Songfacts®:

• "Can You Die From a Broken Heart" is a collaboration between Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne. The duet came about after Smith and Lavigne teamed up for a duet version of his hit "Bulletproof." After a successful performance of the song at the 2024 ACM Awards, they both wanted to record another together.
• The song is exactly what the title suggests: a deep dive into the intense anguish of heartbreak after a relationship ends. For both singers, the pain of heartbreak is so severe it feels life-threatening.
  
  "'Can You Die From A Broken Heart' is the epitome of what a heartbreak ballad should feel and sound like," said Smith. "The bridge is my favorite part of the song because it's so epic with the soaring ohs and feels like it gives the slightest nod to 'I'm With You,' which happens to be my favorite Avril song."
• Smith's music often explores themes of emotional pain, resilience, and the complexities of relationships. Other songs recorded by Smith that deal with heartache themes include these:
  
  "Whiskey On You" touches on themes of moving on after a difficult breakup.
  
  "Bulletproof" deals with failed attempts to erase the memory of a former lover.
  
  "World On Fire" concerns a relationship scorched beyond recognition.
  
  So, "Can You Die From a Broken Heart" fits right into his catalog of emotional carnage.
  
  "I've been in that place before during the heartbreak [when] it feels like nothing's gonna fix it, nothing can make you feel better, nothing can take you out of that mindset," Smith told Billboard. "I remember feeling so desperate. That song is so desperate. It's like begging to have that person back."
• Kevin Fisher, Michael Matosic, and Tom Walker wrote the song:
  
  Kevin Fisher is a songwriter who has written for various artists in the country and pop music scenes. His credits include the All Time Low tracks "Life of the Party" and "Monsters."
  
  Michael Matosic has also co-penned songs for the likes of Lauv ("I Like Me Better") and Thirty Seconds To Mars ("Never Not Love You").
  
  Tom Walker is a British singer-songwriter with UK Top 10 hits in the late 2010s with "Leave a Light On" and "Just You and I."
• While neither Smith nor Lavigne had a hand in writing "Can You Die From a Broken Heart," both are no strangers to heartbreak. Smith, for instance, was married for two years when he was younger, but has been divorced since the early 2010s. Reflecting on that time, he told The Viall Files podcast in an October 2024 interview, "It's painful. Divorce is so painful, man. It really, really, really is."
  
  Lavigne, on the other hand, has weathered her own share of public breakups. She's been married and divorced twice - to Sum 41's Deryck Whibley and Nickelback's Chad Kroeger. She also endured a public broken engagement with musician Mod Sun. It's safe to say that both artists know what it's like to have a heart that needs mending.
• Adding a little extra spice to the release of the song, rumors began swirling that Smith and Lavigne were actually dating. Smith admitted on The Viall Files at the time of the song's release that his current partner is Canadian, which certainly didn't help tamp down the gossip. "Now, that doesn't mean it's Avril, OK?" he clarified, adding, "We're on cloud 9 right now. I'm hoping this is the final chapter in my dating life."
• Now, before you mix things up, this song is completely different from Maddie & Tae's "Die From a Broken Heart." Sure, the titles are similar, and both deal with heartbreak, but the two songs come from different places, different artists, and different songwriters. So if you're ever quizzed on country heartbreak ballads with nearly identical names, you've got your bases covered.