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Clarkson performed the song in a series of live appearances such as television shows Saturday Night Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Critics responded positively to the music video for being faithful to the central theme shared by the song, the film, and Clarkson's personal biography. Clarkson acted out most of the lyrics in the music video because she felt that the song was autobiographical. It also contained scenes interspersed from The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. It also topped the US Adult Contemporary for twenty-one non-consecutive weeks, a record for female artists that is now shared between herself, Celine Dion's " A New Day Has Come" and Adele's " Hello".ĭirected by Dave Meyers, the accompanying music video for "Breakaway" portrays Clarkson as a young girl from a small town who follows her dream and becomes an international star. In the United States, the song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became her third top ten song in the chart. "Breakaway" was a commercial success outside of the United States, where it peaked within the top 20 of multiple European countries, and in the top 10 in Australia, Belgium, Hungary, and the Netherlands. The lyrics narrate Clarkson's journey as a girl growing up in a small town who follows her dream for self-improvement. It incorporates acoustic guitars and airy drums which are interspersed with Clarkson's controlled voice. "Breakaway" received positive reviews from music critics, who could relate to the song's message and simple lyrics. In May 2006, "Breakaway" was reissued as the fifth and final single from the album of the same name. "Breakaway" was first released as the first single from The Princess Diaries 2 soundtrack on July 19, 2004.
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However, the song's success prompted its inclusion on Clarkson's second album, while the record label decided to name the album after the song. Clarkson, who was finishing her second studio album at that time, recorded "Breakaway" to tide her fans over until the first single from her new album was released. After being deemed unsuitable for the album, it was passed to Clarkson to be recorded as a soundtrack for the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004).
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The song, written by Matthew Gerrard, Bridget Benenate, and Avril Lavigne, was originally intended for Lavigne's debut studio album, Let Go (2002). " Breakaway" is a song recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson.
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