude" Clayton.[1] In an interview with Ian Drew of DailyFill, Hilson explained that inspiration for writing the song came from women's experiences, including "being lied to and tolerating too much" from their partner.[2] She elaborated on its theme during a radio interview, stating: "The song is about that breaking point that every woman gets to when the excuses given by boys are no longer accepted. If you're not man enough to step to the plate, then keep it moving."[3] The song shares its theme with "The Way You Love Me" as both songs are about "women coming to terms with what they need from a relationship".[4] The "powerful" meaning of the two songs was personal to Hilson and she hoped that it would have the same effect on listeners.[4] In an interview for WTAM
    , Hilson elaborated on "Breaking Point" and its theme:

    I'm a loyal woman, and a lot of girls are. That causes us sometimes to take [bullshit] a little more than we should. I think women needed to hear – obviously I'm speaking from personal experience and that of my close friends as well – but I think other women needed to hear that you can only take so much. Eventually you're gonna reach your breaking point.[5]

    Timbaland produced "Breaking Point" with assistance from Harmon. Chris Godbey

    mastered the song at Sterling Sound in New York City.[1]

    Composition

    "Breaking Point"
    A 22-second sample of "Breaking Point" featuring cooing backup vocals, organ chords and doo-wop beats.[6][7]
    Problems playing this file? See media help.

    "Breaking Point" is a mid-tempo R&B ballad[8][9] that features elements of pop and soul music.[10][6] Instrumentation is provided by a guitar,[11] kick drums,[6] an organ,[11] percussion[8] and a piano.[7] It is also backed by doo-wop beats, finger snaps and cooing backup vocals.[6][7] Lyrically, the song speaks of a woman's breaking point and Hilson "voices the frustration" of women who are being neglected and exploited by men.[12] In the chorus, she sings: "Every woman has a breaking point, y'all/ Hey, I know you know, some women can be lied to, cheated on and beat on/ Somebody know, hey, every woman has a breaking point, y'all."[12] According to Sara D. Anderson of AOL Radio, Hilson vocally incorporates an "improvisational gospel style.[13] MTV Buzzworthy writer Chris Ryan compared Hilson's vocals with Mary J. Blige's, particularly in Blige's cover of "I'm Going Down" (1995).[8] Halfway through "Breaking Point", Hilson talks about "the need for each woman to reclaim her life" in a spoken-word interlude, during which she mimics Blige, according to Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe.[14] Hilson phrases: "Now ladies, we really should be mad at ourselves, cause see, some women just tolerate too damn much. Huh!"[6]

    Release

    "Breaking Point" premiered on August 18, 2010, on the urban radio station V-103 in Atlanta.[3] It was selected as the album's lead single to showcase Hilson sans featured acts.[15] In an interview, Hilson elaborated on the decision: "Timbaland and Polow [da Don] knew that even though I've been known for club records, guest features and collaborations, I am a true R&B lover ... [We chose the song] for many reasons ... We knew it wouldn't grow as fast or even be as big a record as some of my past [singles] ... We wanted to showcase me by myself, feature-less, and we wanted to reveal that I can sing, and really connect with my music and my message. We felt that was the best introduction to No Boys Allowed."[15] Mosley Music Group and Interscope Records released the single via digital distribution in the United States on September 7, 2010.[16] It was later sent to urban adult contemporary radio on October 25, 2010,[17] while the album's second single, "Pretty Girl Rock", was classified for contemporary hit radio the same week.[18]

    Reception

    Critical reception

    Hilson performing in 2010

    "Breaking Point" received generally positive reviews from

    Why Don't You Love Me" (2010).[7] In his review of No Boys Allowed, Matthew Horton of BBC Music remarked that the slower songs "house some of the nicer touches".[20] Horton praised Timbaland's production throughout the album, particularly on "Breaking Point" due to its "En Vogue-y harmonies [and] oriental music box refrain".[20] Ben Ratliff of The New York Times regarded the song as "far better" than "Pretty Girl Rock",[6] and Los Angeles Times critic Margaret Wappler deemed it as "sticky and finessed".[21]

    Lauren Carter of Boston Herald recommended "Breaking Point" as downloadable,[22] and Neil Miller, Jr. of UR Chicago called it one of "the finest cuts of genuine R&B out there right now".[23] Chris Ryan of MTV Buzzworthy called the song "beautiful" and wrote, "While the music has all the squiggly, burping and buzzing percussion sound effects of your typical [Timbaland] track, it also has a lovely Prince-like melody."[8] The Guardian's Caroline Sullivan regarded it as "deceptively sugary [and] trilling" and commented that it "does observe that some women 'tolerate too damn much', but it's easily missed".[24] Karen Tye of The Advertiser was mixed and felt that Hilson "invokes" Knowles on "Breaking Point", writing that she "needs to work on establishing her own distinct voice".[9] Negative reviews came from Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone, who named it as one of the album's "failed attempts at pop crossover",[10] and IGN's Chad Grischow, who viewed the ballad as "fed-up".[11] Grischow criticized the production for "clumsily" attempting to mix Motown vocals with voice-box guitars and organs.[11]

    Chart performance

    In the United States, "Breaking Point" debuted at number 87 on the

    Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in the issue dated November 27, 2010.[29]

    Music video

    Parts of the video were filmed on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta.

