Who Really Inspired the Explicit Release of Aly & AJ’s ‘Potential Breakup Song’
Sisters Aly Michalka and AJ Michalka gave fans a reason to rejoice in 2020 with their Dec. 29 re-release of their hit “Potential Breakup Song.” Fans couldn’t wait to get their hands on the explicit version of the Disney Channel stars’ song. Here’s who inspired the Michalka sisters to re-release their 2007 hit.
Aly & AJ re-released the explicit version of ‘Potential Breakup Song’
“Potential Breakup Song” became an instant hit amongst fans when it was first released in 2007 thanks to the catchy beat, compelling lyrics, and the siblings’ Disney Channel stardom. The song was the first single from Insomniatic, Aly & AJ’s third studio album.
When Aly & AJ released the song’s explicit version 13 years later, there was just as much hype.
Aly & AJ have been performing the explicit version of ‘Potential Breakup Song’ for years
During an interview with Vulture, the Michalka sisters discussed the first time they ever performed the famous song with curse words.
“There was one show [when] we literally just started [singing the explicit version] in the moment, and it became a thing,” AJ told the outlet. “It was random. We weren’t planning it.”
“There were a couple of cities where we played the song twice, literally back to back because people were loving it so much, which we never do with any song,” Ally added. “We just found it so funny that people were so hyped over it. We were like, ‘We’re gonna play it again!’ and then people would go crazy.”
She said they wouldn’t often add all of the expletives, of which there are three. “I just said, ‘My f*cking birthday,'” Ally clarified.
Fans on TikTok inspired the re-release of Aly & AJ’s ‘Potential Breakup Song’
The inspiration for Aly & AJ’s re-release of “Potential Breakup Song” is not lost on the sisters.
“Obviously, TikTok brought this song back from the dead,” Aly admitted. “We really have TikTok to thank, and a bunch of moms.”
She of course is referencing the viral videos of TikTok moms lip-syncing to the iconic song. But it was more than the song being used in comical TikToks. There was a message from a fan in particular who begged for the explicit version of “Potential Breakup Song.”
“There was one guy on TikTok not long ago who was like, ‘Can you guys please just swear in this song?'” AJ added.
“He was like, ‘I know y’all have said ‘f*ck,” Aly mentioned.
“I remember that being the trigger, where Aly and I were like, ‘Oh, we should rerecord this with the explicit lyrics,'” AJ continued. “He kind of inspired that.”
Aly & AJ are living for the TikTok’s featuring their re-release of ‘Potential Breakup Song’
The re-release of “Potential Breakup Song” features a few other changes in addition to the added curse words.
“There were a couple of weird things in the original that AJ and I took out,” Aly said. “There was almost like a chipmunk-type vocal that was happening, and the Auto-Tune on the original was really heavy in a fun way [that] was obviously very popular back then.” That vocal effect is missing in the re-release, which has a more polished sound.
Just as they did with the original, fans have gone wild creating TikTok content using the re-released version of Aly & AJ’s song.
“There’s a really funny one that came out recently of a guy that’s doing the ghosting version, where you go outside your body,” Aly mentioned. “He used that with the new explicit version, and it’s really funny.”
Another one of her favorites comes from Julian Burzynski, who is best known for his Jersey Shore TikToks.
“There was a guy that dressed up as all of the moms and had wigs and everything,” Aly added. “I thought that was brilliant.”
