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Unbroken (Demi Lovato album)

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Untitled

Unbroken is the third studio album by American recording artist Demi Lovato. The album was released on September 20, 2011 by Hollywood Records. The lead single, "Skyscraper" was released on July 12, 2011.

Background

File:Kerli performing at Õllesummer 5 (crop)-2.jpg
Kerli (left), Dev (center) & Ryan Tedder (left) are some of the renowned artists who worked on the album.

After the release and disclosure of her second album, Here We Go Again, in the second half of 2009, Lovato was dedicated to her acting career, with recordings for the series and movies Sonny with a Chance and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam and their soundtracks. Therefore, recording the first track on this album was made only in July 2010 with producer Dapo Torimiro.[2]

That same month, the singer gave an interview to MTV, in which she said she was "creating a new sound," it would be "fun. A little more R&B/pop."[3] Later, in conversation with AHN, quoted Rihanna and Keri Hilson as influences.[4] At the time, she revealed she planned to work in no hurry on this album, stating that "Every other album I haven’t had time to really take my time and craft it like I really wanted to do because I was finding spare time between a television show, and movies, and touring, and then all over again. I’ve worked on (the album) for the past year and really gone hard over the past few months, but you can definitely tell that I took my time with this record."[5]

In August 2010, Demi entered in the Camp Rock World Tour 2010 to release the movie Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.[6] In November, she left the tour due to personal problems and was admitted to a clinic for three months. During this time, the recordings were interrupted.[7] Some time after leaving the clinic, the singer returned to work on the album, in April 2011, it was reported that she was also working with producers/songwriters Sandy Vee and August Rigo.[8] Later that month, was announced that she would leave Sonny with a Chance, in which she portrayed Sonny Munroe, the main character. She left the show because she wanted to focus on her music career more than acting.[9]

In July 2011, Demi described the album as "more mature" than their previous sound and more fun and light than her first single, "Skyscraper", while other tracks are more intense.[10] On August 11th, 2011, Demi used her Twitter account and Facebook page to announce the title of her album (Unbroken).[11]

In August 2011, Lovato explained the song "All Night Long" which features Missy Elliott and Timbaland is actually the polar opposite of "Skyscraper" and said it is about "staying up all night long and singing it to the boy that you like, and it's flirty and fun and it's not too grown-up, but it's grown-up enough."[12]

Victorious star Ariana Grande sang the third track of the album, "You're My Only Shorty" alongside Iyaz on her 18th birthday.[13] And, a studio demo version by Grande was leaked online.[14]

Production

Lovato said in her column in Seventeen Magazine, in early June 2011:

I love being back in the studio! It's been very therapeutic to be able to express my feelings and talk about who I really am, through my music. It also helps that I've been lucky enough to work with such talented people on the record so far! With my new album, I'm hoping to provide inspiration for girls everywhere who are going through the same issues I've faced. I think this will come through in a lot of the material. My first single is really special to me— to me it symbolizes my journey from the person I was to the happy healthy person I am today, and the fact that people are able to rise above anything, despite the odds. I'm so excited to share all of this with you guys! The experience has been amazing so far and I'm really enjoying the whole process. There are definitely a lot of emotions that go into making an album. I feel blessed, inspired, and nervous with anticipation, but mostly, I feel excited about the future, and about sharing this new record with my fans![15]

Around 20 tracks were recorded for the album, one of which is a duet with a R&B singer.[16] She also worked with Dreamlab,[17] Rock Mafia, Ryan Tedder and Kara DioGuardi.[5] About working with Lovato, Tedder commented, "Demi blew me out of the water vocally! I had no idea how good her voice is. She's one of the best singers I've ever worked with. Literally, that good... I mean, she's a Kelly Clarkson-level vocalist. And Kelly has a set of pipes". He also explained that the song they co-wrote together is much more upbeat than Skyscraper. "I think everybody wanted to hear her talk about that, and this is basically flipping it 180, saying, 'Oh, by the way, I'm still also just young and want to have fun.' There's even like a little rap feature on it." While not a rapper, some of Demi's new collaborations feature on the album.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[18]
Entertainment Weekly(B+)[19]
Rolling Stone[20] />

Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote a mixed review for Allmusic, criticizing the fact that the half of the album is full of "party songs" that "act like nothing is wrong in her world at all."[21] He also noted that "It’s hard to party knowing Lovato couldn’t quite handle the clubs, while it’s not easy to trust the melancholy flowing through the ballads knowing she’s ready to cut loose."[21] "MTV's Jocelyn Vena called Unbroken "a perfectly mature album" and wrote the ballads of the album "show Demi's growth as an artist — lyrically and personally."[22] Giving it a B+ grade, Entertainment Weekly's Melissa Maerz noted "Clearly it's been a tough year for Lovato. But as Rihanna could tell her, sometimes bad years make great songs."[19] Shaun Kitchener of British website Trash Lounge gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying "although it may not be as without flaw as we were hoping, that’s not to say ‘Unbroken’ isn’t a massive accomplishment. This time last year Demi hit her lowest ebb, and now, twelve months later, her career is at an all-time high – the Disney-friendly bubblegum rock of her first two records is totally and utterly gone, and in its place is clever, well-produced and exceptionally well sung pop music. This could – and should – be the album that sends the industry’s most underrated vocalist stellar."[23] Becky Brain of Idolator wrote Lovato has a "killer voice and the A-list material to put it to good use". She added "It’s difficult for many young female pop stars to transition successfully from squeaky-clean Disney kid to respected adult recording artist. But so far, Demi’s doing a spectacular job, and she’s doing it without having to show some skin or sing about hooking up in a club."[24]. Absolute Punk also praised the album, giving a high score of 81%, summarizing it by saying "Nothing, and nobody, is broken beyond repair, and Unbroken showcases that beautifully."[25] Sputnik Music gave 3 and a half stars out of 5, saying that Unbroken is Demi Lovato's best effort yet and "she steps up above all her peers and even a lot of contemporary pop stars". [26] Monica Herrera wrote a negative review for Rolling Stone, stating that "She's grown into her voice. Now, if only her music would grow up too."[27]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."All Night Long" (featuring Missy Elliott and Timbaland)Demi Lovato, Melissa Elliott, Timothy Mosley, Jim Beanz, Lyrica Anderson, Erin 'Nire Alldai' Reed, Joseph AngelTimbaland, Jerome "JRoc" Harmon (co-producer)3:14
2."Who's That Boy" (featuring Dev)Devin Tailes, Ryan Tedder, Noel ZancanellaRyan Tedder3:12
3."You're My Only Shorty" (featuring Iyaz)Antonina Armato, Tim JamesRock Mafia, Devrim "DK" Karaoglu & Thomas Armato Sturges (additional production)3:06
4."Together" (featuring Jason Derülo)Lovato, Mosley, Beanz, Anderson, "TC"Jim Beanz, Timbaland4:33
5."Lightweight"Shanna Crooks, Beanz, Frankie StormJim Beanz, Timbaland4:01
6."Unbroken"Lovato, Leah Haywood, Daniel JamesDreamlab3:18
7."Fix a Heart"Emanuel Kiriakou, Priscilla HamiltonEmanuel Kiriakou3:13
8."Hold Up"Lovato, Haywood, James, Ross Golan, Aston MerrygoldDreamlab2:51
9."Mistake"Haywood, James, Shelly PeikenDreamlab3:33
10."Give Your Heart a Break"Joshua Alexander, Billy SteinbergBilly Alexander, Josh Steinberg3:25
11."Skyscraper"Toby Gad, Kerli Kõiv, Lindy RobbinsToby Gad3:42
12."In Real Life"William James McAuley III, Lindsey RayBleu2:57
13."My Love Is Like a Star"Gad, James MorrisonToby Gad3:50
14."For the Love of a Daughter"Lovato, William BeckettToby Gad4:00
15."Skyscraper" (Wizz Dumb Remix)Gad, Kõiv, RobbinsToby Gad, Wizz Dumb3:42

Personnel

  • Adapted from allmusic.com.[28]
Creativity and management
Performances
Technical

References

  1. ^ "@PerezHilton yes!! It's "Who's That Boy" ft. @Devishot". Lovato, Demi. Twitter. September 21, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  2. ^ "Demi Lovato Records First Song For Third Album". July 15, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publicado= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (July 21, 2010). "Demi Lovato Wants To Embrace Her 'Inner Soul' Diva On Next Album". MTV. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  4. ^ "R&B? Demi Lovato tem Rihanna e Keri Hilson como inspiração para seu novo álbum" (in Portuguese). PopLine. August 3, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  5. ^ a b "INTERVIEW: Demi Lovato Dreams of Performing 'Skyscraper' For Fans; Records Song With Ryan Tedder". The Ralphie Radio Show. July 20, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  6. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (April 17, 2010). "Jonas Brothers Kick Off Tour With Demi Lovato On July 27". MTV. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  7. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (January 28, 2011). "Demi Lovato Leaves Treatment". MTV. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
  8. ^ "Demi está em estúdio" (in Portuguese). Yes! Teen. April 27, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  9. ^ Cotliar, Sharon (April 19, 2011). "Demi Lovato Is Leaving Sonny with a Chance". People. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  10. ^ "Demi Lovato Doesn't Consider Herself Recovered, Says the Rest of Her New Album Won't Be Like 'Skyscraper'". AOL. July 21, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  11. ^ "#UNBROKEN !!!!!!!!!!!!". Lovato, Demi. Twitter. August 11, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  12. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (August 31, 2011). "Demi Lovato 'Stoked' About Missy Elliott, Timbaland Collabo". MTV. Retrieved September 1, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ http://demilovatofans.com/en/ariana-sings-youre-my-only-shorty-with-iyaz
  14. ^ http://turoc.net/home/2011/09/demo-version-of-youre-my-only-shawty-released/
  15. ^ Lovato, Demi (June 2, 2011). "Demi Lovato on Being Back in the Studio". Retrieved August 13, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publicado= ignored (help)
  16. ^ "Demi Lovato: "I'm Singing About Some Issues That I've Never Even Spoken About"". E!. July 20, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  17. ^ [1]
  18. ^ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "Unbroken - Demi Lovato - Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  19. ^ a b Maerz, Melissa (September 14, 2011). "Music Review - Unbroken". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  20. ^ Herrera, Monica (20 September 2011). "Unbroken - Album Reviews - Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  21. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference allmusic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (September 14, 2011). "Demi Lovato's Unbroken: Putting It Back Together". MTV. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  23. ^ Kitchener, Shaun. "Album Review: Demi Lovato - Unbroken". Trash Lounge. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  24. ^ Brain, Becky (September 7, 2011). "Demi Lovato 'Unbroken': Fall Preview". Idolator (website). Retrieved September 16, 2011. {{cite web}}: Text "Idolator]" ignored (help)
  25. ^ http://absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?p=94897172
  26. ^ http://sputnikmusic.com/review/45720/Demi-Lovato-Unbroken/
  27. ^ Cite error: The named reference rstone was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  28. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/unbroken-r2279164/credits
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