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Unbroken (Demi Lovato album)

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Untitled

Unbroken is the third studio album by American pop singer Demi Lovato. The album was released on September 20, 2011, by Hollywood Records. Lovato worked with a variety of producers and writers such as Toby Gad, Rock Mafia, Timbaland, Dreamlab, and others. Lovato had been recording songs for the album right after promotion for her second album, Here We Go Again, ended during the summer of 2010 and resumed in April 2011 after Lovato’s treatment stint ended. The album's lyrical content was heavily influenced by the singer’s emotional problems that became publicized in late 2010 when she was sent to rehab for treatment. This came after an altercation with a back up dancer occurred while on tour with the Jonas Brothers. The album is sonically influenced by the sound of pop and urban artists like Rihanna and Keri Hilson.

The album has received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. They appreciated its material showing growth and maturity in Lovato’s music. Lyrically, the majority of the album's songs are based on Lovato's life experiences of love, heartbreak, boys, and having a good time. Musically, Unbroken is rooted in the pop genre, while incorporating elements of R&B and dance music in its production and beats. The album debuted in the fourth position on the US Billboard 200 chart with sales exceeding 96,000 copies.[3] It also debuted in the top five position on the charts in Canada and New Zealand.

Its lead single, "Skyscraper", was released on July 12, 2011 and was a hit in the United States, reaching number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lovato’s highest peaking solo single. It also peaked in the top twenty in Canada and New Zealand. The single has been certified gold by Recording Industry Association of America in the United States, making it her first single to receive this certification.[4]. The album's next single is the track 'Who's That Boy' which features Dev[5].

Background

File:Kerli performing at Õllesummer 5 (crop)-2.jpg
Kerli (left), Dev (center) and Ryan Tedder (right) are some of the 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.[6]

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."[7] Later, in conversation with AHN, quoted Rihanna and Keri Hilson as influences.[8] 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."[9]

In August 2010, Demi entered in the Camp Rock World Tour 2010 to release the movie Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13]

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.[14] On August 11th, 2011, Demi used her Twitter account and Facebook page to announce the title of her album "Unbroken".[15]

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."[16]

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![17]

"All Night Long"
A sample of the song "All Night Long" featuring vocals from Timbaland and rapped verses from Missy Elliot. The song serves as the opening track for the album.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Around 20 tracks were recorded for the album, one of which is a duet with an R&B singer.[18] She also worked with Dreamlab,[19] Rock Mafia, Ryan Tedder and Kara DioGuardi.[9] 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." The song Mistake has the same melody and instrumentation as the song Born to Be a Lady from the album Girls' Generation by Girls' Generation.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(59/100)[20]
Review scores
SourceRating
Absolute Punk(8.1/10)[21]
Allmusic[22]
Artist Direct[23]
Entertainment Weekly(B+)[24]
New York Times(favorable)[25]
Rolling Stone[26]
USA Today[27]

The album has received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. According to review aggregator Metacritic, the album has a score of 59 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[28] While some critics has praised Lovato's vocals and growth in musicianship compared to her previous two albums, as well as some of the album's ballad tracks, others dismissed it as "immature" and "confusing", referring to the album's amount of "party songs".

Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album a mixed review, scoring it 2 and a half stars, criticizing that the album is full of "party songs" that "act like nothing is wrong in her world at all". He also said 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." Erlewine indicated "All Night Long", "Who's That Boy", "Fix a Heart", and "Skyscraper" as the AMG track picks.[22] Monica Herrera of Rolling Stone also gave the album a mixed review, scoring it 2 out of 5 stars, saying "She's grown into her voice. Now, if only her music would grow up too."[26]

However, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times gave the album a positive review, saying that it "represents the opportunity for Demi Lovato to wipe clean several slates, something she is well suited for."[25] Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly also gave a positive review, scoring it a B+, "Clearly it's been a tough year for Lovato. But as Rihanna could tell her, sometimes bad years make great songs."[24] Becky Brain of Idolator wrote Lovato has a "killer voice and the A-list material to put it to good use", adding, "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."[29]. Absolute Punk scored the album 81 out of 100, summarizing it by saying "Nothing, and nobody, is broken beyond repair, and Unbroken showcases that beautifully."[30]

Singles

"Skyscraper" is the first single from the album. It was released on July 12, 2011. It reached a position of number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

"Who's That Boy", featuring Dev, was announced as the second single from the album by Lovato herself.[31] It is unknown when the single will be released, however Lovato will film the music video very soon.[32]

Other charted songs

Many songs from the album charted on the iTunes Top 100 Singles chart prior to its release, which resulted with the songs "Fix a Heart" and "Unbroken" debuting at #68 and #98 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100.

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2011 Teen Choice Awards "Choice Summer: Song" "Skyscraper" Won[33]
J-14 Teen Icon Awards "Iconic Song" "Skyscraper" Won
Youth Rock Awards "Music Video of the Year" "Skyscraper" Pending
EV. Music Awards "Best Teen Video" "Skyscraper" Pending

