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Breakout (Swing Out Sister song)

"Breakout" is a song by British band Swing Out Sister. It was released in September 1986 as the second single from their debut album It's Better to Travel. Written and performed while the group was still a trio, it became one of their biggest hits, reaching the number four in the United Kingdom; in the US, it rose in 1987 to number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards in 1988.

Background

Singer Corinne Drewery wrote the song while recovering from a fractured skull from an equestrian accident. Swing Out Sister had a two-song deal with Mercury Records, and the first song failed to impact the charts. Mercury said the band had to have the second demo in by the next Monday morning or risk being dropped, causing the band to compose "Breakout" under stress. This influenced the lyrics, as well as Drewery's desire to quit her day job as a fashion designer and be a singer. There was some controversy around the Bass line claiming the band had taken it from an unpublished Elezze records track and the band saying it was inspired by the 1986 FIFA World Cup TV theme in Britain.

Music video

The music video for "Breakout" features lead singer Corinne Drewery as a fashion designer, who with the assistance of the other two band members designs and makes her own dress, and later makes a successful runway debut, modelling the garment while her bandmates open a bottle of champagne and toast to her success. There are two versions of this video; the official monochrome version and the alternate color version. The video was directed by Nick Willing.

Critical reception

Jerry Smith of the Music Week magazine praised "Breakout", describing it a "bubbling, dynamic number with irresistible rhythm and powerful, melodic vocals, backed by rousing horns and sweeping strings", and deemed it a potential hit. Similarly, Stuart Bailie of Record Mirror stated the song "is breezy, buoyant and it's tasteful" and "a good record". In the same issue of the magazine, James Hamilton complimented the N.A.D. mix as being a "rather pleasant and convincing jazz-funk".