Breakout was met with generally favorable reception from music critics, though some believed the tracks were not a significant departure from the Hannah Montana franchise.

"7 Things" was released on June 17, 2008, as the lead single from the album; it was commercially successful, reaching the top ten on charts in various countries.

"[7] Cyrus aimed to incorporate a sound influenced by rock music, saying "the writing is definitely different...the lyrics mean more than my last couple of records".

[8] In an interview for Billboard, Cyrus stated that she pushed herself even more to write the songs this time, saying that, “No matter how long what I’m doing here lasts, I want to be a songwriter for the rest of my life.

[8] Originally, "7 Things" was more "soft and nice" but Cyrus says she "went nuts" during the recording process and gave the song a harder sound.

The song was directed towards "the people in the back seat", children of today's generation; she said that, in the future, they would be the ones "driving [the] Earth to what it's gonna be."

"[23] The cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" replaces the subtle reggae undercurrent in the original version with a more rock music driven sound that includes pop punk beats and string stabs.

[29] The lyrics of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" primarily discuss the "desire to let loose with one's friends", touching upon details of the life of an overworked child star.

[24] The track "Wake Up America" has a "cheeky riff-rock backdrop" as its[clarification needed], while its lyrical content concerns environmentalism,[28] where Cyrus mainly pleads for audiences to give the Earth "just a little attention".

[21] "These Four Walls" is a power ballad accented with country pop elements and twangy vocals[28][29] and lyrics which speak of an interior narrative.

[24] "Simple Song" has "bile" sound[30] and is lyrically about moments in coming of age where a person "can't tell which way is up, which way is down" and they feel the need to alienate themselves.

[23] In "Goodbye", Cyrus' vocal performance is more "roosty" with a more "natural-sounding accompaniment"[21] while, in the lyrics, she finds her remembering the "simple things ... until [she cries].

[21] "7 Things" enjoyed worldwide commercial success, becoming a top ten hit on charts in Australia, Japan, Norway, and the United States.

[38] However, the song failed to match success of "7 Things", reaching its highest peak at number sixteen on the UK Singles Chart.

Inspired by Michael Jackson's Thriller, the video depicts Cyrus attempting to escape the paparazzi, as they follow her in a parking garage.

[22] The remix expanded the success of "See You Again", appearing on charts in Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

"[45] Cyrus first performed songs from Breakout, the title track, "Fly on the Wall", and "See You Again" (Rock Mafia Remix), at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Disney Channel Games on May 3, 2008.

[52] Cyrus began promotion for Breakout in Europe in fall 2008, performing the track on the United Kingdom channel GMTV, the French television show Le Grand Journal, and the British singing competition The X Factor among other venues.

[62] The entire European leg sold out within ten minutes, and, at one stop, Cyrus broke the record for the largest attendance at The O2 Arena in London, England with an audience of 16,196.

[66] Though not being impressed by "nothing [being] left to chance", she concluded, "Even if these songs are derivative of much more established pop divas [Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears], they provide clues to the kind of company Cyrus aims to keep.

"[66] Kerri Mason of Billboard wrote, "While it's still age-appropriate for minors, Breakout is for the big kids too" and complimented Cyrus for being a "natural-born popstar.

[26] Miakel Wood of the Los Angeles Times stated, "In that respect, Breakout is unlikely fodder for the razzle-dazzle road shows and 3-D concert films to come.

"[23] Ben Ratliff of The New York Times said Cyrus' attempt to leave Hannah Montana was weak, only being driven by "more gray thoughts".

The lyrics are half-terrible — almost too realistic as teenage thoughts — but the best of them transmit the desired message ... It’s a lackluster album, floated by two or three strong singles.

"[24] Josh Timmermann of PopMatters believed Breakout was "a just-okay teenpop record with audible suggestions of said singer-songwriter aspirations.

"[31] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine rated the album two and half stars out of five, being disappointed and deeming the songs not to be a "worthy follow-up" to "See You Again".

He claimed that the artist "hasn't necessarily made her best albums during the height of her making headlines" and that the record "was from a simpler time, devoid of thinkpiece fodder or teachable moments".

The writer also stated that the album's "final third is a bit too dominated by ballads, but the rest of it is shiny dynamite" pointing that there were two "works of genius" on it: "7 Things" saying that "teen pop has rarely sounded this 'teen' in the years since, and Cyrus' vocal tugs at all the right strings" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" which he wrote "does exactly what a cover should: breathes new life into a tune you thought you couldn't possibly know new things about".

Concluding the article, Weiss wrote that Breakout's songs "moved like an arena-rock band fronted by a teenage Pat Benatar, with hammering drum fills and synth accents aplenty".

[85] In Ireland, Breakout peaked at number eleven and was certified platinum by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) for shipments exceeding 15,000 copies.