    The accompanying

    BET's 106 & Park.[34] It was later made available for download on the iTunes Store on October 6, 2010, in the United States.[35]

    The video begins with Hilson lounging in her bed. Upset by her partner, she walks over to the closet and rips down all of his clothes. The video then cuts to Hilson sitting in a chair at a

    Idolator deemed it tiresome, calling it a "visual snoozefest".[31] He wrote, "[Hilson] goes to a salon, orders up Rihanna's Rated R haircut and sasses men who are wrongin' the ladies. Hey, girls—her love has a limit! But so does our patience for this [video]."[31]

    Track listing
    1. "Breaking Point" – 4:15

    Credits and personnel

    Recording
    • Recorded at
      The Record Plant
      , Hollywood, California
    Personnel

    Credits are adapted from the No Boys Allowed booklet.[1]

    Charts

    Chart (2010) Peak
    position
    US
    Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[29]
    		 17
    US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[27] 44

    Release history

    Country Date Format
    United States[16][17] September 7, 2010 Digital download
    October 25, 2010 Urban adult contemporary

    References

    1. ^ a b c No Boys Allowed (Compact Disc). Keri Hilson. European Union: Mosley Music Group, Interscope Records. 2010. p. 6. LC06406.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
    2. News Corporation
      . Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    3. ^ a b "Quick Hits: Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, MTV VMAs, Big Boi, Kings Of Leon, Soundgarden, Drake, Keri Hilson, John Legend & The Roots, Eric Clapton, The Ting Tings, NKOTB/Backstreet Boys, Lee DeWyze". FMQB. Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report / Mediaspan Online Services. August 19, 2010. Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    4. ^
      New York Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman
      . Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    5. Clear Channel Communications. Archived from the original
      on March 24, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    6. ^ a b c d e f Ratliff, Ben (December 20, 2010). "Critics' Choice: New CDs". The New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    7. ^ a b c d e f Concepcion, Mariel (September 3, 2010). "Keri Hilson, "Breaking Point" song review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    8. ^
      Viacom
      . Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    9. ^
      News Limited
      . Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    10. ^
      Wenner Media
      . Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    11. ^ a b c d Grischow, Chad (December 21, 2010). "Keri Hilson: No Boys Allowed". IGN. News Corporation. Archived from the original on 2011-08-07. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
    12. ^ a b Rodriguez, Jayson (August 19, 2010). "Keri Hilson Debuts New Single, 'Breaking Point'". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    13. ^ Anderson, Sara (September 2, 2010). "Keri Hilson, 'Breaking Point' – New Song". AOL Radio. AOL. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    14. ^ Capobianco, Ken (January 3, 2011). "Keri Hilson, 'No Boys Allowed'". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    15. ^ a b Mitchell, David (Fall 2010). "Keri Hilson: The Pretty Girl Rocks!". Amalgamation Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 5. Amalgam Group. p. 23. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
    16. ^ a b c "Breaking Point: Keri Hilson". Amazon. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    17. ^ a b "Breaking Point". Frequency News. Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    18. ^ "Airplay Archive". FMQB. Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report / Mediaspan Online Services. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    19. ^ Gamboa, Glenn (December 17, 2010). "Keri Hilson's 'No Boys Allowed'". Newsday. Cablevision. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    20. ^ a b Horton, Matthew (December 31, 2010). "Review of Keri Hilson – No Boys Allowed". BBC Music. BBC. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    21. ^ Wappler, Margaret (December 21, 2010). "Album review: Keri Hilson's 'No Boys Allowed'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    22. ^ Carter, Lauren (December 20, 2010). "Keri Hilson". Boston Herald. Herald Media. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
    23. ^ Miller, Neil (December 21, 2010). "Keri Hilson | No Boys Allowed". UR Chicago. En Prise Entertainment. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
    24. Guardian News and Media
      . Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    25. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Week of September 25, 2010". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    26. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Week of October 2, 2010". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    27. ^ a b "Keri Hilson Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    28. ^ "Search Results". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 10, 2012. Note: The reader must enter 'Keri Hilson' in the Artist field, 'Breaking Point' in Single Title, choose 'Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs' in Single Chart Name and choose 'All Weeks' in the Date field.
    29. ^ a b "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles 2010-11-27". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    30. ^ "New Music: Keri Hilson – 'Breaking Point'". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. August 18, 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    31. ^
      Buzz Media
      . Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    32. ^ a b c d "Breaking Point (Behind the Scenes, Essence)". YouTube. Google. 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved March 17, 2012. Event occurs at 0:18 to 0:42.
    33. ^ a b "Video: Keri Hilson – 'Breaking Point' (Official)". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. October 6, 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    34. ^ "Watch the premiere of "Breaking Point" on 106 & Park today!". Interscope Records. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
    35. Apple
      . January 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
    36. ^ Escobedo Shepherd, Julianne (October 8, 2010). "Video: Keri Hilson, 'Breaking Point'". The Fader. Andy Cohn. Retrieved March 10, 2012.

    External links

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Breaking_Point_(Keri_Hilson_song)&oldid=1195227547"