Can't Break Me Down

2014 song by Billy Idol

"Can't Break Me Down"

Single by Billy Idol

from the album Kings & Queens of the Underground

Released

26 August 2014

Length

3:42

Label

BFI

Songwriter(s)

Billy Idol
Greg Kurstin
Daniel Nigro

Producer(s)

Greg Kurstin

Billy Idol singles chronology

"John Wayne"
(2008)

"Can't Break Me Down"
(2014)

"Save Me Now"
(2014)

Music video

"Can't Break Me Down" on YouTube

"Can't Break Me Down" is a song by English singer Billy Idol, which was released in 2014 as the lead single from his eighth studio album Kings & Queens of the Underground.

Background

"Can't Break Me Down" was recorded at Greg Kurstins' home studio, Echo Studios, in Los Angeles. In a 2014 update for his official website, Idol said it was "a fun song to record".^[1] The song was released as the lead single from Kings & Queens of the Underground and was made available as an instant download with all iTunes and Amazon pre-orders of the album from 26 August 2014.^[2]

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Jason Trucco and produced by Niv Gat and Dana Lustig for Atlantis Pictures. It was shot at Santa Clarita Studios in Valencia, California and stars Idol, Izabella Miko and Ryan Heffington, with the latter also serving as the video's choreographer. Described as an "allegorical noir story of love gone wrong", the video is based on the finale of the 1947 American film noir The Lady from Shanghai. As the protagonist, Idol plays a version of Orson Welles' character from the film. The video premiered on YouTube on 23 October 2014.^[3]

Critical reception

USA Today selected "Can't Break Me Down" as their "song of the week" during September 2014. Writer Brian Mansfield described it as being in Idol's "classic style" and noted its "punkish drive, sneering vocals and roaring guitar". He felt the song would have served as a "great follow-up" to Idol's 1987 hit "Mony Mony" or his 1990 hit "Cradle of Love".^[4] In a review of Kings & Queens of the Underground, Kory Grow of Rolling Stone praised it as a "carefree" and "punky pop tune". He felt that the song's "bang bang bang" chorus was "catchier than anything Fall Out Boy have written lately".^[5]

Personnel

"Can't Break Me Down"

Billy Idol – lead vocals
Steve Stevens – guitar
Greg Kurstin – bass, drums, guitar, keyboards

Production

Greg Kurstin – producer, engineer, mix engineer
Alex Pasco – engineer
Julian Burg – additional engineering

Charts

Chart (2014)	Peak position
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[6]	15

References

^ Idol, Billy (26 September 2014). "Update from Billy 9.26.14". billyidol.net. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
^ "New Single & Album Pre-Order!". billyidol.net. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
^ "Billy Idol - Can't Break Me Down". 23 October 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2022 – via YouTube.
^ Mansfield, Brian (16 September 2014). "Song of the week: Billy Idol's 'Can't Break Me Down'". USA Today. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
^ "Billy Idol 'Kings & Queens of the Underground' Album Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
^ "Billy Idol Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 March 2022.