Un-Break My Heart – Toni Braxton | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1 for 11 weeks) & R&B (# 2 for 4 weeks); 1996
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
A producer working with a finite universe of musical notes and seeking to create something new, often draws on previous recordings and adds a unique twist. For Un-Break M y Heart, David Foster picked up on the Spanish guitar sound he’d used for Madonna’s You’ll See, which he had originally heard on Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman by Bryan Adams.
For her part, songwriter Diane Warren incorporated a Spanish guitar sound – programmed on her keyboard – on her original demo of Un-Break.
Since Dianne’s demo was also sung in a very low key, below Toni’s normal range, LaFace Records co founder Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds insisted that Toni sing it that way to add some sexiness.
These contributions, combined with a standout performance by Toni, produced a blockbuster record. Un-Break My Heart topped out as the #2 chart single for 1996, beaten only by the rock era’s #1 single, Macarena.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- David Foster
Lyrics Written by:
- Diane Warren
Awards:
- “Un-Break My Heart” won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards in 1997
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).