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Some songs absolutely define a generation, and for millennials who grew up with the beginnings of Grey’s Anatomy and the power of the soft-rock anthem, few songs resonate quite as hard as the Anna Nalickdebut single“Breathe (2 AM).”
Written for her debut album, Wreck of the Day, “Breathe (2 AM)” is a moody, reflective track that tells the story of three different characters. The first is a friend of the narrator who has found herself in an unsatisfying relationship, the second is an alcoholic soldier stationed at Fort Bliss, and finally there’s the narrator herself, reflecting on all of the experiences and putting them down into song form.
“Breathe (2 AM)” did not hit the Billboard Hot 100 upon initial release, but upon its re-release in 2025, it charted at No. 45 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Thanks to other mediums of media, “Breathe (2 AM)” has become mega-famous and somewhat of a pop culture staple for moody, introspective moments on screen.
“Breathe (2 AM) has been featured in the following TV and movies since its release in 2004:
- Joan of Arcadia
- Smallville
- Charmed
- A Lot Like Love
- Something Borrowed
- And most famously, Grey’s Anatomy
The long-running, Shonda Rhimes medical drama has featured the track multiple times. But the most iconic and memorable came in Season 2, Episode 17, which was titled “As We Know It.” In the episode, Meredith Grey has stuck her hand inside of a patient who has a live piece of unexploded ammunition from a bazooka inside of his chest cavity. At the end of the patient’s surgery, completed successfully by Dr. Preston Burke, Meredith is being instructed on how to remove the ammo by a bomb squad member.
As she removes it, the song dramatically begins to play.
Spoilers ahead if you somehow missed this when it aired 20 years ago in 2006.
Because of the prevalence in media, “Breathe (2 AM)” continues to have a legacy long past its release 22 years ago. And especially for nostalgic millennials or those who watched Meredith Grey cheat death for the first of many, many times, it’s sure to spark memories even at just the opening chords.
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