Songfacts®:

• "Heart They Didn't Break" is a heartwarming ballad that tugs at your heartstrings. Maddie and Tae sing a tale of heartbreak turned to healing that focuses on the invaluable presence of a friend who steps in after a devastating breakup.
• Maddie Font opens the song with a story about a friend who drove 200 miles to be there for her. It's a testament to the power of friendship and support in the darkest moments.
  
  Tae Kerr, usually known for her harmonious backing vocals, takes the lead on the second verse, singing from the same perspective. Maddie, who typically sings lead, transitions to backing harmony.
  
  Maddie & Tae converge in the chorus, celebrating the friends who stand by your side, mending the wounds inflicted by others.
• Anna Vaus, Benjy Davis and Ryan Beaver wrote the song. Though neither Maddie or Tae played a part in penning it, the sincerity of their vocals shows their strong friendship.
  
  "We normally write all of our songs, but the moment we heard this, we knew it was super special especially being best friends as long as we have and picking up the pieces for each other for the past 13 years," said Maddie. "And Tae actually gets to sing lead on it for the first time which is so exciting."
• Prior to "Heart They Didn't Break," the only previous song Maddie & Tae recorded but didn't write was "New Dog, Old Tricks." Maddie & Tae laid down the Emily Weisband, Jesse Frasure and Laura Veltz penned tune for their 2020 The Way it Feels album.
• Maddie & Tae call "Heart They Didn't Break" the "soul sister" to their 2019 chart-topping hit "Die From a Broken Heart." While "Die From a Broken Heart" chronicled the heartache of seeking a mother's counsel during turbulent times, in "Heart They Didn't Break," the duo shifts their focus to celebrate the unwavering support of close friends following a romantic breakup.
• Producer Corey Crowder creates a sparse, acoustic arrangement that allows Maddie & Tae's vocals to shine. The other musicians are:
  
  Evan Hutchings: percussion, drums
  Alex Wright: piano, synthesizer
  Justin Schipper: steel guitar
  Sol Philcox-Littlefield: electric guitar
  Tony Lucido: bass
  Todd Lombardo: acoustic guitar
• Maddie & Tae first heard the song in a pitch-meeting room. As soon as the hook hit, the pair looked at each other and said, "Ohhhhh, that's us! That's you for me and that's me for you! How have we not thought of this before?"
  
  At that time, they weren't actively cutting tracks. "But whenever we had started talking about songs for this next project," Tae recalled, "and kind of what we were lacking, I texted our publisher and I was like, 'What is that friendship song? I can't remember the name. I just know it's a friendship song and we need it.' And then we went in the studio, and I was like, 'How about I take the second verse?' And it just kind of all happened so organically and meant to be, for sure."