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"Breakout"
Single by Swing Out Sister
from the album It's Better to Travel
B-side	"Dirty Money"
Released	29 September 1986 (1986-09-29)
Genre	Sophisti-pop synth-pop
Length	3:48
Label	Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Andy Connell Corinne Drewery Martin Jackson
Producer(s)	Paul Staveley O'Duffy
Swing Out Sister singles chronology
"Blue Mood" (1985) "Breakout" (1986) "Surrender" (1987)

"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

Lead singer Corinne Drewery wrote the song while recovering from a fractured skull she had suffered in an equestrian accident. Swing Out Sister had already signed a two-song deal with Mercury Records, but the first song, "Blue Mood", had failed to chart. Mercury said the band had to have their 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 Drewery was inspired primarily by her decision to give up on a much more secure career as a fashion designer to pursue her dream of being a singer. There was some controversy around the bass line used in the song; it was claimed that the band had taken it from an unpublished Elezze Records track, and the band argued that they had created the line on their own after listening to the 1986 FIFA World Cup TV theme in Britain.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".

Charts

See also

• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1987 (U.S.)

References

1. "New Singles". Music Week. 27 September 1986. p. 31.
2. Soto, Alfred. "The Bluffer's Guide – Sophisti-Pop > Swing Out Sister – "Breakout" (1987)". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
3. Gibbs, Ryan (15 November 2022). "An introduction to Sophisti-pop". In Between Drafts. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
4. Phares, Heather. Swing Out Sister - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Swing Out Sister (2001) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
5. "1987 Grammy Winners". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
6. Slater, Aaron (14 July 2018). "How I Wrote 'Breakout' by Swing Out Sister". Songwriting Magazine. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
7. "Swing Out Sister – Official Video" – via YouTube – Swing Out Sister – Official.
8. Smith, Jerry (18 October 1986). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 19. Retrieved 8 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
9. Bailie, Stuart (18 October 1986). "Singles reviewed by Stuart Bailie" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 8. ISSN 0144-5804. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via World Radio History.
10. Hamilton, James (18 October 1986). "BPM by James Hamilton" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 52. ISSN 0144-5804. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via World Radio History.
11. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 302. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
12. "Swing Out Sister – Breakout" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
13. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8478." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
14. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0884." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 49. 13 December 1986. p. 14-15. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 27 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
16. "European Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 50. 20 December 1986. p. 4. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 27 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
17. "Swing Out Sister – Breakout" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
18. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Break Out". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
19. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Swing Out Sister – Breakout" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
20. "Swing Out Sister – Breakout" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
21. "Swing Out Sister – Breakout". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
22. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
23. "Swing Out Sister Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
24. "Swing Out Sister Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
25. "Swing Out Sister Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
26. "Swing Out Sister – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
27. "Week ending NOVEMBER 14, 1987". Cashbox. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
28. "Top 100 Singles". Music Week. 24 January 1987. p. 24.
29. "National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Kent Music Report. 28 December 1987. Retrieved 11 December 2019 – via Imgur.
30. "End of Year Charts 1987". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
31. "Top 100 Hits for 1987". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
32. "Year-End Charts – Adult Contemporary Songs: 1987". Billboard. Retrieved 23 December 2020.

• 1986 singles
• 1986 songs
• Mercury Records singles
• Songs written by Andy Connell
• Songs written by Corinne Drewery
• Songs written by Martin Jackson
• Swing Out Sister songs