Broken-Hearted Girl

"Broken-Hearted Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). Written by Beyoncé, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and production duo Stargate, it was initially a classic rhythm and blues song until Babyface changed the arrangement and chords. The track appears on the I Am... disc, including songs which give a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Beyoncé's life stripped of her make-up and celebrity trappings. The song is a midtempo R&B ballad accompanied by piano, strings, and drum machine beats. The lyrics describe heartache and romantic insecurities. "Broken-Hearted Girl" was initially announced as the sixth single from I Am... Sasha Fierce in the United States and the fourth elsewhere, but was replaced with "Sweet Dreams". Columbia Records released "Broken-Hearted Girl" outside the United States on August 28, 2009. Critics praised Beyoncé's emotional vocals on the track but had divided opinions on the production. Commercially, the song reached the top 20 in Australia, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Ireland. Sophie Muller directed a monochrome accompanying music video for the song, in which Beyoncé's character reminisces about her relationship on a beach in Malibu, California. Beyoncé performed "Broken-Hearted Girl" on the I Am... World Tour (2009–10). Writing and production Beyoncé wrote "Broken-Hearted Girl" alongside the Norwegian production team Stargate, which consists of Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen. The duo initially composed "Broken-Hearted Girl" as a traditional rhythm and blues song but co-writer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds changed one chord and added falsetto vocals. His recording a demo version preceded a rewrite of the backing track chords and the addition of a four-on-the-floor piano; the result was a "grand-piano ballad". According to the sheet music published by EMI, "Broken-Hearted Girl" was composed at a tempo of 84 beats per minute using common time in the key of D minor. Eriksen explained, "I suppose many of our songs are in minor keys. We probably lean towards more a moody, melodic expression. It's what comes most natural for us." Stargate and Beyoncé produced "Broken-Hearted Girl" in 2008 at Roc the Mic Studios in New York City. Beyoncé arranged & performed the vocals, which Jim Caruana recorded. Eriksen assisted in recording the instrumental track &, along with Hermansen, arranged the music & played the instruments.