Cole Swindell’s Break Up In The End hurts. A lot. Even though you already knew what was coming because of the title. And Swindell’s vocal performance for this song, according to a critic, was his most unguarded performance.
The song, which was written by Jon Nite, Chase McGill, and Jessie Jo Dillon, was the lead single of Swindell’s third album All of It, released in February 2018. Break Up In The End was a heartfelt ballad about a man who felt bittersweet over a relationship but would willingly go through all the pain all over again even when he knew they’d break up in the end.
This was initially pitched to Luke Bryan and Dan + Shay but ended up being recorded by Cole Swindell. According to Swindell, he found the central theme very relatable, noting how every little line described a place that he had been at some point.
He also added that it had him thinking about past relationships. He had his own share of breaking up with someone and being on the receiving end of it. He was hurt a lot of times, but he also hurt a lot of people. And for him, he had always listened to music, whatever the situation was, because it made him feel less alone.
For You
And the idea of the song wherein the listeners already knew the conclusion was inspired by David Wong’s John Dies at the End, which Dillon happened upon in a bookstore. Jessie was very intrigued, and so they decided to write about it.
The track was intentionally kept sonically sparse as Swindell said they didn’t need bells and whistles as it’s all about the lyrics. It was more stripped down than any Cole Swindell songs. It easily became a radio and fan favorite, peaking at number 4 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs and number 2 on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart.
As for the music video, it was directed by Jay Martin which starred Swindell himself along with actress Alicia Watson. The storytelling in the video was as appealing and emotional as the track featuring a progressing relationship done in reverse. You can watch Cole Swindell’s Break Up In The End in the video below. Make sure to grab a tissue before you do because this is one of the country breakup songs that will surely hit you in all the right places.
