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Give Your Heart a Break

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"Give Your Heart a Break"
Song

Give Your Heart a Break is a song by American recording artist Demi Lovato. It was written and produced by Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg for Lovato's third studio album, Unbroken (2011). Instead of "Who's That Boy" featuring Dev, "Give Your Heart a Break" was selected as the second single from the album, following after " Skyscraper". Musically, it is an electropop song that incorporates rock and dance in the use of drums, violin and strings. Lyrically, the song chronicles an attempt to win over one who has been hurt from a previous relationship. Lovato has promote the song through several stage performances, including her performance at the Z100 Jingle Ball concert.

Background and composition

“Give Your Heart a Break” was composed by Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg, who are known for their work on The Veronicas’ sophomore studio album, Hook Me Up.[1] They also contributed to the song’s production.[1] Alexander is credited with having a bigger hand in the song’s composition, aiding in the instrumentation, programming, recording and engineering.[1] Chris Garcia shared engineering credits with Alexander while Scott Roewe is credited with providing logic and pro tools technology.[1] It was recorded and selected for inclusion in Lovato’s third studio album, Unbroken, which was released on September 20, 2011.

“Give Your Heart a Break” is an uptempo electropop song with a dance rhythm[2] and influences of rock music. The song’s composition features suspenseful strings[2] that combines with a rhythmic drum.[3] The song also makes use of a violin, which, according to Cristin Maher of PopCrush, sounds similar to that used in Coldplay’s 2008 single, “Viva la Vida”, drawn from the album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends.[3] Maher also notes that the song as a mix between contemporary pop and pop music from the 1980s and 1990s.[3] Lyrically, the song is about wanting someone to open his heart to her and to give her a chance. The lyrics tell that he’s been hurt several times before but she wants him to rest assure and believe that she’s not like the others.[4]

Critical reception

Embrace You Magazine named it as “the coolest song” and commented earlier that “has an indescribable music arrangement that possesses my mind and gives me a pleasurable feeling which satisfies my soul.”[4] Joe DeAndrea of AbsolutePunk praised the song along with "Mistake" and "Give Your Heart a Break" as ballads that “go far and beyond anything in Lovato's prior arsenal. It sets a mark as to what should be expected from similar artists such as her, but in the process, distancing herself from being grouped with them becoming a solo entity.”[5] Jason Scott of seattlepi.com noted that the song, along with “Mistake” and “Hold Up”, feature “electrically forceful instrumentation.”[6] Cristin Maher of PopCrush praised the song as “captivating”[3] while Jocelyn Vena of MTV complimented it as a smart dance song, along with “Hold Up”.[2]

Music video

On December 23, 2011, Lovato uploaded an official Lyrics video to the song on her official YouTube channel. It features the words, and the background features scenes of Lovato writing in a diary, in which the lyrics are printed onto. In the description of the video, it is said that the official music video will be released in 2012

Live performances

Lovato performed the song with a band and dancers at the Kissmas Bash hosted by the radio station Kiss 98.5 FM. It was performed in a short set along with “All Night Long,” “Who’s That Boy?,” “Skyscraper” and “Unbroken.”[7] On December 9, 2011, Lovato performed “Give Your Heart a Break”, along with “Unbroken”, “All Night Long” and “Skyscraper”, at the Z100 Jingle Ball concert in New York.[8] She also performed “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with American singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson.[8] Lovato will also be performing the song at the People's Choice Awards on January 12, 2012.[9]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Unbroken liner notes. [1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c Vena, Jocelyn. "Demi Lovato's Unbroken: Putting It Back Together". MTV. Viacom International Inc. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d Maher, Cristin. "Demi Lovato, 'Unbroken' – Album Review". PopCrush. popcrush. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Demi Lovato's "Unbroken"". Embrace You Magazine. Wordpress. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  5. ^ DeAndrea, Joe. "Demi Lovato – Unbroken – Album Review". AbsolutePunk. AbsolutePunk, LLC. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  6. ^ Scott, Jason. "Music Review: Demi Lovato – Unbroken". SeattlePi. Hearst Communications Inc. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  7. ^ Miers, Jeff. "Kissmas bash delivers the goods – Concert Reviews". Buffalo News. The Buffalo News. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Demi Lovato duets with her idol Kelly Clarkson at Z100's Jingle Ball in New York City". TheCelebrityCafe. TheCelebrityCafe.com. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  9. ^ http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2011/12/19/demi-lovato-peoples-choice-awards-2012-performance/
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