Breakdown (Tantric song)

2001 single by Tantric

"Breakdown"

Single by Tantric
from the album  Tantric
Released| May 21, 2001
Recorded| 2000
Genre| Post-grunge[1]
Length| 3:10
Label| Maverick
Songwriter(s)|

* Hugo Ferreira
* Matt Taul
* Jesse Vest
* Todd Whitener

Producer(s)| Toby Wright
Tantric singles chronology
|  | "Breakdown"
(2001)  | "Astounded"
(2001)

|
|

Music video
"Breakdown" on YouTube

"Breakdown" is the debut single by American post-grunge band Tantric and the lead single from their self-titled debut album. It is the band's most successful song, having reached number one on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, and helped the album achieve gold status in 2001.

Lyrically, "Breakdown" describes a high school student filled with resentment and self-disgust. The music video found substantial airplay on MTV2. In combination with the band's acoustic-heavy sound, "Breakdown" also utilizes a digital effect at the end of the chorus. The tightly produced arrangement makes for a well balanced ratio of hard rock and pop.

Guitarist Todd Whitener came up with the song while sitting in an Amsterdam hotel. He described the meaning behind "Breakdown" in an interview with MTV:

"That song's pretty much about being pooped on and realizing that life is going to move on and you just have to keep your head high. Things will work out in the end, as long as you stay positive."[2]

## Appearances

[edit]

The song was included on the soundtrack to the 2001 film Driven and The Shield: Music from the Streets in 2005. It was also featured on the Spin This, Monitor This!, and Noize compilations. The song also appears in an episode of The Shield (Partners, Season 2, episode 3) As well as, Charmed (Charmed Again, Season 4, episode 1)

## Charts

[edit]

Chart (2001)  | Peak
position

|

Canada Radio (Nielsen BDS)[3] | 58
Canada Rock (Nielsen BDS)[4] | 9
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[5] | 6
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[6] | 4
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[7] | 1

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Consequence Staff (May 20, 2024). "50 Best Post-Grunge Songs". Consequence. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
2. ^ 7 Questions With Tantric MTV.com (2001). Retrieved on 12-15-10.
3. ^ "The Hits Charts (Airplay) : Top 100 singles". Broadcast Data Systems. Archived from the original on May 17, 2001. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
4. ^ "Canada Album Rock: 06/05/2001-06/11/2001" (PDF). Canadian Music Network. Archived from the original on June 15, 2001. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
5. ^ "Tantric Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
6. ^ "Tantric Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
7. ^ "Tantric Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 30, 2021.

* v
* t
* e

Tantric

* Hugo Ferreira
* Chris Loree
* Eric Warner
* Jon Loree

* Todd Whitener
* Jesse Vest
* Bruce LaFrance
* Kevin Figueiredo
* TJ Taylor
* Scott Wilson

Studio albums|

* Tantric
* After We Go
* The End Begins
* Mind Control
* 37 Channels
* Blue Room Archives
* Mercury Retrograde
* The Sum of All Things

EPs|

* Broken Down...Live in the Poconos

Singles|

* "Breakdown"
* "Astounded"
* "Mourning"
* "Hey Now"
* "The Chain"
* "After We Go"
* "Down and Out"
* "Fall Down"
* "Mind Control"
* "Coming Undone"
* "Mosquita"
* "Cynical"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Days of the New
* Austin John Winkler
* DramaGods
* Fuel

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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