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Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down

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"Empire State of Mind (Part II)"
Single by Alicia Keys
from the album The Element of Freedom
B-side"We're Almost There"
ReleasedFebruary 22, 2010 (2010-02-22)
Genre
Length3:36
LabelJ
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Alicia Keys singles chronology
"Put It in a Love Song"
(2009) 		"Empire State of Mind (Part II)"
(2010) 		"Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)"
(2010)
Licensed audio
"Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" on YouTube

"Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" is a song by American singer Alicia Keys from her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom (2009). It is an answer song to the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Empire State of Mind" performed by Jay-Z featuring Keys. Produced by Al Shux and Keys, the song gained international airplay and download sales although it was only officially released in the United Kingdom as the second single from The Element of Freedom.

Before its official release, "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" had reached number four on the UK Singles Chart on downloads alone. The success of the song from a high volume of album downloads, led to it being announced as the second single from The Element of Freedom in the UK. The single was released on February 22, 2010.[1] Keys and "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" are featured on a 2011 HP Beats Commercial.[2] The song also featured on the soundtrack of the film Sex and the City 2 (2010).[3]

Background

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Following the release of "Empire State of Mind" in October 2009, Keys stated that she was planning to release a second version of the song featuring only her vocals, as a single the following month.[1] The original takes of Keys' version, entitled "Empire State of Mind Part 2", included both Keys' vocals and a new rap verse from Jay-Z,[4] but the final product did not include Jay-Z.[5] Discussing the record, Keys claimed that it acts as a dichotomy of strength and vulnerability, commenting that "The music is really strong, and the drums are really aggressive, but my voice is vulnerable and delicate".[1]

I definitely wanted to give my version of it and my vision of how I see New York and how it feels to me. I wanted to do it for my style—more broken down, more on piano, more voice and intimacy—so that's what I did. I imagined, 'If I was able to sing this whole song, how would I do it?' So I just sat down at my piano and I kind of broke it down and started singing about New York as I see it, and it turned out great.

— Keys on recording "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down"[6]

Critical reception

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"Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" was generally well received by contemporary music critics in their reviews for The Element of Freedom.[7][8][9] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post noted that the track, which is a pop ballad, had replaced "Empire State of Mind" sports team references and ruminations with "even milder and less controversial string of generalities", highlighting Keys' version's lyrics "If I could make it here/I could make it anywhere".[10] Greg Kot of Hartford Courant wrote that Keys' version "retains the soaring vocal hook" but the track "loses its swagger" without Jay-Z.[11]

Chart performance

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On December 20, 2009, due to high downloads of "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down", the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number fifty-two. As of February 14, 2010 it has reached a new peak of number four on downloads alone (her highest-charting solo single since "Fallin" reached number three in 2001). It became Keys' eighth top ten hit in the UK and second from The Element of Freedom.[12] It ended up spending eight straight weeks within the top 10 in the country, the longest stay for any of her songs including the original version, Jay-Z's, "Empire State of Mind" in which she is featured. So far, it has spent 26 consecutive weeks within the top 40 as well as 52 weeks within the top 100, becoming Keys' most successful single ever. In December 2010 the song was announced as the thirteenth biggest selling single of the year in the UK, surpassing a number of chart-toppers and shaping as the biggest selling non-top-two single with 575,500 copies sold. In May 2011, the song would re-enter the top 100 by jumping from No. 189 to No. 93 in its 76th charting week.[13] On January 21, 2010, the single entered the Irish Singles Chart at forty-six and reached eight.[14] It also debuted on the Billboard R&B charts at number seventy-seven and peaked at number fifty-five on the Billboard Hot 100 without an official release.[15] In May 2012, "Empire State of Mind (Part II)" ranked as the 79th biggest-selling single of the 21st century in the United Kingdom, as published by the Official Charts Company.[16]

Live performances

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On November 29, Keys performed the song's chorus in a medley alongside "Doesn't Mean Anything" and "No One", on the sixth season of the United Kingdom television show, The X Factor.[17] Keys performed the full version of the song on 4Music Favourites. Keys also performed the song on Saturday Night Live along with "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart".[18] Stephen Colbert and Keys also performed the song together on The Colbert Report with Colbert adding his own verses on December 15, 2009.[19] For the 2010 Radio 1 Big Weekend, the track's chorus was changed from "New York..." to "North Wales..." and the new version waxes lyrical about all that the North Wales coast has to offer. Lyrics include; "Yes, today I travelled north from Harlech to the Menai Bridge. What a pretty drive, with so much to see it’s such a privilege."[20] On June 28, 2011, Keys performed the song on Good Morning America. Keys also performed the song as the final number at the six-hour 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief on December 12, 2012.[21]

There was no official music video shot for "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down". However, due to the success of the song, leading to it being released as a UK single, the 4Music Favourites performance was shown on music channels as the music video.[citation needed]

In 2022, Keys performed the song at the Platinum Party at the Palace.[22]

Track listings

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UK Digital download[23]
No.TitleLength
1."Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down"3:36
German / Austrian / Swiss CD single and Digital download[24][25]
No.TitleLength
1."Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down"3:36
2."We're Almost There"3:35