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."All Night Long" (featuring Missy Elliott and Timbaland)Timothy Mosley, Jim Beanz, Jerome Harmon, Missy Elliot, Lyrica Anderson, Nire, Garland Mosley, Demi Lovato, Joseph AngelTimbaland, Jerome Harmon*3:14
2."Who's That Boy" (featuring Dev)Ryan Tedder, Noel Zancanella, Devin TailesRyan Tedder, Noel Zancanella3:12
3."You're My Only Shorty" (featuring Iyaz)Antonina Armato, Tim JamesRock Mafia, Devrim Karaoglu^, Thomas Armato Sturges^3:06
4."Together" (featuring Jason Derülo)T. Mosley, Beanz, Anderson, Tiyon Mack, Lovato, G. MosleyJim Beanz, Timbaland4:33
5."Lightweight"T. Mosley, Beanz, G. Mosley, Shanna Crooks, Frankie StormJim Beanz, Timbaland4:01
6."Unbroken"Daniel James, Leah Haywood, LovatoDreamlab3:18
7."Fix a Heart"Emanuel Kiriakou, Priscilla ReneaEmanuel Kiriakou3:13
8."Hold Up"James, Haywood, Lovato, Ross GolanDreamlab2:50
9."Mistake"James, Haywood, Shelly PeikenDreamlab3:33
10."Give Your Heart a Break"Josh Alexander, Billy SteinbergJosh Alexander, Bill Steinberg3:25
11."Skyscraper"Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins, Kerli KõivToby Gad3:42
12."In Real Life"Bleu, Lindsey RayBleu2:57
13."My Love Is Like a Star"Gad, James MorrisonToby Gad3:50
14."For the Love of a Daughter"William Beckett, LovatoToby Gad4:00
15."Skyscraper" (Wizz Dumb Remix)Gad, Robbins, KõivToby Gad/ Wizz Dumb3:42
Total length:52:36
Latin America bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."Rascacielo (Skyscraper - Spanish Version)"Gad, Robbins, KõivEdgar Cortázar3:43
Total length:56:17

(*) denotes co-producer
(^) denotes additional producer

Personnel

  • Adapted from allmusic.com.[34]
Creativity and management
Performances
Technical

Charts

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[35] 20
Brazilian Albums Chart[36] 8
Canadian Albums Chart[37] 4
Chilean Albums Chart 10
Dutch Albums Chart [38] 63
Mexican Albums Chart[39] 9
New Zealand Albums Chart[40] 3
U.S. Billboard 200[41] 4
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Chart 1

References

  1. ^ Story Gilmore (2011/14/09) Album Preview: Demi Lovato Dabbles In R&B And Pop On “Unbroken” Song Snippets,
  2. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/unbroken-r2279164
  3. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/news/tony-bennett-85-achieves-first-no-1-album-1005373552.story
  4. ^ http://www.disneydreaming.com/2011/09/28/demi-lovatos-skyscraper-goes-gold/
  5. ^ http://popcrush.com/demi-lovato-whos-that-boy-second-single/
  6. ^ "Demi Lovato Records First Song For Third Album". July 15, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publicado= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (July 21, 2010). "Demi Lovato Wants To Embrace Her 'Inner Soul' Diva On Next Album". MTV. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (April 17, 2010). "Jonas Brothers Kick Off Tour With Demi Lovato On July 27". MTV. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  11. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (January 28, 2011). "Demi Lovato Leaves Treatment". MTV. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
  12. ^ "Demi está em estúdio" (in Portuguese). Yes! Teen. April 27, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  13. ^ Cotliar, Sharon (April 19, 2011). "Demi Lovato Is Leaving Sonny with a Chance". People. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "#UNBROKEN !!!!!!!!!!!!". Lovato, Demi. Twitter. August 11, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  16. ^ 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)
  17. ^ Lovato, Demi (June 2, 2011). "Demi Lovato on Being Back in the Studio". Retrieved August 13, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publicado= ignored (help)
  18. ^ "Demi Lovato: "I'm Singing About Some Issues That I've Never Even Spoken About"". E!. July 20, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  19. ^ [1]
  20. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/music/unbroken-2010
  21. ^ DeAndrea, Joe (15 September 2011). "Demi Lovato - Unbroken - Absolute Punk". Absolute Punk. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  22. ^ a b Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "Unbroken - Demi Lovato - Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  23. ^ Florino, Rick (22 September 2011). "Demi Lovato — "Unbroken" Review 4.5 out of 5 stars". Artist Direct. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  24. ^ a b Maerz, Melissa (September 14, 2011). "Music Review - Unbroken". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  25. ^ a b Caramanica, Jon (18 September 2011). "After Disney, After Rehab, a Singer Tries Growing Up". New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  26. ^ a b Herrera, Monica (20 September 2011). "Unbroken - Album Reviews - Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  27. ^ Mansfield, Brian (2001-09-19). "Listen Up: Demi Lovato, The Jayhawks, more". USA Today. Retrieved 2001-09-25.
  28. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/music/unbroken-2010
  29. ^ Brain, Becky (September 7, 2011). "Demi Lovato 'Unbroken': Fall Preview". Idolator (website). Retrieved September 16, 2011. {{cite web}}: Text "Idolator]" ignored (help)
  30. ^ "Demi Lovato Unbroken (album review) - Sputnikmusic". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  31. ^ http://twitter.com/#!/DDLOVATO
  32. ^ http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1671188/demi-lovato-whos-that-boy-video.jhtmlP[citation needed]
  33. ^ "Teen Choice Awards 2011: List of winners". CBS. 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
  34. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/unbroken-r2279164/credits
  35. ^ "Top 50 Albums Chart - Australian Recording Industry Association". ARIA. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  36. ^ http://www.hot100brasil.com/chtalbums.html
  37. ^ "ALBUMS : Top 100". Jam!. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  38. ^ http://www.dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Demi+Lovato&titel=Unbroken&cat=a
  39. ^ http://www.centrodedesarrollodigital.com/amprofon3/Top100.pdf
  40. ^ http://acharts.us/album/65695
  41. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/news/tony-bennett-85-achieves-first-no-1-album-1005373552.story
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