After an eventual past year for Disney star, Demi Lovato, the artist has returned to the music scene with her first album since 2009. The new project titled, Unbroken, is a heartfelt, 14 track album that acts as a diary as well. Preceded by first single, "Skyscraper", a ballad that became Lovato's first solo top ten hit, the effort balances emotional, powerful ballads with a few surprises thrown in with help from acts such as Missy Elliott, Timbaland, and Jason Derulo. The album dips its feet into the R&B, dance and pop genres successfully, but encounters a few stumbles along the way. The vocals are the main reason to listen to this new piece of work.
The album kicks off with the Missy Elliott and Timbaland assisted, “All Night Long”, an R&B/pop infused track about partying the night away. It is nice to see Lovato experimenting with different sounds, something more interesting than the ballads she usually puts out. The track is successful to a certain extent, it is catchy, performances are perfect, but I was expecting more from this unique collaboration. The new sound unfortunately falls flat when “Who’s That Boy” comes up next featuring the vocals of Dev who does not add anything to the song. Trying new things is fine with me, but this track is not what Lovato should be recording. I feel she is pretending to be something she is not even though the vocals present are actually flawless. I hope it is not the next single. “You’re My Only Shorty feat. Iyaz” is extremely catchy and infectious, there is no doubt about that, but I could not fully embrace the tone of the track. The two artists’ voices do not mess as well as they may have wanted, Lovato clearly outshines Iyaz impersonation of Sean Kingston. Good track, just nothing amazing. The album throws all the collaborations at you all at once when “Together feat. Jason Derulo” shows up as the project’s fourth track. The song has to be the best of the four, Lovato and Derulo sound like they actually had some chemistry while recording, does not hurt that they have some killer pipes as well. The lyrics speak of a strong bond, the most important aspect of the track. People were anticipating heartbreaking ballads from Lovato and she delivers with “Lightweight”, a drastic change in direction for the album. Lovato does not hold anything back here; she does not need any alterations to her voice and shows that she has talent to back up her career. The track is vulnerable and shows the struggles the artist has had to deal with in her past. One of my personal favorites off the effort is the dance/electro-pop masterpiece that is the title track, “Unbroken”. Lovato pours out some serious emotions into the lyrics being sung as she is being supported by an addictive beat that would get anyone moving their feet and hips. The song sounds all too similar to Robyn’s “Indestructible”, some comparisons will be made, but both songs are still perfection. The production gets scaled back again for “Fix A Heart”, a plea for a cure to heal a broken heart, even though there really is not one. Someone did Lovato wrong and she was able to turn it into a spectacular vocal performance. There is nothing I would change here, and fans seem to agree since it is the highest charting song from the entire album on iTunes right now.
The pop vibe returns on the second half of the album with the shortest song, “Hold Up”. The song will get people up and moving, a nice departure from the somber mood of the preceding tracks. Vocals and production are the best they could be, but the writing material is a bit lackluster unfortunately. The chorus is amazing, while the rest is honestly forgettable and uninteresting. On “Mistake”, Lovato recalls a past relationship that did not last. The singer is kicking that guy out of her life while the lyrics paint a picture that should belong in a movie. The sound contains a blend of influences from the R&B and pop genres and I think this is great example of that blend actually working. The song is a strong piece of work and quite relatable. Simplicity works when “Give Your Heart a Break” starts to play. Lovato only has to rely on her vocals to get her message across and she does just that on this track. If a guy cannot handle all that she brings or is afraid of love then Lovato will just send them on their way. Everything about the track works, just keeps the album on a positive route. The song that blew everyone away, “Skyscraper”, finally comes in at track eleven and it is still just as great after the 100th listen. Anger, frustration, sorrow and hurt are heard in the beautiful, flawless vocals that come out of Lovato. The lyrics are amazing- hats off to the writers- and I think they fit perfectly with the feelings the artist had bottled in. Grammy nomination? I think so. The direction and sound of the project change once again for “In Real Life”. The song carries a strong R&B tone, actually comes off a bit dated. I compliment the idea, but the song just does not impress or meet the expectations that surround the album’s release. Lovato has been taken the shape of many different artists, but this particular sound does not fit her well. One of the slowest tracks from the effort, “My Love is Like a Star”, is as raw and simple as the album gets. Lovato’s performance is soft and sweet, but it still packs a powerful punch as she goes through some clever and memorable lines. Thought the song would be cheesy and sugar coated, but with one listen the song grabbed my attention and did not let go. The album closes with “For the Love of a Daughter”, an extremely personal ballad directed towards the artist’s own father. Accusations of drinking and abandonment are discussed in the heart wrenching four minute letter that deals with almost every emotion in the book. With a great vocal performance, the song finishes the album on a very high and positive note. Beyond impressive!
Unbroken is a well-crafted album that will satisfy all fans and critics. Demi Lovato has endured a highly publicized year and was able to turn the hurt and angst into an album that seems to be a sort of call for help. While some of the project experiments with genres that most would not associate the artists with for reasons of fun and creativity, most of the 14 tracks are raw, emotional ballads that show off the vocal talent that Lovato probably did not even know she had. Each track is something personal, unique and of high quality. For spectacular vocals, beautifully composed tracks, and a few disappointments, the album receives a solid 84%.
Be sure to go out and buy Unbroken on Amazon or iTunes today or just go purchase my Tracks to Hear!
Tracks to Hear: “Unbroken”, “Skyscraper” and “For the Love of a Daughter”
Demi Lovato - Unbroken
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