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[54] 2× Platinum 140,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[55] Platinum 30,000^
Germany (BVMI)[56] 3× Gold 450,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[57] Gold 15,000*
Portugal (AFP)[58] Gold 10,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[59] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[60] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[61] Platinum 1,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release dates and formats for "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom February 22, 2010 Digital download RCA
[1][62]
Germany May 28, 2010 CD Sony Music
[63][64]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Balls, David (2010-01-13). "Keys to release solo version of 'Empire'". Digital Spy. Digital Spy Limited. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  2. ^ Anthony Osei (February 11, 2011). "Video: Alicia Keys in HP Beats Audio Ad". Complex. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  3. ^ Jocelyn Vena (April 21, 2010). "'Sex And The City 2' Soundtrack Features Diane Angelica, Jennifer Hudson". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  4. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (2009-11-05). "Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Record 'Empire State of Mind Part 2'". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on November 8, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  5. ^ Aswad, Jem; Vena, Jocelyn (2009-12-04). "Alicia Keys Collabos with Beyoncé, Drake Hit the Net". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on December 7, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  6. ^ Graff, Gary (2010-02-01). "Interview: Alicia Keys, singer". The Scotsman. UK: Johnston Press Digital Publishing. Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  7. ^ Christgau, Robert. "The Element of Freedom". Consumer Guide. Robert Christgau. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  8. ^ Radlift, Ben (December 14, 2009). "ALICIA KEYS: "The Element of Freedom"". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  9. ^ Ragogna, Mike (December 14, 2009). "HuffPost Reviews: Alicia Keys, Robin Thicke, Avatar, and Pixies, Plus Conversations with Julian Lennon and Precious Composer Mario Grigorov, and more". The Huffington Post. HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  10. ^ Stewart, Allison (December 15, 2009). "'Element' is another safe, uninspiring album from R&B star Alicia Keys". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  11. ^ Kot, Greg (December 15, 2009). "Review: Album Well-Crafted, But Alicia Keys Doesn't Let 'Freedom' Ring". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  12. ^ Alicia Keys "Empire State of Min (Part II)" Official Charts. Accessdate=2010-03-13.
  13. ^ "Official UK Singles Top 100 - 18th February 2012 | The UK Charts | Top 40 | Official Charts Company". Theofficialcharts.com. Archived from the original on 2011-10-16. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  14. ^ Irish searchable database search: "EMPIRE STATE OF MIND (PART II)" Archived 2009-06-02 at the Wayback Machine IRMA. Accessdate=2010-03-13.
  15. ^ Billboard charts for "Empire State of Mind (Part II)" Billboard. Nielsen SoundScan. Accessdate=2010-03-13.
  16. ^ "The Official Top 150 Biggest Selling Singles Of the 21st Century revealed!". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on July 9, 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  17. ^ The X Factor ITV Season 6, Episode 26. November 29, 2009.
  18. ^ "Music - New Music News, Reviews, Pictures, and Videos". Rolling Stone.[dead link]
  19. ^ "Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down". colbertnation.com.
  20. ^ "North Wales replaces New York in Alicia Keys' hit". WalesOnline.co.uk. May 18, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  21. ^ Anderson, Kyle (13 December 2012). "Bruce Springsteen, the Who, Billy Joel, and Beatlevana: On the scene at 12-12-12". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  22. ^ Yeates, Cydney (2022-06-08). "Alicia Keys defends Jubilee performance after Empire State Of Mind backlash". Metro. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  23. ^ Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down: Alicia Keys: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads
  24. ^ "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down: Amazon.de: Musik". amazon.de.
  25. ^ "Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down". amazon.de. Archived from the original on 2013-02-10.
  26. ^ "Issue 1044" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  27. ^ "Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  28. ^ "Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  29. ^ "Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  30. ^ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  31. ^ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  32. ^ "Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down". Tracklisten. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  33. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Vol. 122, no. 9. March 6, 2010. p. 51. See last week column.
  34. ^ "Alicia Keys Chart History – Euro Digital Songs". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  35. ^ "Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  36. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Empire State Of Mind (Part II)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  37. ^ "Media Forest Week 13, 2010". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  38. ^ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  39. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 13, 2010" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  40. ^ "Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  41. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  42. ^ "Alicia Keys – Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  43. ^ "Alicia Keys – Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  44. ^ "Alicia Keys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  45. ^ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  46. ^ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  47. ^ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  48. ^ "2010 Year End Charts – European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  49. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2010". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  50. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl - Jaaroverzichten - Singles 2010" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on November 22, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
  51. ^ "Swiss Year-End Charts 2010". Media Control. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  52. ^ "UK Year-End Charts 2010" (PDF). The Official Charts Company. ChartsPlus. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  53. ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  54. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  55. ^ "Danish single certifications – Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  56. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alicia Keys; 'Empire State of Mind')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  57. ^ "Italian single certifications – Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved August 13, 2020. Select "2012" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Empire State of Mind" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  58. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  59. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Alicia Keys – Empire State Of Mind, Pt. 2". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  60. ^ "British single certifications – Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind (Part II)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  61. ^ "American single certifications – Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  62. ^ "hmvdigital UK - Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down by Alicia Keys". Hmvdigital.com. 2010-02-22. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  63. ^ "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down: Alicia Keys: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  64. ^ "Bravado - Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down - Alicia Keys - Single CD (2-Track) - Musik". Bravado.de. 2010-05-28. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
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