"Broken Strings" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Single by James Morrison featuring Nelly Furtado | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
from the album Songs for You, Truths for Me | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
B-side | "Say It All Over Again" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Released | 8 December 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Format | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Recorded | 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre | Pop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Length | 4:14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Label | Polydor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Writer(s) |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Producer(s) | Mark Taylor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
"Broken Strings" is the third single by British musician James Morrison from his second studio album, Songs for You, Truths for Me, and was released in December 2008. The song is a duet with Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado. The single became Morrison's most successful single to date, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart in January 2009, as well as in the top ten on many other European charts while topping the charts in Germany and Switzerland. It was featured in episode 16 of the second season of the American television drama The Vampire Diaries.
When the album was released in Japan in March 2009, "Broken Strings" was re-recorded as a duet with R&B singer Ai replacing Furtado, as a bonus track. A remix of the song, "Broken Strings (Kocky and Trash Remix)," was featured on Ai's album Viva Ai (2009).
The song received positive reviews from the critics. According to Michael Menachem from Billboard,
Broken Strings offers two of the most vulnerable performances yet from each artist, venting an obvious metaphor for the struggles at the close of a relationship beyond repair. Their voices are richly expressive, harmonizing in an aural marriage as the midtempo ballad quietly builds to an intense climax as they belt: "Oh the truth hurts and lies worse/How can I give anymore when I love you a little less than before?" Producer extraordinaire Mark Taylor energizes "Broken Strings" with just enough accompaniment to showcase the paralyzing performances. Morrison is a staple hitmaker overseas, but in the US, phenomenal singles like "You Give Me Something" and "Wonderful World" were snubbed. Furtado's visibility has already vaulted the song to most-added status at adult top 40. At last, Morrison gets his due.
Girls Aloud performed a cover of the song at their Out of Control Tour in 2009, and JLS performed a cover of the song in their ITV Christmas special in 2010, later appearing as the B-Side to their single "Eyes Wide Shut".