Aly & AJ’s “Potential Breakup Song” is still as fun as you remember | Review

On December 22, sister-pop duo and early 2000s Disney darlings Aly & AJ announced a re-release of their 2007 single “Potential Breakup Song,” a track that has managed to live on in the hearts of the now-adults who used to wait for it to play on Disney channel or Radio Disney.

2020 was the year of nostalgia. Trapped within apartments or parent’s homes due to the pandemic, many had no choice but to be regaled by old television shows like “Moesha” and “Gossip Girl,” or look for news on reboots of titles such as the disappointing “Winx Club” or the now-scrapped “Lizzie McGuire” project on Disney+. This yearning for the past was also present in the music industry. Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” and Miley Cyrus’ “Plastic Hearts” entertained listeners with high-energy, 80s-inspired tracks and were met with praise from fans and critics alike. “Potential Breakup Song” itself recently became popular again thanks to a revival on TikTok.

The updated track became available for streaming Tuesday, December 29. It retains much of the mid-2000s core that made it a hit upon its original release, but with some key differences: the lyrics are more explicit, while the instrumental and vocals have been updated to reflect the duo’s current style. There’s far less autotune, but there’s still that youthful bite to the song that makes me feel like I’m listening to Radio Disney on my way to elementary school again. In the end, the 2020 version of “Potential Breakup Song” seems more refined than its 2007 counterpart in a way that honors our childhood memories.